Clarke CMSF110 – The Multi-Purpose
Only a few years ago there were some jobs, like cutting sheet metal, pipes or certain manmade boards, where only a purpose-made traditional tool was the answer. Then some bright spark realized that carefully designed purpose-made TCT blades mounted in an electric saw could cut a whole lot of materials without even changing the blade. These blades even had some prospect of having a reasonably good service life.
One Sheffield based company in particular should take some credit for familiarizing us with the all-purpose blade technology as its products are available in many of the “sheds”. As a result of its efforts at familiarizing us with the possibilities, most of us would not think it strange to see a dinky little saw like the Clarke Multi-Purpose saw in a toolshop, nor would we think twice about reaching for one and using its obvious built-in advantages. Just think about it – cutting galvanized steel flashing with a pair of snips or using a powered saw that simply cuts down the marked line without endangering our fingers on the sharp steel edges. A no-brainer I believe! The Clarke CMSF110 is quite an elegant little saw with curved and sculpted handle and relatively small and light body. The body is made of dark blue ABS plastic that is actually very well put together. Around the thumb and palm areas of the handgrip there is some essential grippy rubber to ensure that the user iscomfortable and safe. The bright red trigger cannot be accidentally pushed in to start the motor unless the thumb has pushed the safety switch above through the body –to left or right according to preference. A built-in auxiliary handle is directly over the blade for maximum guiding effect by the user’s left hand. Under the front handle is another red push in button that engages the spindle lock. This feature makes blade changing so much easier than having to put your fingers in danger using a pair of spanners. Hidden under the handle loop is a hex key fitted into the body that is always ready for blade changes as necessary. The motor housing is quite slim but long, and could also serve as a left hand gripping and guiding point as necessary. A black plastic guard completely shrouds the small 110mm diameter blade from above. This makes it almost impossible for a stray finger to be endangered. A pressed steel, spring-loaded guard also protects the blade and user by almost completely covering the blade, but of course the guard is designed to move out of the way as the blade is pushed into the material to be cut. A small handle near the top guard can also be used to reveal the blade if necessary – for example when cutting close to an edge where the bottom guard may not be able to fully engage with the material. The base of the saw is bright steel pressed plate. There are notches in it in line with the blade to give the user some guide as to the line of the blade’s cut. Although the steel base plate is quite small, the compact size and light weight of the saw make it more than adequate to support the blade and cut accurately. Too big a base would, in fact, be unnecessary and a hindrance cutting the sorts of things this saw is designed to cut.
The blade itself is of course an important part of the efficiency of this saw. Looking at the teeth it is clear that they have been designed with safety and efficiency in mind. The saw blade cuts a
8 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE
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