11. If you have to cut very small pieces of material,
arrange or manufacture some form of ‘shoe’ to carry
the timber. If the work piece is exceptionally small,
find something to use as a sacrificial carrier and
mount the work piece on it with double sided tape,
or similar.
12. Remember to check the blade tension after a
new blade has been ‘working’ for 30-60 mins. The
blade will ‘stretch’ slightly when new.
13. Do not release the tension on the saw blade
when work is complete. The blades and the main
saw frame do not respond kindly to constant
changes in stress and tension. Only release the
tension to change the blade or if the blade is to be
removed because the machine is to be ‘mothballed’
for a lengthy time period. (The blade in tension over
a long period of non-use will cause the tyres
to develop ‘flat’ spots). Open the saw cut, either by
pulling apart or driving a wedge in close to the back
of the blade. Try to wriggle the blade free of the saw,
if this is not possible; check that the saw is free in
the cut, start the saw, allow it to run up to speed and
‘cut out’ as quickly as possible. The removal of the ‘off
cut’ may well prevent the saw jamming again if you
resume the original cut.
DISCONNECT THE SAW
FROM THE MAINS SUPPLY!
Put the table back to the level position if it has
been tilted. Set the upper blade guide assembly
approximately midway in the throat. Open the top
and bottom covering doors. Remove the table insert.
Loosen the 4 bolts that hold the fence guide rail
to the table, and remove the rail. Remove the table
stabilising bolt, slacken the blade tension by turning
the blade tensioning wheel anti-clockwise, until the
blade can be easily slipped off the wheels. Remove
the blade carefully, “wiggling” it clear of the upper
blade guard and through the plastic lower blade
guard and out through the slot in the table.
NOW is an excellent time to clean out the interior of
the machine, remove the impacted ‘crud’ from the
tyres, apply a little light oil to the screw threads of
the blade and drive belt tensioners, and the tracking
control. The pivots and the slides of the top wheel
mounting assembly and the captive stub axle of
the drive belt tensioner in its slot could likewise be
lightly oiled. If you are fitting a new blade; it will have
been supplied to you “folded”, bound together in this
configuration with tape or tie wrap. Also check that
the blade did not “unfold” inside out. i.e. looking at
the right side front of the loop, the teeth should be
NOTE: BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN
YOU “UNFOLD” THE BLADE; IT
TENDS TO ‘SPRING’ OPEN, BLADE
AND TEETH GOING EVERYWHERE.
20
on the front of the blade, and pointing down. If you
can’t arrive at this view, turn the blade inside out from
its current position and look again.
Open up all blade guides so that they are clear of
the blade. Hold the blade approximately midway on
either side of the loop and feed it into the table slot,
when you get to the table insert cutout void, work
the left side of the loop into the slot in the guard in
the neck of the main saw frame. “Wriggle” the right
hand side of the blade through the slot in the red
plastic lower guard and through the guard on the
upper blade guide assembly, see figs 21-22. Ease the
blade over the wheels, and locate the blade in the
blade guides. Apply some tension to the blade.
Turn the top wheel by hand (see fig 23) to ensure
the blade will not skip off the wheels and the blade
is travelling in the blade guides. Apply a little more
tension and check again by spinning the upper saw
MAKE SURE THE BLADE
TEETH ARE POINTING DOWN!
WARNING! IF THE SAW JAMS!
SWITCH OFF IMMEDIATELY.
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