Craftsman 315.271190 - Manual (Page 4)

SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES AND/OR SYMBOLS
Additional Specific Safety Rules
■ DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and
blade. Keep your second hand on auxiliary handle
or motor housing.
If both hands are holding the saw,
they cannot be cut by the blade.
■ Keep your body positioned to either side of the
saw blade, but not in line with the saw blade.
KICKBACK could cause the saw to jump backwards.
See Pages 14 and 15.
■ Do not reach underneath the work. The guard
cannot protect you from the blade below the work.
■ Check the lower guard for proper closing before
each use. Do not operate saw if lower guard does
not move freely and close instantly. Never clamp
or tie the lower guard into the open position . If
saw is accidentally dropped, lower guard may be bent.
Raise lower guard with the lower blade guard handle
and make sure it moves freely and does not touch the
blade or any other part, in all angles and depths of cut.
■ Check the operation and condition of the lower
guard spring. If the guard and the spring are not
operating properly, they must be serviced before
use.
Lower guard may operate sluggishly due to
damaged parts, gummy deposits, or a buildup of
debris,
■ Lower guard should be retracted manually only for
special cuts such as “Pocket Cuts” and “Com­
pound Cuts”. Raise lower guard by lower blade
guard handle. As soon as blade enters the mate­
rial, lower guard must be released.
For all other
sawing, the lower guard should operate automatically.
■ Always observe that the lower guard is covering
the blade before placing saw down on bench or
floor.
An unprotected, coasting blade will cause the
saw to walk backwards, cutting whatever is in its path.
Be aware of the time it takes for the blade to stop after
switch is released.
■ NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands or
across your leg. It is important to support the work
properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or
loss of control.
■ Hold tool by insulating gripping surfaces when
performing an operation where the cutting tool
may contact hidden wiring.
Contact with a “live” wire
will also make exposed metal parts to the tool “live"
and shock the operator.
■ When ripping always use a rip fence or a straight
edge guide. This improves the accuracy of cut and
reduces the chance of blade binding.
■ Always use blade with correct size and shape
(diamond vs. round) arbor holes. Blades that do not
match the mounting hardware of the saw will run
eccentrically, causing loss of control.
■ Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers or
bolts. The blade washers and bolt were specially
designed for your saw, or optimum performance and
safety of operation.
■ Causes and Operator Prevention of Kickback;
Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound, or
misaligned saw blade, causing an uncontrolled saw to
lift up and out of the workpiece toward the operator.
When the blade Is pinched or bound tightly by the kerf
closing down, the blade stalls and the motor reaction
drives the unit rapidly back toward the operator.
If the blade becomes twisted or misaligned in the cut,
the teeth at the back edge of the blade can dig into the
top surface of the wood causing the blade to climb out
of the kerf and jump back toward the operator.
Kickback is a result of tool misuse and/or incorrect
operating procedures or conditions and can be
avoided by taking proper precautions as given below:
■ Maintain a firm grip on the saw and position your
body and arm in a way that aiiows you to resist
KICKBACK forces. KICKBACK forces can be con­
trolled by the operator, if proper precautions are taken.
■ When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut
for any reasons, release the trigger and hold the
saw motionless in the material until the blade
comes to a complete stop. Never attempt to
remove the saw from the work or puli the saw
backward while the blade is in motion or KICK­
BACK may occur. Investigate and take corrective
actions to eliminate the cause of blade binding.
■ When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the
saw blade in the kerf and check that teeth are not
engaged into the material. If saw blade is binding, it
may walk up or KICKBACK from the workpiece as the
saw is restarted.
■ Support large panels to minimize the risk of blade
pinching and KICKBACK. Large panels tend to sag
under their own weight. Supports must be placed
under the panel on both sides, near the line of cut and
near the edge of the panel.
■ Do not use dull or damaged blades. Unsharpened
or improperly set blades produce narrow kerf causing
excessive friction, blade binding, and KICKBACK.
■ Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers
must be tight and secure before making cut. If
blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it will cause
binding and KICKBACK.
■ Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut”
into existing walls or other blind areas. The protrud­
ing blade may cut objects that can cause KICKBACK.