Makita 5604R Instruction Manual page 6

16. ALWAYS hold the tool firmly with both hands.
NEVER place your hand or fingers behind the
saw. If kickback occurs, the saw could easily jump
backwards over your hand, leading to serious
personal injury.
17. Never force the saw. Push the saw forward at a
speed so that the blade cuts without slowing.
Forcing the saw can cause uneven cuts, loss of
accuracy, and possible kickback.
Lower guard function
18. Check lower guard for proper closing
before each use. Do not operate the saw if
lower guard does not move freely and close
instantly. Never clamp or tie the lower guard
into the open position. If saw is accidentally
dropped, lower guard may be bent. Raise the
lower guard with the retracting handle and make
sure it moves freely and does not touch the blade
or any other part, in all angles and depths of cut.
19. Check the operation of the lower guard spring. If
the guard and the spring are not operating prop-
erly, they must be serviced before use. Lower
guard may operate sluggishly due to damaged
parts, gummy deposits, or a build-up of debris.
20. Lower guard may be retracted manually only for
special cuts such as "plunge cuts" and "com-
pound cuts". Raise lower guard by retracting
handle and as soon as blade enters the material,
the lower guard must be released. For all other
sawing, the lower guard should operate automatically.
21. Always observe that the lower guard is cov-
ering the blade before placing saw down on
bench or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade
will cause the saw to walk backwards, cutting
whatever is in its path. Be aware of the time it
takes for the blade to stop after switch is released.
22. To check lower guard, open lower guard by
hand, then release and watch guard closure.
Also check to see that retracting handle does
not touch tool housing. Leaving blade exposed
is VERY DANGEROUS and can lead to serious
personal injury.
Riving knife function
23. Use the appropriate saw blade for the riving
knife. For the riving knife to function, the body of
the blade must be thinner than the riving knife and
the cutting width of the blade must be wider than
the thickness of the riving knife.
24. Adjust the riving knife as described in this
instruction manual. Incorrect spacing, position-
ing and alignment can make the riving knife inef-
fective in preventing kickback.
25. Always use the riving knife except when
plunge cutting. Riving knife must be replaced
after plunge cutting. Riving knife causes inter-
ference during plunge cutting and can create
kickback.
26. For the riving knife to work, it must be engaged
in the workpiece. The riving knife is ineffective in
preventing kickback during short cuts.
27. Do not operate the saw if riving knife is bent.
Even a light interference can slow the closing rate
of a guard.
Additional safety warnings
28. Use extra caution when cutting damp wood,
pressure treated lumber, or wood containing
knots. Maintain smooth advancement of tool with-
out decrease in blade speed to avoid overheating
the blade tips.
29. Do not attempt to remove cut material when
blade is moving. Wait until blade stops before
grasping cut material.Blades coast after turn off.
30. Avoid Cutting Nails. Inspect for and remove all
nails from lumber before cutting.
31. Place the wider portion of the saw base on that
part of the workpiece which is solidly sup-
ported, not on the section that will fall off when
the cut is made. As examples, Fig. 1 illustrates
the RIGHT way to cut off the end of a board,
and Fig. 2 the WRONG way. If the workpiece is
short or small, clamp it down. DO NOT TRY TO
HOLD SHORT PIECES BY HAND!
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
32. Before setting the tool down after completing
a cut, be sure that the lower guard has closed
and the blade has come to a complete stop.
33. Never attempt to saw with the circular saw
held upside down in a vise. This is extremely
dangerous and can lead to serious accidents.
6 ENGLISH