DeWALT DW717-XE 254 mm (10") Double Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Miter Scale Adjustment (Fig. 5)

Place a square against the saw's fence and blade, as shown. (Do not touch the tips of the blade teeth with the square. To do so will cause an inaccurate measurement.) Loosen the miter lock handle and swing the miter arm until the miter latch locks it at the 0 miter position. Do not tighten the lock handle. If the saw blade is not exactly perpendicular to the fence, loosen the four screws that hold the miter scale to the base and move the scale left or right until the blade is perpendicular to the fence, as measured with the square. Retighten the four screws. Pay no attention to the reading of the miter pointer at this time.

Miter Pointer Adjustment (Fig. 6)

Loosen the miter lock handle to move the miter arm to the zero position. With the miter lock handle loose allow the miter latch to snap into place as you rotate the miter arm to zero. Observe the pointer and miter scale shown in Figure 6. If the pointer does not indicate exactly zero, loosen the screw holding the pointer in place, reposition the pointer and tighten the screw.

Bevel Square to Table Adjustment (Fig. 8)

To align the blade square to the table, lock the arm in the down position. Place a square against the blade and table taking care to have the square not touch a blade tooth. Loosen the bevel lock handle and ensure the bevel latch has firmly snapped into place at 0°. If the saw blade is not exactly perpendicular to the table, loosen the three nuts which hold the bevel detent plates to the table. Adjust the center nut to allow slight drag between it and the table. Gently tap the motor or the belt cover to move the upper assembly until the blade is square to the table. Tighten the center nut. The 45° bevel stops require adjustment after the bevel square to table adjustment is complete.

Bevel Pointer (Fig. 8)

If the bevel pointer does not indicate zero, loosen the screw that holds it in place and move it as necessary.

Bevel Stop 45° Right and Left Adjustment (Fig. 8)

Your saw has two 45° bevel adjustments, one for the right, and one for the left. The procedure is the same for each.

To align the 45° stops, lock the arm in the down position. Place a speed square against the blade and table taking care to have the square not touch a blade tooth. Loosen the bevel lock lever and ensure the bevel latch has firmly snapped into place at 45°. If the saw blade is not 45° to the table, loosen the nut which holds the 45 bevel latch plate to the table. Rotate the adjustment screw counterclockwise one or two turns so that the blade is less than 45° to the table. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise until the blade is 45° to the table. Tighten the lock nut.

Fence Adjustment (Fig. 9)

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.

In order that the saw can bevel to a full 48° left or right, one of the fences can be adjusted to provide clearance. To adjust the fences, loosen a plastic knob and slide the fence outward. Make a dry run with the saw turned off and check for clearance. Adjust the fence to be as close to the blade as practical to provide maximum workpiece support, without interfering with arm up and down movement. Tighten knob securely. When the bevel operations are complete, don't forget to relocate the fence.

NOTE: The guide groove of the fences can become clogged with sawdust. If you notice that it is becoming clogged, use a stick or some low pressure air to clear the guide groove.

Automatic Electric Brake

Your saw is equipped with an automatic electric blade brake which stops the saw blade within 5 seconds of trigger release. This is not adjustable. On occasion, there may be a delay after trigger release to brake engagement. On rare occasions, the brake may not engage at all and the blade will coast to a stop.

If a delay or "skipping" occurs, turn the saw on and off 4 or 5 times. If the condition persists, have the tool serviced by an authorized DeWALT service center.

Always be sure the blade has stopped before removing it from the kerf. The brake is not a substitute for guards or for ensuring your own safety by giving the saw your complete attention.

Guard Actuation and Visibility

CAUTION: Risk of personal injury. Keep thumb underneath handle when pulling handle down otherwise thumb may be pinched between handle and moving lower guard. The handle is placed close to the guard for special cuts.

The blade guard on your saw has been designed to automatically raise when the arm is brought down and to lower over the blade when the arm is raised.

The guard can be raised by hand when installing or removing saw blades or for inspection of the saw. NEVER RAISE THE BLADE GUARD MANUALLY UNLESS THE SAW IS TURNED OFF.

NOTE: Certain special cuts of large material will require that you manually raise the guard. See page 11.

The front section of the guard is louvered for visibility while cutting. Although the louvers dramatically reduce flying debris, they are openings in the guard and safety glasses should be worn at all times when viewing through the louvers.

Kerf Plate Adjustment

To adjust the kerf plates, loosen the screws holding the kerf plates in place. Adjust so that the kerf plates are as close as possible without interfering with the blade's movement.

Rail Guide Adjustment

Periodically check the rails for any play or clearance. The right rail can be adjusted with the set screw shown in Figure 4. To reduce clearance, use a 4 mm hex wrench and rotate the set screw clockwise gradually while sliding the saw head back and forth. Adjust the clearance to be as small as possible without causing any slide resistance.

Miter Lock Adjustment

The miter lock rod should be adjusted if the table of the saw can be moved when the miter lock is locked down. To adjust the miter lock handle, put the miter lock handle in the up, unlocked position. Using a 13 mm open end wrench, loosen the lock nut on the miter lock rod (Fig. 10A). Using a slotted screwdriver, tighten the miter lock rod by turning it clockwise as shown in Figure 10A. Turn the lock rod until it is snug, then turn counterclockwise one turn. To ensure the miter lock handle is functioning properly, re-lock the miter lock to a non-detented measurement on the miter scale - for example, 34° - and ensure the table will not rotate. Tighten lock nut.

Brushes

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.

Inspect carbon brushes regularly by unplugging tool, removing the motor end cap (Fig. 4), lift the brush spring and withdraw the brush assembly. Keep brushes clean and sliding freely in their guides. Always replace a used brush in the same orientation in the holder as it was prior to its removal. Carbon brushes have varying symbols stamped into their sides, and if the brush is worn down to approximately 12.7 mm (1/2"), the spring will no longer exert pressure and they must be replaced. Use only identical DeWALT brushes. Use of the correct grade of brush is essential for proper operation of electric brake. New brush assemblies are available at DeWALT service centers. The tool should be allowed to "run in" (run at no load) for 10 minutes before use to seat new brushes. The electric brake may be erratic in operation until the brushes are properly seated (worn in). Always replace the brush inspection cap after inspection or servicing the brushes.

While "running in" DO NOT TIE, TAPE, OR OTHERWISE LOCK THE TRIGGER SWITCH ON. HOLD BY HAND ONLY.

Controls

Your compound miter saw has several main controls, which will be discussed briefly here. For more information on these controls, see the respective sections earlier in the manual.

MITER CONTROL (FIG. 7)

The miter adjustment/lock handle and detent trigger allows you to miter your saw to 60 left and 50 right. To miter the saw, lift the miter adjustment/lock handle, push the miter latch button and set the miter angle desired on the miter scale. Push down on the lock handle to lock the saw table in place.

TRIGGER SWITCH

The trigger switch (Fig. 4) turns your saw on and off. A hole is provided in the trigger for insertion of a padlock to secure the saw.

MITER LATCH OVERRIDE (FIG. 7)

The miter latch override allows your saw to override the common stop angles. Your saw has two miter latch override knobs, one on each side of the miter control. To override the common stop angles, rotate the miter latch knobs downward. The knobs will return to the off position automatically if the miter latch button is pushed.

BEVEL CONTROL (FIG. 8)

The bevel latch levers and bevel lock handle allow you to bevel the saw to 48° left and right. Your saw has two bevel latch levers, one on either side of the rear support housing. Only one needs to be used to move the bevel to either direction. The bevel lock handle is on top of the rear support housing. To bevel the saw, loosen the bevel lock handle. Lift one of the levers to approximately 45° and set the bevel angle desired on the bevel scale. Two bevel scales are provided for convenience. Lock the bevel lock handle to lock the bevel in place. The bevel latch levers can be lifted vertically to override the common stop angles.

The bevel lock handle is designed to have a limited rotation amount. The handle can be reoriented to compensate for normal wear. The bevel lock handle should be reoriented if the bevel of the saw can be moved when the bevel lock handle is tightened. To adjust the bevel lock handle, remove the screw in the center of the handle. Carefully pry off the handle using a flat bladed screwdriver. Reorient and install the handle such that it will hold the bevel when tightened. Install and tighten screw.

BEVEL CUTS

A bevel cut is a crosscut made with the saw blade at an angle to the wood. In order to set the bevel, loosen the bevel lock handle, lift the bevel latch lever, Figure 4, and move the saw to the left or right as desired. (It is necessary to move the fence to allow clearance). Once the desired bevel angle has been set, tighten the bevel clamp handle firmly.

Bevel angles can be set from 48° right to 48° left and can be cut with the miter arm set between 50° right or 60° left. At some extreme angles, the right or left side fence might have to be removed. To remove the left or right fence, unscrew the fence capturing screw and fence adjustment knob several turns and slide the fence out.

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) blade and a slower, even cutting rate will produce the desired results.

Ensure that material does not 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 (Page 5).

BODY AND HAND POSITION (FIG. 13A)

Proper positioning of your body and hands when operating the miter saw will make cutting easier, more accurate and safer. Never place hands near cutting area. Place hands no closer than 6" (152.4 mm) from the blade. Hold the workpiece tightly to the table and the fence when cutting. Keep hands in position until the trigger has been released and the blade has completely stopped. ALWAYS MAKE DRY RUNS (UNPOWERED) BEFORE FINISH CUTS SO THAT YOU CAN CHECK THE PATH OF THE BLADE. DO NOT CROSS HANDS, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 13B.

Keep both feet firmly on the floor and maintain proper balance. As you move the miter arm left and right, follow it and stand slightly to the side of the saw blade. Sight through the guard louvers when following a pencil line.

CLAMPING THE WORKPIECE

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.

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.

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 152.4 mm (6") from the blade, a clamp or other fixture must be used. For best results use the DW7082 clamp made for use with your saw. Another type of clamp may be supplied with your DW717. To purchase the DW7082 contact your local retailer or DeWALT service center. 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. The left or right fence will slide from side to side to aid in clamping.

TO INSTALL CLAMP

1. Insert it into the hole behind the fence. The clamp should be facing toward the back of the miter saw. The groove on the clamp rod should be fully inserted into the base. Ensure this groove is fully inserted into the base of the miter saw. If the groove is visible, the clamp will not be secure.
2. Rotate the clamp 180° toward the front of the miter saw.
3. Loosen the knob to adjust the clamp 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.

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.

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.

SUPPORT FOR LONG PIECES

WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, turn off the tool and disconnect it from the power source before attempting to move it, change accessories or make any adjustments accept as written in laser adjustment instructions.

ALWAYS SUPPORT LONG PIECES.

Never use another person as a substitute for a table extension; as additional support for a workpiece that is longer or wider than the basic miter saw table or to help feed, support or pull the workpiece.

For best results, use the DW7080 extension work support to extend the table width of your saw. Available from your dealer at extra cost. Support long workpieces using any convenient means such as sawhorses or similar devices to keep the ends from dropping.

CUTTING PICTURE FRAMES, SHADOW BOXES AND OTHER FOUR-SIDED PROJECTS

To best understand how to make the items listed here, we suggest that you try a few simple projects using scrap wood until you develop a "FEEL" for your saw.

Your saw is the perfect tool for mitering corners like the one shown in Figure 14. Sketch A in Figure 15 shows a joint made by using the bevel adjustment to bevel the edges of the two boards at 45° each to produce a 90° corner. For this joint the miter arm was locked in the zero position and the bevel adjustment was locked at 45°. The wood was positioned with the broad flat side against the table and the narrow edge against the fence. The cut could also be made by mitering right and left with the broad surface against the fence.

CUTTING TRIM MOLDING AND OTHER FRAMES

Sketch B in Figure 14 shows a joint made by setting the miter arm at 45° to miter the two boards to form a 90° corner. To make this type of joint, set the bevel adjustment to zero and the miter arm to 45°. Once again, position the wood with the broad flat side on the table and the narrow edge against the fence. The two sketches in Figure 15 are for four side objects only.

CUTTING COMPOUND MITERS

A compound miter is a cut made using a miter angle and a bevel angle at the same time. This is the type of cut used to make frames or boxes with slanting sides like the one shown in Figure 16.

NOTE: If the cutting angle varies from cut to cut, check that the bevel clamp knob and the miter lock knob are securely tightened. These knobs must be tightened after making any changes in bevel or miter.

The chart shown on page 13 will assist you in selecting the proper bevel and miter settings for common compound miter cuts. To use the chart, select the desired angle "A" (Figure 16) of your project and locate that angle on the appropriate arc in the chart. From that point follow the chart straight down to find the correct bevel angle and straight across to find the correct miter angle.

Set your saw to the prescribed angles and make a few trial cuts. Practice fitting the cut pieces together until you develop a feel for this procedure and feel comfortable with it.

Example: To make a 4 sided box with 26° exterior angles (Angle A, Figure 16), use the upper right arc. Find 26° on the arc scale. Follow the horizontal intersecting line to either side to get miter angle setting on saw (42°). Likewise, follow the vertical intersecting line to the top or bottom to get the bevel angle setting on the saw (18°). Always try cuts on a few scrap pieces of wood to verify settings on saw.

CUTTING BASE MOLDING

ALWAYS MAKE A DRY RUN WITHOUT POWER BEFORE MAKING ANY CUTS.

Straight 90° cuts:

Position the wood against the fence and hold it in place as shown in Figure 11. Turn on the saw, allow the blade to reach full speed and lower the arm smoothly through the cut.

CUTTING BASE MOLDING UP TO 121 mm (4.75") HIGH VERTICALLY AGAINST THE FENCE

Position material as shown in Figure 11. All cuts made with the back of the molding against the fence and bottom of the molding against the base.

INSIDE CORNER:

Left side: 1. Miter left 45°. 2. Save left side of cut

Right side: 1. Miter Right 45°. 2. Save right side of cut

OUTSIDE CORNER:

Left side: 1. Miter right at 45°. 2. Save left side of cut

Right side: 1. Miter left at 45°. 2. Save right side of cut

Material up to 159 mm (6.5") can be cut as described above.

CUTTING CROWN MOLDING

Your miter saw is better suited to the task of cutting crown molding than any other type tool made. In order to fit properly, crown molding must be compound mitered with extreme accuracy. The two flat surfaces on a given piece of crown molding are at angles that, when added together, equal exactly 90°. Most, but not all, crown molding has a top rear angle (the section that fits flat against the ceiling) of 52° and a bottom rear angle (the part that fits flat against the wall) of 38°.

Your miter saw has special pre-set miter latch points at 31.62° left and right for cutting crown molding at the proper angle and bevel stop pawls at 33.85° left and right. There is also a mark on the Bevel scale at 33.85°.

The chart below gives the proper settings for cutting crown molding. (The numbers for the miter and bevel settings are very precise and are not easy to accurately set on your saw.) Since most rooms do not have angles of precisely 90°, you will have to fine tune your settings anyway.

PRETESTING WITH SCRAP MATERIAL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUTTING CROWN MOLDING LAYING FLAT AND USING THE COMPOUND FEATURES

1. Molding laying with broad back surface down flat on saw table (Figure 17).
2. The settings below are for All Standard (U.S.) crown molding with 52° and 38° angles.

When setting bevel and miter angles for all compound miters, remember that: The angles presented for crown moldings are very precise and difficult to set exactly. Since they can easily shift slightly and very few rooms have exactly square corners, all settings should be tested on scrap molding.

PRETESTING WITH SCRAP MATERIAL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR CUTTING CROWN MOLDING

Place the molding on the table at an angle between the fence and the saw table, as shown in Figure 18. Use of the crown molding fence accessory (DW7084) is highly recommended because of its degree of accuracy and convenience. The crown molding fence accessory is available for purchase from your local dealer.

The advantage to cutting crown molding using this method is that no bevel cut is required. Minute changes in the miter angle can be made without affecting the bevel angle. This way, when corners other than 90° are encountered, the saw can be quickly and easily adjusted for them. Use the crown molding fence accessory to maintain the angle at which the molding will be on the wall.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUTTING CROWN MOLDING ANGLED BETWEEN THE FENCE AND BASE OF THE SAW FOR ALL CUTS:

1. Angle the molding so the bottom of the molding (part which goes against the wall when installed) is against the fence and the top of the molding is resting on the base of the saw, as shown in Figure 18.
2. The angled "flats" on the back of the molding must rest squarely on the fence and base of the saw.

INSIDE CORNER:

Left side: 1. Miter right at 45°. 2. Save the right side of cut

Right side: 1. Miter left at 45°. 2. Save left side of cut

OUTSIDE CORNER:

Left side: 1. Miter left at 45°. 2. Save right side of cut

Right side: 1. Miter right at 45°. 2. Save left side of cut

Special Cuts

NEVER MAKE ANY CUT UNLESS THE MATERIAL IS SECURED ON THE TABLE AND AGAINST THE FENCE.

ALUMINUM CUTTING

ALWAYS USE THE APPROPRIATE SAW BLADE MADE ESPECIALLY FOR CUTTING ALUMINUM. These are available at your local DeWALT retailer or DeWALT service center. Certain workpieces, due to their size, shape or surface finish, may require the use of a clamp or fixture to prevent movement during the cut. Position the material so that you will be cutting the thinnest cross section, as shown in Figure 19. Figure 20 illustrates the wrong way to cut these extrusions. Use a stick wax cutting lubricant when cutting aluminum. Apply the stick wax cutting lubricant directly to the saw blade before cutting. Never apply stick wax to a moving blade.

The wax, available at most hardware stores and industrial mill supply houses, provides proper lubrication and keeps chips from adhering to the blade.

Be sure to properly secure workpiece. Refer to page 3 for correct saw blade.

BOWED MATERIAL

When cutting bowed material always position it as shown in Figure 21 and never like that shown in Figure 22. Positioning the material incorrectly will cause it to pinch the blade near the completion of the cut.

CUTTING PLASTIC PIPE OR OTHER ROUND MATERIAL

Plastic pipe can be easily cut with your saw. It should be cut just like wood and CLAMPED OR HELD FIRMLY TO THE FENCE TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING. This is extremely important when making angle cuts.

CUTTING LARGE MATERIAL

Occasionally you will encounter a piece of wood a little too large to fit beneath the blade guard. If this occurs, simply place your right thumb on the upper side of the guard and roll the guard up just enough to clear the workpiece, as shown in Figure 23. Avoid doing this as much as possible, but if need be, the saw will operate properly and make the bigger cut. NEVER TIE, TAPE, OR OTHERWISE HOLD THE GUARD OPEN WHEN OPERATING THIS SAW.

SPECIAL SET-UP FOR WIDE CROSSCUTS

Your saw can cut very wide [up to 391 mm (15.4")] workpieces when a special set up is used. To set the saw up for these workpieces, follow these steps:

1. Remove both left and right sliding fences from the saw and set aside. To remove them, unscrew the fence capturing screws and the fence knobs several turns and slide each fence outward. Adjust and lock the miter control so that it is at 0 degrees miter.
2. Remove backfence screws from right rear foot and install them into the right hand fence screw holes (Fig. 25).

WARNING: Do not cut material using the special setup without properly installing the backfence screws, otherwise the material will not be supported properly and may cause loss of control and possible injury.

3. Make a platform using a piece of 38 mm (1.5") thick particleboard or similar flat strong 38 mm (1.5") thick wood to the dimensions: 368 x 660 mm (14.5" x 26"). The platform must be flat otherwise the material could move during cutting and cause injury.
4. Mount the 368 x 660 mm (14.5" x 26") platform to the saw using 4 three-inch long wood screws through the holes in the base fence (Fig. 24). Four screws must be used to properly secure the material. When the special set up is used, the platform will be cut into two pieces. Ensure the screws are tightened properly otherwise material could loosen and cause injury. Ensure the platform is firmly flat on the table, against the fence, and centered evenly from left to right.

WARNING: Ensure the saw is mounted firmly to a stable flat surface. Failure to do so could cause the saw to be unstable and fall causing personal injury.

5. Place the workpiece to be cut on top of the platform mounted to the table. Ensure the workpiece is firmly against the backfence screws (Fig. 25).
6. Secure the material before cutting. Cut slowly through the material using a out-down-and-back motion. Failure to clamp securely or cut slowly could result in the material coming loose and causing injury.

After several cuts are made at various miter angles other than 0°, the platform may weaken and not properly support the work. Install a new, unused platform to the saw after presetting the desired miter angle.

CAUTION: Continued use of a platform with several kerfs may cause loss of material control and possible injury.

Removing and Replacing Belt

The belt is designed to last the life of the tool. However, abuse of the tool could cause the belt to fail.

If the blade does not turn when the motor is running, the belt has failed. To inspect or replace the belt, remove the belt cover screws. Remove the belt cover. Inspect the ribs of the belt for wear or failure. Check belt tension by squeezing the belt as shown in Figure 26. The belt halves should almost touch when squeezing firmly with the thumb and index finger. To adjust the tension, loosen, but do not remove, the four Phillips head screws shown. Then rotate the set screw on the top of the motor plate casting until the proper tension is achieved. Tighten the four screws securely and replace the belt cover.

NOTE: Over tightening the belt will cause premature motor failure.