Craftsman 315.271190 - Manual (Page 14)

OPERATION
KICKBACK
See Figure 11.
The best guard against kickback is to avoid dangerous
practices.
Kickback occurs when the blade stalls rapidly and the saw
is driven back towards you. Blade stalling is caused by any
action which pinches the blade in the wood.
A DANGER: Release switch immediately if blade binds
or saw stalls. Kickback could cause you to lose
control of your saw. Loss of control can lead to
serious injury.
KICKBACK IS CAUSED BY:
■ Incorrect blade depth setting. See Figure 11.
■ Sawing into knots or nails in workpiece.
■ Twisting blade while making a cut.
■ Making a cut with a dull, gummed up, or improperly set
blade.
■ Incorrectly supporting workpiece. See Figure 12.
■ Forcing a cut.
■ Cutting warped or wet lumber.
■ Tool misuse or incorrect operating procedures.
TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF KICKBACK:
■ Always keep the correct blade depth setting - the
correct blade depth setting for all cuts should not
exceed 1/4 in. below the material to be cut. See Figure
13. One blade tooth below the material to be cut works
best for most efficient cutting action.
CORRECT BLADE DEPTH SETTING =
BLADE EXPOSED ONE BLADE TOOTH
BELOW THE MATERIAL TO BE CUT Fig. 13
Inspect the workpiece for knots or nails before
beginning a cut. Never saw into a knot or nail.
Make straight cuts. Always use a straight edge guide
when rip cutting. This helps prevent twisting the blade
in the cut.
Always use clean, sharp and properly set blades.
Never make cuts with dull blades.
To avoid pinching the blade, support the workpiece
properly before beginning a cut. The right and wrong
ways to support large pieces of work are shown in
figures 12 and 14.
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