Tools in different industries are making work easier. If you think of woodworking, now professionals can do most of their works with tools. There is less need for physical labor and projects can be done within a short time. Miter saw is undoubtedly one of the revolutionary inventions for woodworking. This simple thing can cut wood objects in different angles, shapes, sizes, etc.
If you are a professional and you own a miter saw, you should know how to unlock a miter saw. People who have years of experience with miter saws already know the detail steps. But for beginners and entry-level workers, it could be difficult to do without the proper knowledge.
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Does It Require Expert Help To Unlock A Miter Saw?
If you never have unlocked a miter saw or just started using this amazing tool, this may seem difficult for you to do this yourself. The truth is, this is nothing difficult and no need prior experience to do this.
Moreover, if you want to take expert help, this could cost you a lot and you can’t hire an expert each time you want to unlock the miter saw. Especially, if you are not doing any project with your miter saw, you have to keep it locked and then when you want to work, you have to unlock it.
So, learning yourself is the best way to save money. This article will let you know how to do it properly.
Unlocking A Miter Saw
Unlocking a miter saw is a real challenge for the beginners who just entered the industry. Usually, a miter saw come in the transportable design so that users can move it for different projects.
For instance, when you have a larger project and have to work on the project site, moving the miter saw is essential. When you want to move it, you need to secure the saw to avoid damages to it.
That requires locking the miter saw to make it easy for transport. Similarly, when you reached to the new project site, you have to unlock it.
Miter saws come with different locking mechanisms in different parts. it used to have a back lock and a front lock. The front lock allows for the cutting angle to users while the back one helps in moving the blade up and down.
Locks in the miter saw remain controlled by a knob or pin which you are going to move to make it useable. It is simple to do. Just push the know or the pin whatever attached to the miter saw.
However, some models may have a pin that you have to pull. Once the pin is moved, the blade will come up.
Different Steps Of Unlocking A Miter Saw
1. Unlock The Angle Lock :
Each miter saw comes with a front side lock that controls the angles of it. When you want to cut a wooden object, you must have to unlock it. Miter saws come with a knob and a lever to lock the angles.
Based on the model of the miter saw and the type, these two locks will be in different places. Either the knob at first or the pin at first. These two locks work at the same moment to keep the machine in a locked position.
To unlock the angles in the miter saw, you have to loosen up the knob. Before you unlock, check if it feels tight when you want to move the knob. Thus you can know whether it is locked or not. You can also unlock the angles by pushing the lever with your fingers. This doesn’t require much pressure and you should easily do it.
2. Unlock The Bevels :
Unlocking the bevel may not be required for all miter saws. Some models come with pre-locked bevel and you have nothing to deal with that. But the fact is, the majority of the miter saws feature a tilting bevel which means you need to unlock this when going to use it.
So, there is a huge chance that your purchased miter saw has a tilted bevel. For instance, most of the DEWALT miter saws have different bevel angles like 45 degrees and 90 degrees.
To adjust and unlock the tilting, slide the stopping pin in the saw. It usually located near the base while some products may have a drilled hole to stop the heat from tilting. In both cases, you have to push the lock to set it in the desired position.
Remember that, at this step, you should set the bevel based on the type of project you are doing. Because different projects may require various bevel angles.
3. Unlocking The Base:
In the final step, you are going to unlock the base or the table that is attached to the miter saw. Though all models of miter saws don’t come with a table, you will have to attach one to make your works easier.
So, if there is a base attached to the unit, you need to unlock it when you want to move the blade and the saw for cutting in different depths.
It is nothing complex to unlock the base.
Typically, there would be a knob or a pin in the base which is clearly visible from outside. This knob controls the positioning of the base. Modern miter saws may have printed symbols and numbering with the cutting angle which you can observe when unlocking the base.
Additional Tips To Unlock A Miter Saw
As I mentioned previously, unlocking your miter saw is nothing complex or no need to hire an expert for this simple work. But the fact is, so many people try to do this in the wrong way. As a result, serious incidents can happen. At the same time, ignoring the essential safety tips that can damage the performance of the miter saw. Here are some additional tips to follow to keep yourself as well as the miter saw safe –
- When moving or pushing a knob or a locking pin, make sure that you are not giving too much pressure on it. Because knobs and pin are designed to make it easy for the users. you don’t need much pressure to unlock them except it is too old. So, apply gentle pressure when trying to unlock any of the parts of a miter saw.
- If you find any of the metal parts of a miter saw is not working, you shouldn’t go further. A very tight knob or a pin could break down with heavy pressure. Instead of heavy force, apply some machine oil on the metal parts and it will be easy to move and there won’t be any issues.
- When unlocking the miter saw, make sure that you are wearing a safety goggle to keep your eyes protected. Though the work is simple and hardly some object can hurt your eyes, you shouldn’t avoid wearing a safety glass.
- To hold the knobs in different parts on the miter saw, wear safety gloves. This will keep your fingers as well as your hands safe from sharp objects. Because the blade attached to the miter saw is too sharp and it can cause issues.
- Keep the miter saw unplugged when trying to unlock it. Once you have done each step, you can give it a connection to the power source.
- Whatever model of miter saw are you using, make sure that you are following the user manual and the safety tips that instructed in it.
Final Verdict
If you have read the above instructions and the detail carefully, you shouldn’t have a question like how to unlock a miter saw. Just follow the instructions and it would be done. If it is the first time you are unlocking a miter saw, make sure that you have enough time and you have maintained the safety tips.
Don’t hesitate if you think you can’t do it yourself and it might require some expert help. Especially, when you own an expensive product, a simple wrong step can damage the whole machine.
Though here I have explained everything, remember that all models won’t have the same style and same feature. So, based on your product type, you may have to modify some steps.