DeWalt DCS361 - Cutting With Your Saw; Crosscuts; Mitre Cuts; Bevel Cuts

15
English
To set the bevel angle past 45º to 48º,
1. Loosen the bevel lock knob (L).
2. Tilt the saw head slightly to slide the bevel override (Y) to one side.
3. Move the saw head to 48º.
4. Tighten the bevel lock knob.
QUALITY OF CUT
The smoothness of any cut depends on a number of variables. Things like
material being cut, blade type, blade sharpness and rate of cut all contribute
to the quality of the cut.
When smoothest cuts are desired for molding and other precision work,
a sharp (60 tooth carbide tip) blade and a slower, even cutting rate will
produce the desired results.
Ensure that the material does not move or creep while cutting; clamp it
securely in place. Always let the blade come to a full stop before raising
arm.
If small fibers 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.
For varied cutting applications, refer to the list of recommended saw blades
for your saw and select the one that best fits your needs. Refer to Saw
Blades under Optional Accessories.
CLAMPING THE WORKPIECE
WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal
injury, turn tool off and disconnect battery pack before
making any adjustments, performing any cleaning or
maintenance, or removing/installing attachments or
accessories. An accidental start-up can cause injury.
WARNING: A workpiece that is clamped, balanced and secure
before a cut may become unbalanced after a cut is completed.
An unbalanced load may tip the saw or anything the saw is
attached to, such as a table or workbench. When making a cut
that may become unbalanced, properly support the workpiece
and ensure the saw is firmly bolted to a stable surface. Personal
injury may occur.
WARNING: The clamp foot must remain clamped above the
base of the saw whenever the clamp is used. Always clamp the
workpiece to the base of the saw – not to any other part of the
work area. Ensure the clamp foot is not clamped on the edge
of the base of the saw.
WARNING: Always use a work clamp to maintain control and
reduce the risk of workpiece damage and personal injury, if your
hands are required to be within 100mm (4") of the blade during
the cut.
If you cannot secure the workpiece on the table and against the fence by
hand (irregular shape, etc.), or your hand would be less than 100mm (4")
from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used.
Use the material clamp provided with your saw. To purchase a material
clamp, contact your local retailer or DeWALT service centre.
Other aids such as spring clamps, bar clamps or C-clamps may be
appropriate for certain sizes and shapes of material. Use care in selecting
and placing these clamps. Take time to make a dry run before making the
cut.
TO INSTALL CLAMP (FIG. 13)
1. With the clamp (AL) facing the back of the mitre saw, insert the clamp
rod into the hole (U) behind the fence. Ensure the groove at the bottom
of the clamp rod is fully inserted into the hole (U).
2. Rotate the clamp 180º toward the front of the mitre saw.
3. Loosen the knob to adjust the clamp arm up or down, then use the
fine adjust knob to firmly clamp the workpiece.
NOTE: Place the clamp on the opposite side of the base when beveling.
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 ATTACH THE DUST BAG
1. Fit the dust bag (AK) to the dust port (N) as shown in Figure 9.
TO EMPTY THE DUST BAG
1. Remove dust bag (AK) from the saw and gently shake or tap the dust
bag to empty.
2. Reattach the dust bag back onto the dust port (N).
You may notice that all the dust will not come free from the bag. This will
not affect cutting performance but will reduce the saw's dust collection
efficiency. To restore your saw's dust collection efficiency, depress the spring
inside the dust bag when you are emptying it and tap it on the side of the
trash can or dust receptacle.
CAUTION: Never operate this saw unless the dust bag or
DeWALT dust extractor is in place. Wood dust may create a
breathing hazard.
Cutting With Your Saw (Fig. 1)
If you cannot secure the workpiece on the table and against the fence by
hand (irregular shape, etc.), or your hand would be less than 100mm (4")
from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used. Refer to Clamping
the Workpiece for more information.
If the slide feature is not used, ensure the saw head is pushed back as
far as possible and the rail lock knob (T) is tightened. This will prevent the
saw from sliding along its rails as the workpiece is engaged.
NOTE: DO NOT CUT METALS OR MASONRY WITH THIS SAW. Do
not use any abrasive blades.
NOTE: Refer to Guard Actuation and Visibility in the Adjustments
section for important information about the lower guard before cutting.
CROSSCUTS
Straight Cut (Fig. 1, 7A, 7B)
A crosscut is made by cutting wood across the grain at any angle. A
straight crosscut is made with the mitre arm at the zero degree position.
Set and lock the mitre arm at zero, hold the wood firmly on the table and
against the fence. With the rail lock knob (T) tightened, turn on the saw by
squeezing the trigger switch (A).
When the saw comes up to speed (about 1 second) lower the arm
smoothly and slowly to cut through the wood. Let the blade come to a full
stop before raising arm.
When cutting anything larger than a 51mm x 102mm (2" x 4"), use an out-
down-back motion with the rail lock knob (T) loosened. Pull the saw out,
toward you, lower the saw head down toward the workpiece, and slowly
push the saw back to complete the cut. Do not allow the saw blade to
contact the top of the workpiece while pulling out. The saw may run toward
you, possibly causing personal injury or damage to the workpiece.
WARNING: Always use a work clamp to maintain control and
reduce the risk of workpiece damage and personal injury, if your
hands are required to be within 100mm (4") of the blade during
the cut.
NOTE: The rail lock knob (T) shown in Figure 1 must be loose to allow the
saw to slide along its rails.
Mitre Cuts (Fig. 10, 11)
Mitre crosscuts are made with the mitre arm at some angle other than zero.
This angle is often 45º for making corners, but can be set anywhere from
zero to 48º left or 48° right. To mitre the saw, loosen the mitre lock knob (E)
by turning it anticlockwise. Pull up on the mitre lock knob to move the mitre
arm (G) to the mitre angle desired on the mitre scale (H). Turn the mitre lock
knob clockwise to tighten. Make the cut as described above.
When performing a mitre cut on workpieces wider than 51mm x 102mm
(2" x 4") that are shorter in length, always place the longer side against the
fence (Fig. 11).
To cut through an existing pencil line on a piece of wood, match the angle
as close as possible. Cut the wood a little too long and measure from the
pencil line to the cut edge to determine which direction to adjust the mitre
angle and recut. This will take some practice, but it is a commonly used
technique.
Bevel Cuts (Fig. 12A, 12B)
A bevel cut is a crosscut made with the saw blade leaning at an angle to
the wood. In order to set the bevel, loosen the bevel lock knob (L), and
move the saw to the left as desired. Once the desired bevel angle has been
set, tighten the bevel lock firmly. Bevel angles can be set from 0º right to 48º
left.