Sanding Tips

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FLUSH SANDING

Your sander has been designed to allow convenient flush sanding on the right side of the sander.

TECHNIQUE

Grasp the handles firmly. Start the sander with the belt off the work (NOTE: never start or stop the tool with the belt in contact with the work surface). Place the heel of the sander on the work first. Then, with a forward motion, begin the sanding stroke as the machine is lowered onto the work surface. This will prevent gouging. Keep the sander moving so that your work will be smooth and even. The stroke is simply a back-and-forth movement with most of the sanding done on the pull movement. Use a light touch. The weight of the belt sander is the only pressure required. Too much pressure will slow the work by overloading the motor and reducing belt speed. The result will be decreased sanding efficiency. Sand slowly and systematically and, when you stop, lift the sander from the surface before stopping the tool.

WOOD FINISHING

Take care to select belts wisely. For initial smoothing of rough lumber, use coarse or very coarse grit and sand with the grain. On very uneven or hard wood, sand diagonally (across the grain). Be careful to avoid gouging. Now switch to medium grit belt and sand with the grain. This will provide a relatively level and smooth finish. Now insert a fine grit belt for final finishing. Always sand with the grain to remove scratches left by coarser belts. Keep the sander moving in long, light strokes during finishing operations. As a final touch, experienced sanders will often insert a “used” fine belt to provide a smooth surface for filling, sealing, brushing or spraying.

REFINISHING COATED WOOD

Your belt sander will also help remove old paint, varnish or lacquer; however, if the coating consists of several layers, remove as much as possible with a paint solvent or varnish remover before using the belt sander. Use a hand scraper to remove the residue left by the solvent and allow surface to dry completely before sanding.

GUIDE FOR WOOD SANDING OPERATION

SANDING	PURPOSE		ABRASIVE	METHOD OF SANDING
OPERATION			TO USE

ROUGH			Open Coat
		To level out uneven
		To level out uneven		Sanding diagonally to start
		surfaces.	Coarse Grit	and finish up sanding
				parallel with the grain.


PREPARATORY		To smooth the	Open Coat
PREPARATORY		To smooth the	Open Coat	Sanding parallel with the
		rough sanding	Medium Grit	wood grain.
		preparatory to finish
		preparatory to finish
		sanding.

FINISH			Open or
FINISH		The last sanding in	Open or	Sanding parallel with the
		preparing the bare	Closed Coat	wood grain.
		wood for coating.	Fine Grit

Remove all sanding dust thoroughly before coating. Use a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner and hose to remove all dust from seams or crevices.

For fast removal, start with a coarse grit, open coat belt. Change to closed coat belts, using medium grits as the material shows through the coating. When the covering is thin, use medium grit to avoid scratching the material. Use short, light strokes, moving the sander rapidly. Excessive pressure or steady sanding in one place will burn the coating and load the belt.

METAL FINISHING

For ferrous metals such as steel, stainless steel, iron, etc., use coarse grit open coat belts or coarse to fine grit closed coat belts,

depending on the finish desired. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, solder, brass, bronze, etc., can also be sanded. Beeswax or tallow are recommended as lubricants for metal sanding, polishing or satin finishing to minimize belt loading and to lengthen belt life. To use, simply rub the lubricant on the belt from time to time. SAE No. 10 or 20 lubricating oil can also be used to assure a smooth scratch free surface. Just wipe the oil on the surface prior to sanding.

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