Encyclopedia

of Home Improvements

*Operating an Orbital Sander*

Operation
To operate your orbital sander, move the unit in long, sweeping strokes along the surface being sanded, letting the sander do the work.

Pushing down on the orbital sander while sanding actually slows the removal rate and produces an inferior quality surface. Be sure the check your work often, this sander is capable of removing material rapidly, especially with coarse paper.

The random orbital action of your sander allows you to sand with the grain or at any angle across it for most sanding jobs. To produce the best finish possible, start with coarse grit sandpaper and change gradually to finer and finer paper. Vacuum and wipe surface with a tack cloth between grit steps. Your orbital sander is designed to sand into small or confined areas. Its small size and light weight make it ideal for overhead work.

The rate at which the dust collection bag fills up will vary with the type of material being sanded and the coarseness of the sandpaper. For best results, empty the bag frequently. When sanding painted surfaces, you may find that the sandpaper loads up and clogs with paint. A heat gun will work much better to remove paint before sanding. Follow all safety instructions in heat gun instructional manual.

Attaching Sanding Discs

To Attach Paper to the Sanding Pad

Caution: Turn off and unplug the tool before making any adjustments or removing or installing attachments or accessories. Be sure the switch is in the OFF position.

1. Turn the sander over so that the sanding pad is facing upward.

2. Clean the dust from the vinyl pad face.

3. Hold the pad with one hand to keep it from rotating.

4. With the other hand, align the holes and place the disc directly on top of the pad.

Switch
To turn the unit on, depress the side of the dust-protected switch that corresponds to the symbol. To turn the tool off, depress the side of the switch that corresponds to the symbol

Dust Extraction

To Empty Dust Bag
1. While holding the sander, grasp the dust collection bag at the end nearest the sander and twist off of the vac-adapter.

2. Gently shake or tap the dust collection bag to empty.

3. Twist dust collection bag back onto the vac-adapter.

You may notice that all the dust will not come free from the bag. This will not affect sanding performance but will reduce the orbital sander's dust collection efficiency. To restore your sander's dust collection efficiency, depress the spring inside the dust bag when you are emptying it and tap it on the side of the trash can or dust receptacle.

Tool Care
Keep your sander as clean as possible by wiping with a clean cloth and blowing air through it after every 5 hours of use.

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