Dewalt DCS361M1 Instruction Manual - Page 13

English Dust Extraction (Fig. 3, 9) FIG. 9 WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn tool off and remove the battery pack before making AQ any adjustments or removing/installing attachments or accessories. An accidental start-up can cause injury. N Your saw has a built-in dust port (N) that allows either the supplied dust bag (AQ) or a shop vacuum system to be connected. TO ATTACH THE DUST BAG 1. Fit the dust bag (AQ) to the dust port (N) as shown in Figure 9. TO EMPTY THE DUST BAG 1. Remove dust bag (AQ) from the saw and gently shake or tap the dust bag to empty. 2. Reattach the dust bag back onto the dust port (N). You may notice that all the dust will not come free from the bag. This will not affect cutting performance but will reduce the saw's dust collection efficiency. To restore your saw's dust collection efficiency, depress the spring inside the dust bag when you are emptying it and tap it on the side of the trash can or dust receptacle. CAUTION: Never operate this saw unless the dust bag or DEWALT dust extractor is in place. Wood dust may create a breathing hazard. Cutting With Your Saw (Fig. 3) If the slide feature is not used, ensure the saw head is pushed back as far as possible and the rail lock knob (T) is tightened. This will prevent the saw from sliding along its rails as the workpiece is engaged. NOTE: DO NOT CUT METALS OR MASONRY WITH THIS SAW. Do not use any abrasive blades. NOTE: Refer to Guard Actuation and Visibility in the Adjustments section for important information about the lower guard before cutting. CROSSCUTS (FIG. 3, 10) A crosscut is made by cutting wood across the grain at any angle. A straight crosscut is made with the miter arm at the zero degree position. Set and lock the miter arm at zero, hold the wood firmly on the table and against the fence. With the rail lock knob (T) tightened, turn on the saw by squeezing the trigger switch (A) shown in Figure 3. 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. When cutting anything larger than a 2 x 4 (51 x 102), use an out-down-back motion with the rail lock knob (T) loosened. Pull the saw out, toward you, lower the saw head down toward the workpiece, and slowly push the saw back to complete the cut. Do not allow the saw blade to contact the top of the workpiece while pulling out. The saw may run toward you, possibly causing personal injury or damage to the workpiece. WARNING: Always use a work clamp to maintain control and reduce the risk of workpiece damage and personal injury, if your hands are required to be within 6" (152 mm) of the blade during the cut. NOTE: The rail lock knob (T) shown in Figure 3 must be loose to allow the saw to slide along its rails. Miter crosscuts are made with the miter arm at some angle other than zero. This angle is often 45º for making corners, but can be set anywhere from zero to 48º left or 48° right. Make the cut as described above. When performing a miter cut on workpieces wider than a 2 x 6 that are shorter in length, always place the longer side against the fence (Fig. 10). To cut through an existing pencil line on a piece of wood, match the angle as close as possible. Cut the FIG. 10 wood a little too long and measure from the pencil line to the cut edge to determine which direction to adjust the miter angle and recut. This will take some practice, but it is a commonly used technique. BEVEL CUTS (FIG. 3) A bevel cut is a crosscut made with the saw blade leaning at an angle to the wood. In order to set the bevel, loosen the bevel lock knob (L), and move the saw to the left as desired. Once the desired bevel angle has been set, tighten the bevel lock firmly. Refer to the Features and Controls section for detailed instructions on the bevel system. Bevel angles can be set from 3º right to 48º left. 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 tip) blade and a slower, even cutting rate will produce the desired results. Ensure that the material does not move or 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. Refer to Saw Blades under Optional Accessories. BODY AND HAND POSITION (FIG. 11A-11D) 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" (152 mm) 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 11C. 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. 11