Craftsman 21833 Operation Manual - Page 3

• Know your tool. Learn the tool's operation, application and specific limitations. ° Handle workpiece correctly. Press firmly against table. Protect hands from possible injury. • Turn machine off if it jams. Blade jams when it digs too deeply into workpiece. (Motor force keeps it stuck in the work.) • Feed work into the blade only as recommended in "Operation" WARNING: For your own safety, do not operate your saw until it is completely assembled and installed according to instructions. STABILITY OF SAW If there is any tendencyfor the saw to tip over or move during certain cuttingoperations,such as cuttingextremelyheavy panels or long heavy boards, the saw shouldbe bolteddown. If you attach any kind of extensionsover 24" wide to either end of the saw, make sure you either bolt the saw to the floor, as appropriate, or support the outerend ofthe extension from the benchor floor, as appropriate. LOCATION The saw should be positioned so neither the operator nor a casual observer is forced to stand in line with the saw blade. KICKBACKS A kickback occurs during a rip-type operation when a part or all of workpiece is thrown back violently toward operator. Keep your face and body to one side of the saw blade, out of line with a possible kickback. Kickbacks and possible injury from them can usually be avoided by: • Maintaining rip fence parallel to saw blade. • Keeping saw blade sharp. Replace or sharpen anti-kickback pawls when points become dull. • Keeping saw blade guard, spreader, and anti-kickback pawls in place and operating properly. The spreader must be in alignment with the saw blade and the pawls must stop a kickback once it has started. Check their action before ripping. ° Not ripping work that is twisted or warped or does not have a straight edge to guide along the rip fence. • Not releasing work until you have pushed it all the way past the saw blade. • Using a push stick for ripping widths less than 6 inches. ° Not confining the cutoff piece when ripping or crosscutting. PROTECTION: EYES, HANDS, FACE, BODY, EARS • If any part of your saw is missing, malfunctioning, or has been damaged or broken (such as the motor switch, electronic controls, other operating control, a safety device or power cord), cease operating immediately until the particular part is properly repaired or replaced. • Wear safety goggles that comply with United States ANSI Z87.1 and a face shield or dust mask if operation is dusty. Wear ear plugs or muffs during extended periods of operation. Small loose pieces of wood or other objects that contact the rear of the revolving blade can be thrown back at the operator at excessive speed. This can usually be avoided by keeping the guard and spreader in place for all thrusawing operations (sawing entirely thru work) and by removing all loose pieces from the table with a long stick of wood immediately after they are cut off. • Use extra caution when the guard assembly is removed for resawing, dadoing, or rabbeting--replace guard as soon as that operation is completed. • Never turn the saw ON before clearing the table of all tools, wood scraps, etc., except the workpiece and related feed or support devices for the operation planned. • Never place your face or body in line with the cutting tool. • Never place your fingers or hands in path of saw blade or other cutting tool. • For rip or rip-type cuts, the following end of a workpiece to which a push stick or push board is applied must be square (perpendicular to the fence) in order that feed pressure applied to the workpiece by the push stick or block does not cause the workpiece to come away from the fence, and possibly cause a kickback. • During rip and rip-type cuts, workpiece must be herd down on table and against fence with a push stick, push block, or featherboards, as applicable (see Figures l a and lb, page 4). The push stick and push block examples shown below are useful for keeping hands and fingers away from saw blade during ripping, rabbeting and dadoing. Apply downward pressure and push workpiece through the cut and past the blades. Several other configurations may be suitable for safe operation. Featherboards are used to keep the work in contact with the rip fence or table during the cutting operation. Use of featherboards can help to prevent kickbacks and binding. Featherboards should be used for all "non thru-sawing" operations. • Never reach in back of the cutting tool with either hand to hold down or support the workpiece, remove wood scraps, or for any other reason. Avoid awkward operations and hand positions where a sudden slip could cause fingers or hand to move into a saw blade or other cutting tool. • Do not perform layout, assembly, or setup work on the table while the cutting tool is rotating. • Do not perform any operation freehand--always use either rip fence or miter gauge to position and guide the work. • Never use the rip fence when cross-cutting or the miter gauge when ripping. Do not use rip fence as a length stop. Never hold onto or touch free-end of workpiece or a free-piece that is cut off, while power is ON and/or saw blade is rotating. • Shut the saw OFF and disconnect power source when removing the table insert, changing the cutting too], removing or replacing the blade guard, or making adjustments. Provide adequate support to the rear and sides of the saw table for wide or long workpieces. ib Plastic and composition materials (like hardboard) may be cut on your saw. However, since these are usually quite hard and slippery, the anti-kickback pawls may not stop a kickback. Therefore, be especially attentive to following proper setup and cutting procedures for ripping. Do not stand, or permit anyone else to stand, in line with a potential kickback. • If you stall or jam the saw blade in the workpiece, turn saw OFF and remove the workpiece from the saw blade. Check to see if the saw blade is parallel to the miter gauge grooves and if the spreader is in proper alignment with the saw blade. If ripping at the time, check to see if the rip fence is parallel with the saw blade. Readjust as required. • Do not remove small pieces of cutoff material that may become trapped inside the blade guard while the saw is running. This could endanger your hands or cause kickback. Turn saw OFF and wait until blade stops. 3