Dewalt DW715 Instruction Manual - Page 11

When the saw comes up to speed (about 1 second) lower the arm smoothly and slowly to cut through the wood. Let the blade come to a full stop before raising arm. Miter crosscuts are made with the miter arm at some angle other than zero. This angle is often 45 degrees for making corners, but can be set anywhere from zero to 50 degrees left or right. After selecting the desired miter angle, be sure to lock miter lock lever. Make the cut as described above. BEVEL CUTS A bevel cut is a crosscut made with the saw blade at a bevel to the wood. In order to set the bevel, loosen the bevel clamp knob and move the saw to the left as desired. (It is necessary to move the fence to allow clearance). Once the desired bevel angle has been set, tighten the bevel clamp knob firmly. Bevel angles can be set from 48 degrees right to 48 degrees left and can be cut with the miter arm set between zero and 50 degrees right or left. At some extreme angles, the right or left side fence might have to be removed. To remove the left or right fence, unscrew the knobs several turns and slide the fence out. QUALITY OF CUT The smoothness of any cut depends on a number of variables. Things like material being cut, blade type, blade sharpness and rate of cut all contribute to the quality of the cut. When smoothest cuts are desired for molding and other precision work, a sharp (60 tooth carbide) blade and a slower, even cutting rate will produce the desired results. Ensure that material does not creep while cutting, clamp it securely in place. Always let the blade come to a full stop before raising arm. If small fibers of wood still split out at the rear of the workpiece, stick a piece of masking tape on the wood where the cut will be made. Saw through the tape and carefully remove tape when finished. For varied cutting applications, refer to the list of recommended saw blades for your saw and select the one that best fits your needs (page 4). BODY AND HAND POSITION (FIG. 11) Proper positioning of your body and hands when operating the miter saw will make cutting easier, more accurate and safer. Never place hands near cutting area. Place hands no closer than 6" from the blade. Hold the workpiece tightly to the table and the fence when cutting. Keep hands in position until the trigger has been released and the blade has completely stopped. ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS SO THAT YOU CAN CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. DO NOT CROSS HANDS, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 11A. Keep both feet firmly on the floor and maintain proper balance. As you move the miter arm left and right, follow it and stand slightly to the side of the saw blade. Sight through the guard louvers when following a pencil line. FIG. 11 FIG. 11A PROPER CUT IMPROPER CUT 9 CLAMPING THE WORKPIECE Turn Off and Unplug Saw. If you cannot secure the workpiece on the table and against the fence by hand, (irregular shape, etc.) or your hand would be less than 6" from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used. For best results use the DW7082 clamp made for use with your saw. It is available for purchase at your local retailer or DEWALT service center. Other aids such as spring clamps, bar clamps or C-clamps may be appropriate for certain sizes and shapes of material. Use care in selecting and placing these clamps. Take time to make a dry run before making the cut. The left or right fence will slide from side to side to aid in clamping. NOTE: ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS TO CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. ENSURE THE CLAMP DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE ACTION OF THE SAW OR GUARDS. WARNING: A workpiece that is clamped, balanced and secure before a cut may become unbalanced after a cut is completed. An unbalanced load may tip the saw or anything the saw is attached to, such as a table or workbench. When making a cut that may become unbalanced, properly support the workpiece and ensure the saw is firmly bolted to a stable surface. SUPPORT FOR LONG PIECES Turn Off and Unplug Saw. ALWAYS SUPPORT LONG PIECES. Never use another person as a substitute for a table extension; as additional support for a workpiece that is longer or wider than the basic miter saw table or to help feed, support or pull the workpiece. For best results, use the DW7080 extension work support to extend the table width of your saw. Available from your dealer at extra cost. Support long workpieces using any convenient means such as sawhorses or similar devices to keep the ends from dropping. CUTTING PICTURE FRAMES, SHADOW BOXES AND OTHER FOUR-SIDED PROJECTS To best understand how to make the items listed here, we suggest that you try a few simple projects using scrap wood until you develop a "FEEL" for your saw. Your saw is the perfect tool for mitering corners like the one shown in Figure 13. Sketch A in Figure 12 shows a joint made by using the bevel adjustment to bevel the edges of the two boards at 45 degrees each to produce a 90 degree corner. For this joint the miter arm was locked in the zero position and the bevel adjustment was locked at 45 degrees. The wood was positioned with the broad flat side against the table and the narrow edge against the fence. The cut could also be made by mitering right and left with the broad surface against the fence. English