Miter-saw-user-guide

Shop Area: Woodshop Tool: Miter Saw Requires in-person training: Yes

Procedure Number UG 110-04, Rev. 1

Date 1/17/2021

 

GENERAL

To make cross cuts, miter cuts, bevel cuts, and compound cuts using a sliding miter saw.

Hitachi C12RSH Sliding Dual Compound Miter Saw

SAFETY

• Always wear approved safety glasses or face shield while operating the equipment.
• Before operating equipment, remove tie, rings, watches and other jewelry, and roll sleeves up past the elbows. Remove all loose clothing and confine long hair.
• Non-slip footwear or anti-skid floor strips are recommended.
• Closed toe shoes are required when working in a shop area.
• Do not wear gloves while operating the equipment.
• Make all machine adjustments or maintenance with the machine unplugged from the power source.
• Do not attempt to saw boards with loose knots or with nails or other foreign material, on its surface.
• Always keep hands and fingers away from the blade.
• Do not force tool when cutting.
• Secure work piece with clamping.
• Never use the slide compound miter saw with its lower guard locked in the open position.
• Ensure that the lower guard moves smoothly.
• Do not use the saw without guards in position.
• Use correctly sharpened saw blades.
• Observe the maximum speed marked on the saw blade.
• Do not use saw blades that are damaged or deformed.
• Never attempt to saw stock that does not have a flat surface, unless a suitable support is used.
• Always allow the saw blade to stop before removing scrap pieces from the table.
• Do not remove jammed pieces from the saw until the machine and blade has stopped. Unplug the band saw from the power source, and then remove the jammed work piece.
• Always turn off the machine if the material is to be backed out of an uncompleted cut.
• Remove material or debris from the work area. Keep work area neat and clean.

REFERENCE

• Basic use and safety video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu9tYcld7ck)

• Link to YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoY4XYe4T-8

PROCEDURE

General

• Check blade is square to table and back fencing
• Start saw with the blade fully in the up position to control torque
• Cuts are to be made when blade is a full speed
• Stopping the cut/blade – leave in down position until blade is completely stopped
• Use stop blocks for repetitive length cuts
• Saw blades need to be 291 mm (11.5 inches) to 305 mm (12 inches) external diameter.
• Start cutting only after motor revolution reaches maximum speed.
• During a miter or bevel cut the blade is not to be lifted until it has stopped rotation completely.
• For slide cutting operation, the saw must be pushed and slid away from the operator.

Operations

1. Tightly secure the material by vise assembly to be cut so that it does not move during cutting. 2. Pulling the trigger turns the saw on, releasing the trigger turns the saw off. 3. Base Holder Adjustment: Loosen the 6 mm (1/4 inch) bolt. Adjust the base holder until its bottom surface contacts the bench. 4. A grove should be cut on the guard to allow full penetration of the saw blade through the workpiece. 5. Adjusting the guard.

  a. Cutting a right angle or bevel cut: Loosen the 6 mm (1/4 inch) knob bolt, bring the guard lightly in contact with the workpiece and secure.
  b. Miter cutting / bevel cutting: Loosen the 6 mm (1/4 inch) knob bolt, move the guard to the back, making sure that it is not sticking out from the fence surface.

6. Cutting operation:

  a. The width of the saw blade is the width of the cut.
  b. After turning on the switch and checking that the saw blade is rotating at maximum speed, slowly push down the handle while holding down the lever and bring the saw blade in the vicinity of the material to be cut.
  c. Once the saw blade contacts the workpiece, push the handle down gradually to cut into the workpiece.
  d. After cutting the workpiece to the desired depth, turn the tool off and let the saw blade stop completely before raising the handle form the workpiece to return it to the full retract position.
  e. Cutting Wide Workpieces:
     i. Workpieces up to 107 mm (4.25 inches) high and 312 mm (12 inches) wide – Loosen the slide securing knob, grip the handle and slide the saw blade forward.  Press down on the handle and slide the saw blade back to cut the workpiece.
     ii. Workpieces up to 120 mm (4.75 inches) in height and up to 260 mm (10.25 inches) in width can be cut in the same manner as described above.

7. Miter cutting.

  a. Loosen the side handle and pull up the lever for angle stoppers.  Adjust the turntable until the indicator aligns with desired setting on the miter scale.
  b. Re-tighten the side handle to secure the turntable in the desired position.
  c. The miter scale indicates both the cutting angle on the angle scale and the gradient on the grade scale.
  d. The gradient, which is the ration of the height to the base of the triangular section to be removed, may be used for setting the miter scale instead of the cutting angle.
  e. Miter angle fine adjustment.
     i. Rotate the turntable to the miter angle desired.
     ii. When making fine adjustments of the miter angle, turn the knob while pulling up the lever.
     iii. Turning the knob clockwise allows fine adjustment of the turntable to the right.
     iv. Turning knob counterclockwise allow thine adjustment of the turntable to the left.
      v. After adjusting the desired angle, tighten the side handle.

8. Bevel Cutting.

  a. Loosen the clamp leer and bevel the saw blade to the left or to the right.  When tilting the motor head to the right pull the set pin towards the rear.  The clamp lever adopts a latchet system. 
  b. Adjust the bevel angle to the desired setting while watching the bevel angle scale and indicator, then secure the clamp lever.
  c. Fine Adjustment.
     i. Grip the handle on the motor head and position it at the desired bevel angle.  Temporarily tighten the clamp lever.
     ii. Turn knob while supporting the handle with your hand.
     iii. After adjusting to the desired angle, tighten the clamp lever and clamp the motor head.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Every cut needs to be set up properly with a square blade in relation to the fence, if you're using a fence. Problems with a compound miter saw can include issues related to the motor, blade and mechanism.

• Look to ensure the saw is plugged in properly, and check for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker if the saw won't start. Replace the brushes by removing the motor end cap and lifting the brush spring to withdraw the brush assembly. Replace with new brushes in the reverse order as they came out.
• Access the blade by unplugging the saw, raising the arm and lowering the guard down as far as you can. Loosen the guard bracket screw until the bracket is raised up far enough to reach the blade screw. Press down the spindle lock button, and turn the blade by hand until the lock is engaged. Loosen the blade screw with a wrench, then remove the screw, the outer clamp washer blade, the blade adapter and the blade itself.
• Inspect, clean and replace the electrical brushes if the brake doesn't stop the blade within a few seconds of turning the saw off, or if the motor doesn't start. Let the motor cool down and unplug the saw. Pull out the brush from under the cap and replace it if has less than ¼ inch of carbon on it.
• Replace the cutting blade, turn the blade around or remove it, and clean it off with turpentine and steel wool or oven cleaner if the saw isn't making clean cuts.
• Adjust the depth stop if the blade hits the table. Turn the saw off and remove the work piece. Drop the cutting head down so that the blade teeth extends ¼ inch below the throat plate. Loosen the wing nuts, or hex screws and readjust the blade depth to the desired depth. Try the motion again with the still saw off, and make sure the blade doesn't touch anything.
• Adjust the cutting head assembly pivot if the cutting head won't rise after you make a cut. Loosen the lock nut on the head and then tighten the hex bolt to put more pressure on the spring. Retighten the lock nut when the right travel is obtained.

                          END OF THE PROCEDURE