DeWalt DCS778 Manual page 15

Body and Hand Position
Proper positioning of your body and hands when operating the mitre saw
will make cutting easier, more accurate and safer.

WARNING:
• Never place your hands near the cutting area.
• Place your hands no closer than 150 mm from the blade.
• Hold the workpiece tightly to the table and the fence when cutting.
Keep your hands in position until the switch has been released and
the blade has completely stopped.
• Always make dry runs (without power) before finish
cuts so that you can check the path of the blade.
• Do not cross your hands.
• Keep both feet firmly on the floor and maintain proper balance.
• As you move the saw arm left and right, follow it and stand slightly
to the side of the saw blade.
Basic Saw Cuts
Vertical straight cross cut (Fig. A, O)
nOTE: Use 250 mm saw blades with 30 mm arbor holes to obtain the
desired cutting capacities.
1. Slacken the mitre latch 13
2. Engage the mitre latch 13
3. Place the wood to be cut against the fence
4. Take hold of the carrying handle
lever 2 to release the guard. Extend head of the saw all the way out.
5. Press the trigger switch 1 to start the motor.
6. Depress the head to allow the blade to cut through the timber and
enter the plastic kerf plate 11
7. When the head is fully depressed, slowly push it back across to
complete the cut.
8. After completing the cut, release the switch and wait for the saw blade
to come to a complete standstill before returning the head to its upper
rest position.

WARNING:
• The lower blade guard is designed to close quickly
when the lever 2 is released. If it does not close within
1 second, have the saw serviced by an authorized D
repair agent.
Vertical mitre cross-cut (Fig. A, P)
1. Squeeze the mitre latch 13
required angle.
2. The mitre latch will automatically locate at 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45° and
50° both left and right. If any intermediate angle is required hold the
head firmly and lock by fastening the mitre latch.
3. Always ensure that the mitre lock lever is locked tightly before cutting.
4. Proceed as for a vertical straight cross-cut.

WARNING: When mitring the end of a piece of wood
with a small off-cut, position the wood to ensure that the off-cut is to
the side of the blade with the greater angle to the fence, i.e.:
• left mitre, off-cut to the right
• right mitre, off-cut to the left
Performing a sliding cut (Fig. A, B, R)
1. Turn the saw head traverse lock
2. Push down the saw head 24
let the saw head rise to it's highest position.
3. Place the wood to be cut against the sliding fence
with the material clamp 17
4. Lower the saw head then pull it to the end of its travel.
and subsequently lift it up.
at the 0° position and fasten the mitre latch.
16 .
3 and press the guard lock up release
.
WALT
e
. Move the arm left or right to the
18 to loosen.
, pull out the lock-down button
16 and secure it
.
5. Press the guard lock-up release lever
trigger switch
6. Totally depress the head to allow the blade to cut through the timber
and push the head back to complete the cut.
7. After completing the cut, release the switch and wait for the saw blade
to come to a complete standstill before returning the head to its upper
rest position.

WARNING: Remember to lock the saw head in the rear position when
the sliding cuts are finished.
Bevel cross-cuts (Fig. L, Q)
Bevel angles can be set from 0° to 48° to the left. Bevels up to 45° can be cut
with the mitre arm set between zero and a maximum of 45° mitre position
right or left.
1. Loosen the bevel clamp handle
2. Set the override button
3. Hold the head firmly and do not allow it to fall.
4. Tighten the bevel clamp handle
5. Proceed as for a vertical straight cross-cut.
Quality of Cut
The smoothness of any cut depends on a number of variables, i.e. the
material being cut. When smoothest cuts are desired for moulding
andother precision work, a sharp (60-tooth carbide) blade and a slower,
even cutting rate will produce the desired results.

WARNING: Ensure that the material does not creep while cutting;
clamp it securely in place. Always let the blade come to a full stop
before raising the arm. If small fibres 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.
Cutting Non-Ferrous Metals
When cutting non-ferrous metals, the machine is only to be used to
perform vertical straight and mitre cross-cuts in the mitre saw mode.
We recommend that bevel and compound mitre cuts should not be
performed in non-ferrous metals. The machine is not to be used for cutting
ferrous metals.
• Always use a material clamp when cutting non-ferrous metals. Make
sure that the workpiece is clamped securely.
• Only apply saw blades that are qualified for cutting non-ferrous metals.
• When using lubricants, only apply wax or separation spray. Do not use
emulsions or similar fluids.
Clamping the Workpiece (Fig. U)

WARNING: Always use a material clamp.
For best results use the material clamp
To Install clamp
1. Insert it into the hole behind the fence. The clamp
toward the back of the mitre saw. Ensure the groove on the clamp rod
is fully inserted into the base of the mitre saw. If the groove is visible,
the clamp will not be secure.
2. Rotate the clamp 180º toward the front of the mitre saw.
3. Loosen the knob to adjust the clamp up or down, then use the fine
adjust knob to firmly clamp the workpiece.
nOTE: Place the clamp on the right side of the base when beveling.
22 and 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.
to release the guard. Press the
2
to start the motor.
1
and set the bevel as desired.
19
if required.
30
firmly.
19
made for use with your saw.
17
English
should be facing
17
13