Miter saw often comes in handy when you’re planning on doing an angle cut or a bevel cut during handiwork. Some users have trouble with unlocking the device after they’re done.
If you want to know how to unlock Dewalt miter saw – the question is already covered in this article. The same technique will most likely be working for the other brands as well, so with our help getting clean angled cuts and bevel cuts won’t be a problem. If you want to know which is the best miter saw 12 inch – read also our article about it.
Unlocking Dewalt miter saw is standardized, so you won’t need to invent a bicycle – just follow the steps and you’ll be fine. We will also share some tips for common problems.
There can be various, or even multiple locks at the same time – if you want to release your tool, it’s important to know where they are located, but also what is the correct way of unlocking them.
Even though it sounds complicated, the entire process will take a few minutes, as long as you know what you’re doing. First, you need to determine what kind of lock you’re working with. After this, you can unlock it by following the recommendations.
- Variations of the locks
- Push or Pull locking mechanism
- Down Position Lock
- Angle Lock
- Pre-set Angle Lock
- Knurled Knob Lock
- Swivel and Lock
- Step-by-step instructions on how to unlock Dewalt miter saw
- Unlock the Miter Head
- Unlock the Base
- Unlock the Slider
- Unlock the Bevel
- How do you unlock a Dewalt 779 miter saw?
- Most common problems with Dewalt miter saws
- How do you lift a Dewalt chop saw
- Dewalt Miter Saw got stuck
- You can’t turn on the saw
- Miter Saw’s blade is not rotating
- Taking precautions when cleaning Dewalt miter saws
- Conclusion
Variations of the locks
Push or Pull locking mechanism
The Pull or Push lock has a special pin where the knob is located. Unlocking it is rather easy – reach out for the pin, then push or pull the knob, depending on where it was. After this, the lock will be released.
Some miter saws have a different locking system depending on their model, but usually, you just need to move the knob outward, which will lead to automatic unlocking.
Down Position Lock
If you locked your saw in the down position – control the lock by using a knob. Nothing complicated – the lock will deactivate once you open the knob.
Angle Lock
This locking system consists of two parts, which are the knob and the black lever. They keep the blade at a set angle for more precise cuts. The lever can be placed underneath the knob or on top of it – this can also change with the model.
What you need to do with this kind of mechanism is to unite the two locks together. After you’ve done this, the angle lock will become free.
Pre-set Angle Lock
This lock already has a spring-loaded lever that keeps the head at a specific angle. To get through this lock, you need to entail it with your index or middle finger.
Knurled Knob Lock
This is one of the more simple locks that don’t require a lot of technique. Grab the knurled knob, rotate it counterclockwise, and you’re done.
Swivel and Lock
This lock needs to be unlocked before you start adjusting the pre-set angle for the blade. Start by spinning its handle and then activate the lever. To activate it, the lever needs to be pressed down until it reaches the angle you plan on using.
After the angle is successfully set to the desired position, there will be a clicking sound. Use the knurled knob to secure the angle you’ve reached.
Step-by-step instructions on how to unlock Dewalt miter saw
These are the main types of locks you might see on your Dewalt miter saw. When you’ve located all the locks on Dewalt saw, it’s time to release them. If you released them but the tool is still not moving – check if other parts remain locked.
Unlock the Miter Head
It’s important to unlock a Dewalt miter saw head carefully since there might be heat locked inside.
Unlocking any of the Dewalt saws requires you to apply pressure on a pin, a knob, or a lever.
The part you need is located in the middle of the main base – right behind the place where the miter saw’s blade is. Pull the pin which keeps the blade held in place – now it’s unlocked.
Unlock the Base
The base is unlocked right after the head. Look at your Dewalt miter saw stand carefully and locate a knob there. With this knob you can now move the base until you reach the desired angle – it can be found among the pre set angle positions.
Unlock the Slider
This part is optional – the slider is present on compound miter and Dewalt sliding saws, but might not be there in other cases. Look at the base of the miter saw and locate a small knob.
To release the slider, turn this knob anti-clockwise – now you can slide the arm of the miter saw in and out. Twist the knob back after you’ve reached the desired position.
Unlock the Bevel
This part depends on if your Dewalt miter saw has a tilting bevel at all. If it does, then congratulations – there will be a bevel lock as well. It’s most commonly found on compound saws or sliding miter saws. Find a lever or the small metal pin on a guide rail near the bevel.
When the associated part is found – push or pull it until the mechanism is released. Adjust the bevel angle guide to the value you need before locking it again.
This sums it up when you unlock a Dewalt miter saw normally. But sometimes things aren’t going so smooth.
If the miter saw just won’t unlock no matter how much you try, or it suddenly refuses to work at all – follow the next few tips for troubleshooting and see what’s wrong with your instrument.
How do you unlock a Dewalt 779 miter saw?
Most common problems with Dewalt miter saws
A lot of problems can arise when cutting wood, so safety precautions are a must. If you checked the user manual carefully, but still got in trouble with the unlocking mechanism – check if the solution is listed below.
These are the issues that might or might not be related to unlocking the miter saw. See if your problem fits the description, and let’s try fixing it.
How do you lift a Dewalt chop saw
Before lifting the miter saw, you’ll need to twist or turn the lock pin that holds it in place. Before that don’t even waste your energy – it won’t move until unlocked. It will lift immediately once you’ve moved the metal pin across the guide rail.
If you moved the locking pin and nothing happened – try doing that again in the opposite direction. If the pin doesn’t seem to work either way – check the saw blade and the blade guard.
They might get stuck with the big amount of dirt accumulating – a little cleanup can solve the issue. Remove the dirt from the blade and guard, then make sure that the saw lifts freely. If it still doesn’t – check the locking mechanism once more.
Dewalt Miter Saw got stuck
Like it happens to any power tool, you might find yourself in a situation with the Dewalt miter saw jammed during its usage or right at the start of it. Most of the time Dewalt miter saw gets stuck due to not releasing the bevel.
A quick reminder that sliding miter saw or compound saw need their bevel to be set before the cutting process starts. To cut the required angle, you need to set it on the saw before turning it on.
Most importantly – just like any other major part of the saw, the bevel has a lock that firmly holds it in place. Trying to adjust the saw won’t do any good until this lock is opened.
If that wasn’t the problem, then it will be a good call to check the saw for the traces of dust and dirt that accumulate during its usage, or even while it’s being stored. After removing the dirt, store it in a dust bag.
To prevent your power tools from getting dirty, apply some grease to the moving parts and clean the surroundings.
Sometimes Dewalt miter saw gets stuck in a dangerous position, simply because the lock-on button was pushed by accident. If this happened – do not panic. Instead, just give a gentle push to the button once more and the saw will start sliding again.
You can read the instructions for safely unlocking a Dewalt miter saw here.
You can’t turn on the saw
If the miter saw stopped and doesn’t turn on – maybe you just need to unlock it.
Whenever you use a miter saw – it’s important to find and release the lock-off button so it can move on from the stored position.
If the lock-off button is not at fault, then check the power cord. If it’s knotted or damaged, then the electricity might have trouble reaching your saw which causes it to stop functioning.
Finally, if the saw is not locked by the button, the battery is full and the cord is fine – there might be a technical issue inside of the saw itself. In this case, you can contact the specialists to check if the tool needs repairing and maintenance.
Miter Saw’s blade is not rotating
When Dewalt miter saw stops rotating at all or does it very slowly – it can be very upsetting for the carpenter. At the same time, you need to keep calm and try solving the problem carefully.
The most important advice is to keep your hands from the blade – who knows when it might suddenly start rotating again. Instead of moving the blade manually try to check up on three main points.
Those include the build-up of dust, the saw in need of maintenance, or it simply being locked. The last case is the most innocent – unlock the saw and it will start working normally once enabled.
The dust might gather between the turntable or under the adjustable fence – check the horizontal platform under your Dewalt miter saw at these places, and if they are hampering its movement – remove the dirt with compressed air from a vacuum cleaner, and this should do the trick.
To get the fence cleaned up, you need to remove it first. After this is done – apply the grease onto the revealed parts and check if the turntable pivot can move correctly. If its rotation is smooth, then there shouldn’t be any problem afterward.
Taking precautions when cleaning Dewalt miter saws
Needless to say that any miter saw can be dangerous if used incorrectly. If the saw started malfunctioning – there is a problem with either the saw itself or the way you use it. This means that precautions are twice as important during the maintenance of Dewalt miter saws.
When you’re making any adjustments to the miter saw – plug it out just in case.
Make sure that the working area is clean and that there are not any obstacles preventing you from moving freely.
Wear some safety gear like gloves, ear protection, and safety goggles to protect yourself from accidents.
Also read: What is a double bevel miter saw?
Conclusion
Unlocking the Dewalt miter saw is usually a simple task as long as you know how it’s done. The process is simple and fast, but there might still be problems of different nature.
If the miter saw is not working as it used to – follow the recommendations provided by this article and you’ll be able to work normally once again in no time. Merry cutting!
The purchase of the first saw is usually followed by the purchase of the second one. When I realized that I am getting too interested in this topic, I started working as a salesman in this store. I learned a lot of new information every day.
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There should be a locking bolt on the saw that you have to drelease to lock / unlock the saw in a closed / travel position.