RIDGID R3203-1 manual

Y our circular saw has been engineered and manufactured to our high standards for dependability , ease of operation, and operator safety . When pr operly cared for , it will give you years of rugged, trouble-fr ee performance. WARNING: T o reduce the risk of injury , the user must read and understand the operator’ s manual befor e using this prod[...]

2  Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2  General Safety Rules .........................................................................................................................................[...]

3 GENERAL SAFETY RULES WARNING! Read all instructions. F a i l u r e to f o l l o w a l l instructions listed below may r esult in electric shock, fire and/or serious injury . The term “power tool” in all of the warnings listed below r efers to your mains-operated (corded) power tool or battery-operated (cordless) power tool. SA VE THESE INSTRU[...]

4  DANG ER! Keep hands away fr om cutting are a and the blade. Keep your second hand on auxiliary handle or motor housing. If both hands are holding the saw , they cannot be cut by the blade.  Do not reach under neath the workpiece. T h e guard cannot pr otect you from the blade below the workpiece.  Adjust the cutting depth to the thickne[...]

5 SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES  Check the operation of the lower guar d spring. If the guard and the spring are not operating properly , they must be serviced before use. Lower guard may operate sluggishly due to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or a buildup of debris.  Lower guard should be r etracted manually only for special cuts, such as “Plunge[...]

6 SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this tool. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer . Read The Operator’ s Manual Safety Alert No Hands Symbol No Hands Symbol No Hands Symbol No Hands Symbol SYMBOL NAME DESIGNA TION/EXPLANA TION V o[...]

7 SYMBOLS The following signal words and meanings ar e intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury . Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury . Indicat[...]

8 DOUBLE INSULA TION Double insulation is a concept in safety in electric power tools, which eliminates the need for the usual thr ee-wire grounded power cord. All exposed metal parts ar e isolated from the inter nal metal motor components with protecting i n s u l a t i o n . D o u b l e i n s u l a t e d t o o l s d o n o t n e e d t o b e ground[...]

9 FEA TURES Fig. 1 PRODUCT SPECIFICA TIONS Blade Diameter ...................................................... 6-1/2 in. Blade Arbor .............................................................. 5/8 in. Cutting Depth at 90° .............................................. 2-1/8 in. Cutting Depth at 45° ...........................................[...]

10 FEA TURES KNOW YOUR CIRCULAR SAW See Figure 1. The safe use of this product requir es an understanding of the information on the tool and in this operator’ s manual as wel l as a knowl edge of the proj ect you are att emp ting. Bef ore use of this product, familiarize yourself with all operating features and safety rules. DET ACHABLE CORD The [...]

11 WARNING: Do not attempt to modify this tool or cr eate accessories not recommended for use with this tool. Any such alteration or modification is misuse and could result in a hazar dous condition leading to possible serious personal injury . WARNING: Do not connect to power supply until assembly is complete. Failur e to comply could r esult in a[...]

12 CAUTION: T o pr event damage to the spindle or spindle lock, always allow motor to come to a complete stop before engaging spindle lock. A TT ACHING BLADE See Figures 2 - 3.  Unplug the saw .  Depress and hold spindle lock.  Remove blade screw by tur ning it counterclo ckwise with the provided hex key , while keeping the spindle lock de[...]

13 No more than 1/4 inch OPERA TION WARNING : Do not allow familiarity with tools to make you careless. Remember that a careless fraction of a second is sufficient to inflict serious injury . WARNING : Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when operating power tools. Failure to do so could result in objects being thrown int[...]

14 Fig. 7 T o lessen the chance of kickback, follow these safety practices:  Keep the blade at the correct depth setting. The depth sett ing shoul d not exce ed 1/4 in. below the mater ial being cut.  Inspect the workpiece for knots or nails before cutting. Never saw into a knot or nail.  Make straight cuts. Always use a straight edge guid[...]

15 DET ACHABLE CORD See figures 9 - 10. The detac hable cor d can be easily sto re d or re placed quick ly if damaged. T o detach:  Push cord lock button forward and hold.  Twist cord fully counterclockwise and pull away from the saw. T o reattach:  Align notch in the saw cord receptacle with the ridge in the cord head.  Insert cord hea[...]

16 OPERA TION ADJUSTING BLADE DEPTH See Figures 12 - 13. Always keep corr ect blade depth setting. The correct blade depth setting for all cuts should not exceed 1/4 in. below the material being cut. More blade depth will increase the chance of kickback and cause the cut to be rough.  Unplug the saw .  Pull depth adjustment lever upward to r [...]

17 Fig. 14 OPERA TION Fig. 16 Fig. 15 OPERA TING THE SAW See Figures 14 - 16. Refer to the figures in this section to learn the correct and incorrect ways for handling the saw . WARNING: T o make sawing easier and safer , always maintain proper control of the saw . Loss of control could cause an accident resulting in possible serious injury . DANGE[...]

18 CROSS CUTTING/RIP CUTTING See Figures 17 - 19. When making a cross cut or rip cut, align the guideline with the full length kerf indicator on the base as shown in the figure. The distance from the saw blade to the saw base is approximately 5 in. on the left side of the saw and 1 in. on the right side. Since blade thicknesses vary , always make a[...]

19 BEVEL CUTTING See Figures 20 - 22. To make the best possible cut, follow these helpful hints.  Align the line of cut with the inner blade guide notch on the base when making 45 ° bevel cuts.  Make a trial cut in scrap material along a guideline to determine how much you should offset the guideline on the cutting material.  Ad just the [...]

20  Release the tr igger and all ow the blade to come to a complete stop.  Lift the saw from the workpiece.  Clear corners out with a hand saw or sabre saw. WARNING: Nev er tie the lower blad e guar d in a rai sed pos ition . Leaving the blade exposed could lead to serious injury . WARNING: Before performing any adjustment, make sure the t[...]

21 T o adjust positive 0 ° bevel stop:  Unplug the saw .  Pull bevel adjustment lever upward to r elease.  T ur n T8 setscr ew with hex key (not pr ovided) and adjust base until it is square with the saw blade.  Securely lock the bevel adjustment lever . WARNING: Attempting a bevel cut without having the bevel adjustment lever secur el[...]

22 45 30 15 22 2 1 50 MAINTENANCE CHECKING/REPLACING EXTERNAL BRUSHES See Figure 25. NOTE: The saw is equipped with exter nally accessible brushes.  Unplug the saw . WARNING: Failur e to unplug the tool could resul t in accidental starting causing possible serious injury . NOTE: Brush caps (2) ar e located on each side of the motor housing.  [...]

23 W ARRANTY Pro of of pu rch a se mus t b e pre se n te d w h en requ es t in g warranty service. Limited to RIDGID ® hand held and stationary power tools purchased 2/1/04 and after . This product is manufactured by One W orld T echnologies, Inc. The trademark is licensed from RIDGID, Inc. All warranty communications should be dir ected to One W [...]

987000-059 9-28-06 (REV :00) Customer Service Information: For parts or service, contact your nearest RIDGID authorized service center . Be sure to provide all relevant information when you call or visit. For the location of the authorized service center nearest you, please call 1-866-539-1710 or visit us online at www .ridgid.com. The model number[...]