Workpiece Support
Clamps
There may be extreme com-
pound cuts where a clamp
cannot be used. Support workpiece with your
hand outside the "No Hands" zone. Do not try
to cut short pieces that cannot be clamped and
cause your hand to be in the "No Hands" zone.
Be aware of the path of the
saw blade. Make a dry run
with the battery pack disconnected and the
saw switched OFF by conducting a simulated
cutting cycle, and observe the projected path
of the saw blade. Keep hands at least six (6)
inches (152mm) away from the projected path
of the saw blade.
Using the Workpiece Clamp – This clamp (Fig.
32, 40) easily secures a workpiece to the table
or base.
1. Insert the clamp's knurled bar down into a
clamp post hole (Fig. 3, 38). There are two
post holes located in the base behind the
fence (Fig. 3). The knurled end must be in
the post at least 1/2" (13mm).
2. Slide the clamp down until its rubber foot
contacts the workpiece.
3. Adjust the clamp height so it does not touch
the fence.
4. Rotate the clamp's knob until the workpiece
is firmly held in place.
5. Move saw head up and down and forward
and back to be sure it clears the clamp.
Other Clamps – Other hold-down devices such
as C-clamps can be used to hold the workpiece
firmly against the table (Fig. 31, 19) and the
fence (11). Make sure the clamps are clear of
the cutting path.
16099221PK GCM18V-07S OSI 20220506.indd 32
Preparing for Saw Operations
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Long Workpiece Support
Long workpieces have a ten-
dency to tip over unless
clamped down and properly supported from
underneath.
Do not use another person
as a substitute for a table
extension or as additional support. Unstable
support for the workpiece can cause the blade
to bind or the workpiece to shift during the cut-
ting operation, causing you to contact the spin-
ning blade.
Additional Workpiece Support
Always ensure that support-
ing surfaces are able to
properly support the workpiece and allow for
secure holding by hand outside of the "No
Hand Zone", or clamping with a clamp inside or
outside of the "No Hand Zone." (See "Body
and Hand Position" on page 29 for the "No
Hand Zone" and the appropriate hand posi-
tions.)
Be aware of the path of the
saw blade. Make a dry run
with the battery pack disconnected and the
saw switched OFF by conducting a simulated
cutting cycle, and observe the projected path
of the saw blade. Keep hands at least six (6)
inches (152mm) away from the projected path
of the saw blade.
Blocks – Long pieces need extra support. The
base height (3-1/2" / 89mm) is designed to
match the standard lumber of one 4x or two 2x.
Boards of these thicknesses can be used to cre-
ate auxiliary support extensions for long work-
pieces (Fig. 33).
Fig. 33
Add one
4x or
two 2x
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