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The portable Belt Sander in the SOA, has a cloth filter bag attached to it, which can be emptied into a trash barrel as needed. A dust mask is recommended when using this tool. Dust masks will be provided. Ask a Fab Lab Tech for a dust mask when needed.
Safety
- Use personal protective equipment. Always use certified safety glasses. Otherprotective equipment such as dust mask, non-skid closed shoes, or hearing protection used for appropriate conditions will reduce personal injuries.
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- Disconnect the plug from the power source before making any adjustments, changing accessories, or storing power tools. Such preventive safety measures reduce the risk of starting the power tool accidentally.
Personal safety
- Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when operating any power tool.
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- Always secure work pieces to be sanded, by either clamping them to a work table or clamping another piece of material to provide a bearing surface for the work piece.
Installing and Removing Abrasive Belt (See Fig.1)
- Place the sander on its left side. Fig.1
- Pull the lever (A) out toward the rear of the tool to retract the idler pulley and release tension on the abrasive belt.
- Remove the old belt.
- Install the new belt with the arrow (printed on the inside of the belt) on the top and pointing TOWARD the idler pulley (B). NOTE: Some sanding belts are bi-directional and will not have arrows printed on them. You can install them to run in either direction.
- Engage the front pulley by pushing the lever (A) back to its original position.
To Start and Stop the Belt Sander (See Fig.2)
- Make sure that the switch is “OFF” and the power circuit voltage is the same as the voltage shown on the specification plate. Connect the tool to the power circuit.
- Squeeze the trigger (A) Fig. 2 to start the motor. Release the trigger to stop the motor.
- To allow the motor to run without constantly holding the trigger, press the trigger switch (A), push the lock button (B) Fig. 2, and release the trigger switch.
- To release the lock button, squeeze the trigger and release.
VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL (Models 360VS and 362VS Only) Models 360VS and 362VS have Variable Speed Control. The operating speed is adjustable between 1000 SFM (surface feet per minute) and 1500 SFM. Adjust the speed by turning the thumbwheel (C) Fig. 2. Thumbwheel position #1 provides the slowest operating speed (1000 SFM) while position #6 provides the fastest operating speed (1500 SFM). The speed can be changed with the motor running or not running.
Tracking the Abrasive Belt (See Fig.3)
To prevent excessive wear on both the sander and belt, NEVER allow the abrasive belt to rub on the sander frame. To make sure that the belt is tracking correctly, do the following:
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- Turn the tool over, rest the tool on its front handle, and grasp the rear handle with your left hand. Rest your ring finger and little finger on the trigger (Fig. 3).
- Start the motor by squeezing the trigger.
- Turn the belt aligning screw (A) Fig. 3 in either direction until the edge of the belt is even with the outer edge of the rear rubber covered pulley. The edge of the belt will extend beyond the edge of the front pulley.
- Turn the motor “OFF” and allow the sander to come to a COMPLETE STOP before turning it right side up.
Attaching and Care of Dust Bag (See Fig.4)
Depress the dust bag spring clips (A) Fig. 4, and place the dust bag spring (A) between the ridges on the spout (B). For most efficient operation, empty the dust bag when it is half full. To remove, squeeze the dust bag spring clips (A) and pull the bag straight up. Unzip the rear of the bag and shake out the dust. Every so often, turn the bag inside out and brush the accumulated dust from the inside.
General Sanding
SECURE THE WORKPIECE and maintain a FIRM GRIP on the sander. Movement of the sanding belt against the work piece will try to move the work backward and/or the sander forward. You can clamp a “kicker board” to a worktable to brace the part against, or clamp the work piece itself, provided the clamps will not interfere with the Belt Sanders’ path.
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- Hold the sander off the work before starting the motor.
- Lower the sander to the work, touching the rear part of the belt first. Level the machine when moving it forward.
- Guide the machine over the work in overlapping strokes. Allow the sander to do the work.
- Avoid applying excessive pressure. The weight of the machine is usually sufficient for a fast smooth finish. A slight increase in pressure may speed removal of material, but too much pressure will slow the motor and decrease removal.
- Work back and forth over a fairly wide area to obtain an even surface.
- Do not let the tool tilt. The edge of the belt can make a deep cuts into the surface.
- Do not pause in any one spot during the sanding operation. The belt will eat into the work and make the surface uneven.
- Lift the tool from the work before turning the motor off.
- Always be sure that the motor has completely stopped before putting the tool down.
Fast Sanding on Rough Work (See Fig.5)
To smooth a rough surface quickly, use a coarse grit abrasive belt. With the belt positioned diagonally across the grain, move the tool in the direction of the grain (Fig. 5). Overlap the strokes and cover the entire surface, working from both sides of the board (angle left and then angle right.) Smooth the surface by guiding the sander back and forth with the grain. Change the belt to medium grit and follow the same procedure. Finish by thoroughly working the grain lengthwise. Change again to a fine grit and repeat. Always finish sanding with the grain.
Good Sanding Technique
Getting to know the sander is most important in obtaining smooth results with a minimum of labor. Operators will quickly learn how to start a stroke with a sweeping motion to produce the best results. Use a long even stroke without additional pressure on the tool. Overlap each stroke and vary the length of movement so the results will be even. Always lift the tool from the work before starting and stopping the motor.
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The Belt Sander in the SOA is typically used for general shaping and rapid removal of un-even surfaces. Then, other sanding tools are used for finer finishes.
Clean-up
When you are finished working with a Belt Sander, clean the area before leaving the workstation. There are 4 Trash barrels in this room, and each one has a broom, bench brush and dust pan attached. You must use these items to clean up your work areas at each machine, when you are finished working there. Also, there are scrap barrels at each workstation to deposit scraps of material, which may be useful for someone else. Please do not put materials with stray hardware or glue on them, or food/drink items, only re-usable materials.