8Maintenance• With the hand knob removed, grasp the edge of the blade cover and carefully lift it straight off the knife.WARNING: The slicer blade is very sharp. Use extreme caution when working near the blade.• CAREFULLY wash both sides of the blade with the slice thickness control turned fully clockwise.• Wash the blade by wiping outward from the center.• ALWAYS rinse the blade thoroughly using fresh water and a clean cloth. Never use steel pads to clean theblade. Wash and thoroughly rinse the removed components prior to reassembling them.• DO NOT wash any slicer components in a dishwasher.BLADE SHARPENINGAttention: Use protection glovesYour slicer blade will provide long service in normal deli, food store, or commercial kitchen use. However, inhigh volume applications where it is a practice to sharpen the blade frequently or even daily, the blade will beexpended in a shorter time.• Before using the sharpener, make sure that the front and back side of the knife edge is clean and free ofgrease.• To sharpen knife:a) Be sure that the slicer has been switched off.b) Rotate the slice thickness control (4) into “O” position, so that the thickness plate (5) protects the knife.(Fig. 2)• Lift up the sharpener cover (1). (Fig. 2)• Disengage the pin (7) and rotate the sharpener (3). (Fig. 3)• The sharpener, then, goes into its sharpening position. (Fig. 4)• To sharpen, turn the switch first in the ON position, so that the knife turns. Then, slowly rotate the leverwhich lets both stones go in contact with the knife; sharpening and trimming are made at the same time.(Fig. 5)• Replace the sharpener to normal horizontal position by lifting the pin (7) and close the cover. (Fig. 6)• The grinding stone (6), fitted on its pin, can be easily removed by just drawing it. (Fig. 7) To get a nicesharpening, the grinding stone must be clean and free of grease.• The sharpening time depends on the wear of the knife. To get a good result, the time needed is 10 to 15seconds. A longer sharpening reduce the duration of the knife and gives no advantage.• Wipe the slicer with a clean damp cloth to remove any grinding particles.LUBRICATION• The rod on which the product holder slides, which is underneath the slicer, should be lubricated weekly withseveral drops of oil. Stop the carriage at the end of the stroke nearest the operator and pour the lubricantinto the special oiler. DO NOT use vegetable oil.• Occasionally, the slice thickness plate slide rod should be coated lightly with lubricant.• Turn the slice thickness control fully counterclockwise when lubricating this slide rod and then turn it fullyclockwise when finished. DO NOT lubricate the rod on which the last slice device slides. It must be keptclean but not lubricated. The motor has sealed bearings and requires no lubrication maintenance.