CRAIN
No. 787
Keep hands away from the spindle tube and blade housing
(red area). This is not a handle!
The blade guard attached to your saw is for your safety
and protection. If it becomes damaged, do not operate
your saw until it has been repaired. Always leave blade
guard in operating position when using the saw.
This saw is designed for removal of floors or underlay-
ment under toe-spaces. It cuts flush to the wall of the
toe space. Please note these features of the saw.
LOW-pROFILE CUTTING HEAD:
Will fit under toe-kicks
as low as 3" in height.
SpINDLE LOCK:
For blade changes, the spindle lock
stops the blade rotation, so that the blade can be easily
removed. This is NOT to be used as a motor brake!
CARBIDE BLADES & DEpTH OF CUT:
The saw comes
with a 3
3
/
8
" diameter carbide blade (No. 787) that cuts
underlayment up to
3
/
4
" thick. It cuts to a fixed depth
of
3
/
4
".
DOUBLE-INSULATED:
This saw is constructed with two separate layers of elec-
trical insulation. A saw built with this insulation system
does not need to be grounded. As a result, this saw
comes with a two-prong plug without a ground pole.
DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS:
Keep work area clean; clutter invites accidents. Do not use
on damp or wet floors. This saw may throw sparks. Do not
use around flammable gasses. Be sure lighting is good.
ACCIDENTAL STARTING:
To avoid accidental starting, do not carry saw with fingers
on switch. Do not carry the saw while it is plugged in.
CORD ABUSE AND EXTENSION CORDS:
Never carry saw by the cord or yank the cord to
disconnect from an outlet. Keep cords away from heat,
oil, and sharp edges. If the cord is cut or damaged,
replace immediately.
Avoid using long extension cords, as they will cause some
loss of power. To keep the loss to a minimum and prevent
saw from overheating, use a heavy-duty extension cord
with a minimum wire size based on the length of cord that
is needed: 25' = 16 gauge wire, 50' = 14 gauge wire
WEAR SAFETY GEAR:
GENERAL SAFETY
BLADE GUARD:
Always wear safety glasses and ear plugs when using this
saw. Use face or dust mask if cutting operation is dusty.
In the event of blade binding or any interruption of the
cut, release the switch. Hold the saw motionless until the
blade stops. While the blade is still turning, if you remove
the saw from the cut, or pull the saw backwards, this can
cause saw kickback.
Cut slowly, especially when nails may be present. Keep
motor RPMs high at all times.
This saw is not for use in general sawing. Cutting loose
plywood can bind the blade and cause kickback.
Use only Crain No. 787 or No. 789 blades (see back).
Use new, sharp blades at all times.
This saw plunge starts. Plunge slowly before pushing
forward.
HAND pOSITIONING:
FEATURES OF THE SAW:
BLADE CHANGE:
WARNING:
Regarding carbide blades, use only Crain
No. 787 Carbide-Tipped Blades. The kickback reducing
clutch is calibrated to this blade diameter ONLY!
WARNING:
Check the depth of the underlayment to be
cut. If it is less than
3
/
4
" thick, to prevent subfloor damage,
nail down a strip of additional underlayment at least the
width of the saw to adjust the cutting depth. Make sure
the blade cuts through both underlayment thicknesses.
Cutting through a gap can cause binding and kickback.
WARNING:
Don't adjust cutting depth by shimming up
the saw by affixing shims to any of its parts, or by manu-
ally holding the saw at an elevation off the floor.
No. 787
CARBIDE-
TIPPED
BLADE
SPINDLE
LOCK
SWITCH
BLADE
GUARD
LOW-PRO
FILE CUT-
TING HEAD
HEX
WRENCH
CAUTION!
KEEp HANDS
AWAY! BLADE
EXpOSED WHILE
CUTTING
SpINDLE LOCK
LEVER
THIS IS NOT A HANDLE!
KEEp HANDS AWAY
FROM THE SpINDLE
TUBE AND BLADE
HOUSING! (RED AREA)
THESE ARE
THE HANDLES
FACTORY
INSTALLED BLADE:
UNpLUG SAW. REMOVE ALLEN®
WRENCH BEFORE STARTING.
Unplug the saw. Push
and hold the spindle
lock to stop blade rota-
tion. While holding the
spindle lock lever, insert
the
3
/
16
"
hex wrench (pro-
vided) into the blade’s
socket set screw and
turn it counter-clockwise
to loosen. Note: For extra leverage, insert an extension
tube onto the hex wrench. Replace with new blade and
pREVENTING & pREpARING FOR KICKBACK
KICKBACK REDUCING CLUTCH
OTHER KICKBACK pRECAUTIONS
Saw kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound,
or misaligned saw blade, causing the saw to jump back-
ward towards the user.
Saw kickback is preventable. Cutting straight and forward
helps prevent kickback. This prevents the teeth at the back
of the blade from grabbing in the top surface of the wood,
which causes the saw to jump backward.
Always prepare for saw kickback by keeping both hands
on the handles and gripping firmly. Kneel to the side of the
saw, keeping hands and knees out of the kickback arc.
ALLOW MOTOR TO STOP
AT THE END OF THE CUT:
At the end of a cut, allow the
motor to fully stop before
removing the saw from the
cut, or removing hands from
the handles. Otherwise, if
the saw blade is still spin-
ning, the saw can catch and kick back toward the user.
This saw has a kickback reducing clutch that helps reduce
kickback forces. If the saw is abused by making anything
other than straight cuts (curves, angles, etc.), OR by at-
tempting to cut backwards rather than forward, the clutch
may disengage. A loud buzzing sound will occur.
If the clutch disengages, immediately release the switch
and allow the motor to stop. Remove the saw from the
cut and allow the blade guard to extend before restarting
the motor and resuming the cut.
The saw's clutch can withstand about 500 disengage-
ments before the saw will no longer transmit sufficient
power to the blade for cutting. At such time factory
service is required. Don't waste the clutch.
DIRECTION
OF CUT
POTENTIAL
KICK BACK ARC
DON'T USE FROM A
STANDING POSITION:
This is a floor saw. Don't
try to use from a standing
position. Brace yourself
by kneeling, keeping body
weight behind and to the
side of the saw. Keep a
firm grip.
DON'T USE OUTSIDE
TOE SPACES:
When used with carbide
tipped blades, this tool is
designed for use under toe
spaces only. Don't use this
saw for cutting loose pieces
of wood, such as plywood.
BODY pOSITIONING
KNEE:
KNEEL TO
THE SIDE
DON'T CUT
BACKWARD
KICK
pROpER pOSITIONING
KICK
KICK
BZZZZ!
CLUTCH
CUTTING BACKWARD OR CUTTING CURVES MAY
CAUSE CLUTCH TO DISENGAGE.
DON'T CUT
CURVES
