- Never try to squeak extra cuts from a worn out, dull blade. This puts undue stress on the machine and will require heavier regrind of the blade which means the more you remove during a re-grind the quicker the blade loses diameter and reduces your capacity.
Always use the proper blade for the material you are cutting. One more thing that will prevent premature wear would be to keep surfaces are clean of any chips and remove the backlash when installing a blade. - Keep all lubrication points oiled or greased as needed. Keep in mind to regularly change the gearbox oil. Just like your car, a saw is an investment that is worth keeping on top of or it may strand you alongside of the road.
- Clean fresh coolant. Never use anything besides a water-soluble coolant. Keep it clean or you will have an example of a 6th grade science project. Slimy, stinky, with all sorts of things growing in it. Remember, coolant passes through coolant pumps, hoses, nozzles etc. meaning that dirty coolant can leave behind a breeding ground for future failure.
- Keep the machine clean. There is nothing worse than needing to adjust the vise or miter cut and the vise won’t open or head won’t rotate because it hasn't been cleaned. Coolant and chips will freeze these parts into place. Always clean the saw of chips after operating it as these chips will get embedded and rust themselves to the saw.
- Remove frayed or cut electrical cords. Any time you find a cord that is questionable, lock out the machine. Liquids and metal chips are not a good combination on a bad electrical cord. Change any questionable wiring or you chance getting injured or shorting out the machine.
- Properly clamp material and maintain vise jaws. One of the most important areas on the saw is the clamping vise. The better you clamp the part, the better your cut will be. Keep the cutting bed clean as a simple chip can prevent the material from laying flat and cutting out of square.
If you own a machine that has an adjustable gib vise it is advisable to keep chips from loading up around the gib ways and lead screw. Also, take note if the vise jaw gets sloppy as you can adjust this gib and bring the saw back into spec. - Don’t force the issue. Let the blade dictate the cutting rate. Don’t force the blade, let the blade set the chip load and you will be rewarded with minimal cutting effort and good finish quality for many years to come.
