RIDGID MS1060 User manual

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Part No. SP6454 Printed in U.S.A.
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2
Table of Contents
Section Page
Table of Contents ..................................2
Safety Instructions for Miter Saw ...........2
Safety Signal Words ...........................2
Before Using The Saw ........................3
When Installing Or Moving The Miter
Saw ...................................................3
Before Each Use ....................................4
To Reduce The Risk Of Injury From
Jams, Slips Or Thrown Pieces ..........5
Plan Ahead To Protect Your Eyes,
Hands, Face and Ears .......................5
Inspect Your Workpiece .........................6
Whenever Saw Is Running ....................7
Before Leaving The Saw .......................8
Glossary of Terms for Woodworking .....8
Motor Specifications and Electrical
Requirements ....................................9
Power Supply and Motor Specifications ..9
General Electrical Connections ..........9
110-120 Volt, 60 Hz. Tool Information 9
Motor Safety Protection ....................10
Wire Sizes .........................................10
Unpacking and Checking Contents .....10
Tools Needed ...................................10
Unpacking .........................................11
List of Loose Parts ............................11
Assembly .............................................12
Removing or Installing the Blade ......12
Assembling Extensions and Stop Block 13
Assembling Dust Elbow and Dust Bag .14
Getting to Know Your Miter Saw ..........15
Alignment (Adjustments) ......................16
Step One - Checking and Adjusting
Blade Squareness to Fence (Miter
Alignment) .......................................16
Step Two - Bevel Adjustments ..........17
Installing the Throat Plate .................18
Cutting Through Throat Plate ...........18
Mounting The Miter Saw ......................19
Safety Instructions for Basic Saw
Operations .......................................20
Section Page
Before Using The Miter Saw .............20
Before Each Use .............................. 20
To Reduce The Risk Of Injury From
Jams, Slips Or Thrown Pieces ........ 21
Plan Ahead To Protect Your Eyes,
Hands, Face and Ears ....................21
Inspect Your Workpiece ......................22
Whenever Saw Is Running ..................23
Before Leaving The Saw ..................24
Basic Saw Operations ......................... 24
Body and Hand Position ................... 24
Miter Cut ........................................... 25
Bevel Cut .......................................... 25
Compound Cut .................................26
Cutting Bowed Material .................... 26
Workpiece Support ...........................27
Auxiliary Fence ................................. 27
Use and Operation of Extension Bars
and Stop Block ................................28
Cutting Compound Miters .................29
Using Carbide Tipped Blades ..............31
Maintenance and Lubrication ..............31
Maintenance .....................................31
Replacing Carbon Brushes ...............31
Lower Blade Guard ...........................31
Sawdust ............................................32
Lubrication ........................................ 32
RIDGID Recommends the Following
Accessories .....................................32
Recommended Accessories .............32
Prohibited Accessories ..................... 32
Basic Blade Requirements ...............33
Wiring Diagram .................................... 33
Troubleshooting Of Brake By
Qualified Service Person Only ........33
Troubleshooting Guide ........................ 33
Motor ................................................ 33
General ............................................. 34
Repair Parts ........................................ 35
Notes ................................................... 42
Safety Instructions for Miter Saw
Safety is a combination of common sense, staying alert and knowing how your miter
saw works. Read this manual to understand this miter saw.
Safety Signal Words
DANGER: If the safety information is not
followed, someone will be seriously
injured or killed.
WARNING: If the safety information is not
followed, someone could be seriously
injured or killed.
CAUTION: If the safety information is not
followed, someone may be injured.

3
Before Using The Saw
WARNING: Some dust created
by power sanding, sawing,
grinding, drilling, and other con-
struction activities contains
chemicals known (to the State of
California) to cause cancer, birth
defects or other reproductive
harm. Some examples of these
chemicals are:
• Lead from lead-bases paints,
• Crystalline silica from bricks
and cement and other masonry
products, and
• Arsenic and chromium from
chemically-treated lumber.
Your risk from these exposures
varies, depending on how often
you do this type of work. To
reduce your exposure to these
chemicals: work in a well venti-
lated area, and work with
approved safety equipment,
such as those dust masks that
are specially designed to filter
out microscopic particles.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
mistakes that could cause seri-
ous, permanent injury, do not
plug the miter saw in until the
following steps have been satis-
factorily completed.
• Completely assemble and align
saw. (See “Assembly” and “Align-
ment” sections.)
• Learn the use and function of the
trigger switch, upper and lower
blade guards, stop shaft, bevel lock
knob and cover plate stop screw
(see “Getting to Know Your Miter
Saw” section within.)
• Review and understand all safety
instructions and operating proce-
dures in this manual.
• Review the maintenance methods
for this miter saw. (See “Mainte-
nance” section within).
• Find and Read the following labels
on the miter saw.
When Installing Or Moving The
Miter Saw
• Before moving the saw, lock the
miter, bevel and power head posi-
tions. Unplug the power cord.
• To reduce the risk of back injury,
get help when you need to lift the
saw.

4
Safety Instructions for Miter Saw (continued)
•Never carry the tool by the cord or
power head switch handle. Dam-
age to insulation could cause an
electric shock. Damage to wire
connections could cause a fire. A
carry handle is provided.
Reduce the Risk of Dangerous
Environment:
•Use the miter saw in a dry, place
protected from rain.
•Keep work area well lighted.
•Place the saw so neither the user
nor bystanders are forced to stand
in line with the blade. Thrown
debris could injure people in its
path.
To reduce the risk of injury from
unexpected saw movement:
•Put the miter saw on a firm level
surface where there is plenty of
room for handling and properly
supporting the workpiece.
•Support the miter saw so the table
is level and the saw does not rock.
•Bolt or clamp the miter saw to its
support.
•Never Stand On Tool. Serious
injury could occur if the tool tips or
you accidentally hit the cutting tool.
Do not store anything above or
near the tool where anyone might
stand on the tool to reach them.
To reduce the risk of injury or
death from electrical shock:
•This Tool Is Double Insulated to
give you added protection. Double
insulation does not take the place
or normal safety precautions when
operating this tool. When servicing
this double insulated tool, use only
identical parts.
•Make sure your fingers do not
touch the plug’s metal prongs when
plugging or unplugging the miter
saw.
Before Each Use
Inspect your miter saw.
•Disconnect The Miter Saw to
reduce the risk of injury from acci-
dental starting before changing the
setup, changing the blade, or
adjusting anything.
•Compare the direction of rotation
arrow on the guard to the direction
arrow on the blade. The blade
teeth should always point down-
ward at the front of the saw.
•Tighten the arbor screw.
•Tighten the cover plate stop screw.
Check For Damaged Parts. Check for:
•Proper alignment of moving parts
•Damaged electric cords
•Binding of moving parts
•Broken parts
•Stable mounting
•Function of arm return spring and
lower guard: Push the arm all the
way down, then let it rise up until it
stops by itself. Check the lower
guard to see if it closed fully. If it did
not, follow the instructions in the
“Trouble Shooting”section.
•Other conditions that may affect
the way the miter saw works.
•If any part of this miter saw is miss-
ing, bent, or broken in any way, or
any electrical parts don’t work, turn
the saw off and unplug it. Replace
damaged, missing, or failed parts
before using the saw again.
Keep Guards In Place, in working
order, and in proper adjustment.

5
Maintain Tools With Care. Keep the
miter saw clean for best and safest
performance. Follow instructions for
lubricating. DON’T put lubricants on
the blade while it’s spinning.
Remove Adjusting Wrench and
return it to proper storage location
before turning on tool.
To Reduce The Risk Of Injury From Jams, Slips Or Thrown Pieces
•Use Only Recommended Acces-
sories. Follow the instructions that
come with the accessories. The
use of improper accessories may
cause risk of injury to persons.
•Choose the right 10-inch diameter
blade for the material and the type
of cutting you plan to do.
•Make sure the blade is sharp,
undamaged and properly aligned.
With the saw unplugged, push the
power-head all the way down.
Hand spin the blade and check for
clearance. Tilt the power-head to
45 degree bevel and repeat the
check. Make sure the blade and
arbor collars are clean.
•Make sure the collars’recessed
sides are facing the blade.
•Using 1/4 inch hex wrench sup-
plied, make sure the arbor cap
screw is firmly tightened.
•Make sure all clamps and locks are
tight and there is no excessive play
in any parts.
•Keep Work Area Clean. Cluttered
areas and benches invite acci-
dents. Floor must not be slippery.
To reduce the risk of burns or other
fire damage, never use the saw near
flammable liquids, vapors or gases.
Plan Ahead To Protect Your Eyes, Hands, Face and Ears
Know Your Miter Saw. Read and
understand the owner’s manual and
labels affixed to the tool. Learn its
applications and limitations as well as
the specific potential hazards peculiar
to this tool.
To reduce the risk of injury from acci-
dental contact with moving parts,
don’t do layout, assembly, or setup
work on the miter saw while any parts
are moving.
Reduce the risk of Accidental
Starting. Make sure switch is “OFF”
before plugging miter saw into a
power outlet.
Plan your work.
Use The Right Tool. Don’t force tool
or attachment to do a job it was not
designed to do. Use a different tool
for any workpiece that can’t be heldin
a solidly braced, fixed position.
CAUTION: This machine is not
designed for cutting ferrous
metals (steel, iron and iron
based metals). Use this miter
saw to cut only wood, wood like
products or soft metals like alu-
minum. Other material may shat-
ter, bind on the blade, or create
other dangers.
CAUTION: When cutting any
metals, sparks or hot fragments
could cause a fire. To reduce the
risk of this, disconnect any dust
collecting bag or hose from the
miter saw, and remove all traces
of wood dust from inside dust
traps in the miter saw.

6
Safety Instructions for Miter Saw (continued)
Dress For Safety
Any power tool can throw foreign
objects into the eyes. This can result
in permanent eye damage. Wear
safety goggles (not glasses) that
comply with ANSI Z87.1 (or in Can-
ada CSA Z94.3-99) shown on pack-
age. Everyday eyeglasses have only
impact resistant lenses. They are not
safety glasses. Safety goggles are
available at many local retail stores.
Glasses or goggles not in compliance
with ANSI or CSA could seriously hurt
you when they break.
Do not wear loose clothing, gloves,
neckties or jewelry (rings, wrist
watches) They can get caught and
draw you into moving parts.
•Wear nonslip footwear.
•Tie back long hair.
•Roll long sleeves above the elbow.
•Noise levels vary widely. To reduce
the risk of possible hearing dam-
age, wear ear plugs or muffs when
using miter saw for hours at a time.
•For dusty operations, wear a dust
mask along with safety goggles.
Inspect Your Workpiece
•Make sure there are no nails or for-
eign objects in the part of the work-
piece to be cut.
Plan your work to avoid thrown
pieces caused - when the work-
piece binds on the blade and is
torn from your hands.
Plan the way you will hold the work-
piece from start to finish:
Avoid awkward operations and hand
positions where a sudden slip could
cause fingers or hand to move into
the blade.
Don’t Overreach. Keep good footing
and balance.
Keep your face and body to one side
of saw blade, out of line with a possi-
ble throwback.
Never Cut Freehand:
•Cut only one workpiece at a time.
•Brace your workpiece solidly
against the fence and table top so
it will not rock or twist during the
cut.
•Make sure there’s no debris between
the workpiece and its supports.
•Make sure no gaps between the
workpiece, fence and table will let
the workpiece shift after it is cut in
two.
•Keep the cut off piece free to move
sideways after it’s cut off. Other-
wise it could get wedged against
the blade and could be thrown vio-
lently.
•Clear everything except the work-
piece and related support devices
off the table before turning the
miter saw on.
•Secure Work. Use clamps or a
vise to help hold the work when it’s
practical.
Use extra caution with large, very
small or awkward workpieces:
•Use extra supports (tables, saw
horses, blocks, etc.) for any work-
piece large enough to tip when not
held down to the table top.

7
•Never use another person as a
substitute for a table extension, or
as additional support for a work-
piece that is longer or wider than
the basic miter saw table.
•Do not use this saw to cut pieces
too small to let you easily hold the
work. The thumb side of your index
(pointer) finger should not be
closer to the blade than the outside
edge of the fence.
•When cutting irregularly shaped
workpieces, plan your work so it
will not slip and pinch the blade
and be torn from your hands. A
piece of molding, for example,
must lie flat or be held by a fixture
or jig that will not let it twist, rock or
slip while being cut.
•Properly support round material
such as dowel rods, or tubing.
They have a tendency to roll while
being cut, causing the blade to
“bite.”To avoid this, always use a
fixture designed to properly hold
your workpiece.
WARNING: If planning to cut alu-
minum or other non-ferrous met-
als: Under adverse conditions,
the blade can grab and throw the
workpiece suddenly and unex-
pectedly. To reduce the risk of
injury, follow all applicable
safety instructions, as you nor-
mally would, and:
•Use only sawblades specifi-
cally recommended for non-
ferrous metal cutting.
•Do not cut metal workpieces
that must be hand held. Use
auxiliary clamps or other
equipment as needed.
•Cut non-ferrous metals only if
your are experienced or under
the supervision of an experi-
enced person.
Whenever Saw Is Running
WARNING: Don't allow familiar-
ity (gained from frequent use of
your miter saw) to cause a care-
less mistake. A careless fraction
of a second is enough to cause
a severe injury.
•Before starting your cut, watch the
miter saw while it runs. If it makes
an unfamiliar noise or vibrates a
lot, stop immediately. Turn the saw
off. Unplug the saw. Do not restart
until finding and correcting the
problem.
Keep Children Away.
•Keep all visitors a safe distance
from the miter saw.
•Make sure bystanders are clear of
the miter saw and workpiece.
•Never confine the piece being cut
off. Never hold it, clamp it, touch it,
or use length stops against it while
the blade is spinning. It must be
free to move sideways on its own.
If confined, it could get wedged
against the blade and thrown vio-
lently.
Let the blade reach full speed before cut-
ting.
Don’t Force Tool.
•It will do the job better and safer at
its designed rate. Feed the saw
into the workpiece only fast enough
to let the blade cut without bogging
down or binding.
Before freeing jammed material:
•Turn switch “OFF”.
•Wait for all moving parts to stop.
•Unplug the miter saw.

8
Safety Instructions for Miter Saw (continued)
After finishing a cut:
•Keep holding the power head down.
•Release the switch, and wait for all
moving parts to stop before moving
your hands.
•If blade doesn’t stop within 6 sec-
onds, unplug the saw and follow the
instructions in the “Troubleshoot-
ing”section for fixing the blade
brake before using the saw again.
Before Leaving The Saw
•Never Leave Tool Running Unat-
tended.
•Turn switch off.
•Wait for all moving parts to stop.
•Unplug the miter saw.
•Make workshop child-proof. Lock
the shop. Disconnect master
switches. Store tool away from chil-
dren and others not qualified to use
the tool.
Glossary of Terms for Woodworking
Arbor
The shaft on which a cutting tool is
mounted.
Bevel Cut
An angle cutting operation made through
the face of the workpiece.
Carbide Tipped Blade
A blade that has a small piece of carbide
brazed to the tip of each tooth. This type
of blade requires extra care in handling
and use. See “Using Carbide Tipped
Blades”section.
Compound Cut
A simultaneous bevel and miter cutting
operations.
Crosscut
A cutting operation made across the width
of the workpiece.
Freehand
Performing a cut without using the fence,
hold down or other proper device to pre-
vent the workpiece from twisting during
the cutting operation. Twisting of the
workpiece can cause it to be thrown.
Gum
A sticky, sap based residue from wood
products.
Heel
Misalignment of the blade.
Kerf
The amount of material removed by the
blade in a through cut or the slot produced
by the blade in a non-through or partial cut.
Miter Cut
An angle cutting operation made across
the width of the workpiece.
Resin
A sticky, sap based substance that has
hardened.
Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)
The number of turns completed by a spin-
ning object in one minute.
Sawblade Path
The area of the workpiece or table top
directly in line with either the travel of the
blade or the part of the workpiece which
will be, or has been, cut by the blade.
Set
The distance that the tip of the sawblade
tooth is bent (or set) outward from the
face of the blade.
Workpiece
The item on which the cutting operation is
being performed. The surfaces of a work-
piece are commonly referred to as faces,
ends, and edges. Face
Edge
End

9
Motor Specifications and Electrical Requirements
Power Supply and Motor Specifications
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
electrical hazards, fire hazards,
or damage, or damage to the
tool, use proper circuit protec-
tion. Your saw is wired at the
factory for operation using the
voltage shown. Connect tool to a
power line with the appropriate
voltage and a 15-amp branch cir-
cuit. Use a 15-amp time delay
fuse or circuit breaker. To
reduce the risk of shock or fire,
if power cord is worn or cut, or
damaged in any way, have it
replaced immediately.
The AC motor used in this saw is a uni-
versal, nonreversible type having the fol-
lowing specifications
General Electrical Connections
DANGER: To reduce the risk of
electrocution:
1.Use only identical replace-
ment parts when servicing.
Servicing should be per-
formed by a qualified service
technician.
2.Do not use in rain or where
floor is wet.
This tool is intended for
indoor residential use only.
WARNING Do not permit fingers
to touch the terminals or plug
when installing or removing the
plug to or from the outlet.
If power cord is worn or cut, or damaged
in any way, have it replaced immediately.
110-120 Volt, 60 Hz. Tool Information
Double Insulated
The miter saw is double insulated to pro-
vide a double thickness of insulation
between you and the tool’s electrical sys-
tem. All exposed metal parts are isolated
from the internalmetal motor components
with protecting insulation.
Polarized Plug
Your unit has a plug that looks like the one
shown.
To reduce the risk of electrical shock, this
appliance has a polarized plug (one blade
is wider than the other). This plug will fit in
a polarized outlet only one way, if the plug
does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse plug.
If it still does not fit, contact a qualified
electrician to install the proper outlet. Do
not change the plug in any way.
WARNING: Double insulation
does not take the place of nor-
mal safety precautions when
operating this tool.
Amperes 15
Voltage 120
Hertz (Cycles) 60
Phase Single
RPM 4600
Shaft Rotation (Blade end) Clockwise
Brake Automatic

10
Motor Specifications and Electrical Requirements (continued)
Motor Safety Protection
IMPORTANT: To avoid motor damage,
this motor should be blown out or vacu-
umed frequently to keep sawdust from
interfering with normal motor ventilation.
1. Connect tool to power line with the
appropriate voltage for your model and
15-amp branch circuit with a 15-amp
time delay fuse or circuit breaker. Using
the wrong size fuse can damage the
motor.
2. If the motor won’t start, release the trig-
ger switch immediately and unplug the
tool. Check thesaw blade to makesure
it turns freely. If the blade is free, try to
start the motor again. If the motor still
does not start, refer to the “Motor Trou-
ble-Shooting Chart.”
3. If the motor suddenly stalls while cut-
ting wood, release the trigger switch,
unplug the tool,and free theblade from
the wood. The motor may now be
restarted and the cut finished.
4. Fuses may “blow”or circuit breakers
may trip frequently for the following rea-
sons:
a. Motor Is Overloaded-Overloading
can occur if you feed too rapidly or
make too many start/stops in a short
time.
b. Line voltages are more than 10%
above or below the nameplate volt-
age. For heavy loads, however, the
voltage at motor terminals must
equal the voltage specified on name-
plate.
c. Improper or dull sawblade is used.
5. Most motor troubles may be traced to
loose or incorrect connections, over-
load, low voltage (such as small size
wire in the supply circuit) or to overly
long supply circuit wire. Always check
the connections, the load and the sup-
ply circuit whenever motor doesn’t work
well. Check wire sizes and length with
the Wire Size Chart.
Wire Sizes
NOTE: Make sure the proper extension
cord is used and is in good condition.
The use of any extension cord will cause
some loss of power. To keep this to a min-
imum and to prevent overheating and
motor burn-out, use the table to determine
the minimum wire size (A.W.G.) extension
cord.
ExtensionCord
Length Gauge
(A.W.G.)
0-25 Ft.
26-50 Ft. 14 12