Craftsman 315.113082 Operator's Manual

SERVICE• Tool service must be performed only by quali-fied repair personnel. Service or maintenanceperformed by unqualified personnel may result in arisk of injury.• When servicing a tool, use only identical re-placement parts. Follow instructions in theMaintenance section of this manual. Use ofunauthorized parts or failure to follow MaintenanceInstructions may create a risk of shock or injury.• DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting areaand blade. Keep your second hand on theauxiliary handle, or motor housing. If both handsare holding the saw, they cannot be cut by theblade.• Keep your body positioned to either side of thesaw blade, but not in line with the saw blade.KICKBACK could cause the saw to jumpbackwards. (See "Causes and Operator Preventionof Kickback.")• Do not reach underneath the work. The guardcan not protect you from the blade below the work.• Check lower guard for proper closing beforeeach use. Do not operate saw if lower guarddoes not move freely and close instantly. Neverclamp or tie the lower guard into the openposition. If saw is accidentally dropped, lowerguard may be bent. Raise the lower guard with theRetracting Handle and make sure it moves freelyand does not touch the blade or any other part, inall angles and depths of cut.• Check the operation and condition of the lowerguard spring. If the guard and the spring arenot operating properly, they must be servicedbefore use. Lower guard may operate sluggishlydue to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or abuildup of debris.• Lower guard should be retracted manually onlyfor special cuts, such as "Pocket Cuts" and"Compound Cuts." Raise lower guard byRetracting Handle. As soon as blade enters thematerial, lower guard must be released. For allother sawing, the lower guard should operateautomatically.• Always observe that the lower guard iscovering the blade before placing saw down onbench or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade willcause the saw to walk backwards, cutting whateveris in its path. Be aware of the time it takes for theblade to stop after switch is released.• NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands oracross your leg. It is important to support the workproperly to minimize body exposure, blade binding,or loss of control.• Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces whenperforming an operation where the cutting toolmay contact hidden wiring or its own cord.Contact with a "live" wire will also make exposedmetal parts of the tool "live" and shock the operator.• When ripping always use a rip fence or straightedge guide. This improves the accuracy of the cutand reduces the chance for blade binding.• Always use blades with correct size and shape(diamond vs. round) arbor holes. Blades that donot match the mounting hardware of the saw willrun eccentrically, causing loss of control.• Never use damaged or incorrect blade washersor bolts. The blade washers and bolts werespecially designed for the saw for optimumperformance and safety of operation.Causes and Operator Prevention ofKickbackKickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound, ormisaligned saw blade, causing an uncontrolled saw tolift up and out of the workpiece toward the operator.When the blade is pinched or bound tightly by the kerfclosing down, the blade stalls and the motor reactiondrives 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 thetop surface of the wood causing the blade to climb outof the kerf and jump back toward the operator.Kickback is the result of tool misuse and/or incorrectoperating procedures or conditions and can beavoided by taking proper precautions, as given below:• Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the sawand position your body and arm to allow you toresist KICKBACK forces. KICKBACK forces canbe controlled by the operator, if proper precautionsare taken.• When blade is binding, or when interrupting acut for any reason, release the trigger and holdthe saw motionless in the material until theblade comes to a complete stop. Never attemptto remove the saw from the work or pull thesaw backward while the blade is in motion, orKICKBACK may occur. Investigate and takecorrective actions to eliminate the cause of bladebinding.4