Safety Warnings for Mitre Saws

• Mitre saws are intended to cut wood or wood-like products, they cannot be used with abrasive cut-off wheels for cutting ferrous material such as bars, rods, studs, etc. Abrasive dust causes moving parts such as the lower guard to jam. Sparks from abrasive cutting will burn the lower guard, the kerf insert and other plastic parts.

• Use clamps to support the workpiece whenever possible. If supporting the workpiece by hand, you must always keep your hand at least 100 mm from either side of the saw blade. Do not use this saw to cut pieces that are too small to be securely clamped or held by hand. If your hand is placed too close to the saw blade, there is an increased risk of injury from blade contact.

• The workpiece must be stationary and clamped or held against both the fence and the table. Do not feed the workpiece into the blade or cut “freehand” in any way. Unrestrained or moving workpieces could be thrown at high speeds, causing injury.

• Push the saw through the workpiece. Do not pull the saw through the workpiece. To make a cut, raise the saw head and pull it out over the workpiece without cutting, start the motor, press the saw head down and push the saw through the workpiece. Cutting on the pull stroke is likely to cause the saw blade to climb on top of the workpiece and violently throw the blade assembly towards the operator.

• Never cross your hand over the intended line of cutting either in front or behind the saw blade. Supporting the workpiece “cross handed” i.e. holding the workpiece to the right of the saw blade with your left hand or vice versa is very dangerous.

• Do not reach behind the fence with either hand closer than 100 mm from either side of the saw blade, to remove wood scraps, or for any other reason while the blade is spinning. The proximity of the spinning saw blade to your hand may not be obvious and you may be seriously injured.

• Inspect your workpiece before cutting. If the workpiece is bowed or warped, clamp it with the outside bowed face toward the fence. Always make certain that there is no gap between the workpiece, fence and table along the line of the cut. Bent or warped workpieces can twist or shift and may cause binding on the spinning saw blade while cutting. There should be no nails or foreign objects in the workpiece.

• Do not use the saw until the table is clear of all tools, wood scraps, etc., except for the workpiece. Small debris or loose pieces of wood or other objects that contact the revolving blade can be thrown with high speed.

• Cut only one workpiece at a time. Stacked multiple workpieces cannot be adequately clamped or braced and may bind on the blade or shift during cutting.

• Ensure the mitre saw is mounted or placed on a level, firm work surface before use. A level and firm work surface reduces the risk of the mitre saw becoming unstable.

• Plan your work. Every time you change the bevel or mitre angle setting, make sure the adjustable fence is set correctly to support the workpiece and will not interfere with the blade or the guarding system. Without turning the tool “ON” and with no workpiece on the table, move the saw blade through a complete simulated cut to assure there will be no interference or danger of cutting the fence.

• Provide adequate support such as table extensions, saw horses, etc. for a workpiece that is wider or longer than the table top. Workpieces longer or wider than the mitre saw table can tip if not securely supported. If the cut-off piece or workpiece tips, it can lift the lower guard or be thrown by the spinning blade.

• Do not use another person as a substitute for a table extension or as additional support. Unstable support for the workpiece can cause the blade to bind or the workpiece to shift during the cutting operation pulling you and the helper into the spinning blade.

• The cut-off piece must not be jammed or pressed by any means against the spinning saw blade. If confined, i.e. using length stops, the cut-off piece could get wedged against the blade and thrown violently.

• Always use a clamp or a fixture designed to properly support round material such as rods or tubing. Rods have a tendency to roll while being cut, causing the blade to “bite” and pull the work with your hand into the blade.

• Let the blade reach full speed before contacting the workpiece. This will reduce the risk of the workpiece being thrown.

• If the workpiece or blade becomes jammed, turn the mitre saw off. Wait for all moving parts to stop and disconnect the plug from the power source and/or remove the battery pack. Then work to free the jammed material. Continued sawing with a jammed workpiece could cause loss of control or damage to the mitre saw.

• After finishing the cut, release the switch, hold the saw head down and wait for the blade to stop before removing the cut-off piece. Reaching with your hand near the coasting blade is dangerous.

• Hold the handle firmly when making an incomplete cut or when releasing the switch before the saw head is completely in the down position. The braking action of the saw may cause the saw head to be suddenly pulled downward, causing a risk of injury.

• Do not let go of the handle once the saw head has reached the lowest position. Always guide the saw head back to the top position by hand. There is a risk of injury if the saw head moves in an uncontrolled manner.

• Keep your work area clean. Material mixtures are particularly hazardous. Light metal dust may catch fire or explode.

• Do not use dull, cracked, bent or damaged saw blades. Unsharpened or improperly set saw blades produce narrow kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding and kickback.

• Do not use saw blades made from high speed steel (HSS). Such saw blades can easily break.

• Always use saw blades with correct size and shape (diamond versus round) of arbour holes. Saw blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run off-centre, causing loss of control.

• Never remove cuttings, wood chips, etc. from the cutting area while the power tool is running. Always guide the tool arm back to the neutral position first and then switch the power tool off.

• Do not touch the saw blade after working before it has cooled. The saw blade becomes very hot while working.