17.Be constantlyaware thatthistoolcanignite flammablematerials,and softenor melt
others.Regardlessofthetaskyouare performing,shield orkeep awayfrom these
materialsthat areclose tothe workarea.
Youmay occasionallynoticesome slightsmokingofthetoolafterit isturned off.This isthe
resultof heatingthe residualoilthat wasdeposited onthe heatingelementduringthe
manufacturingprocess.
IMPORTANTNOTICE:
Inorder forthis toolto bean effectivepaintstripper, itmust produceextremelyhigh
temperatures.Asa consequence,the stripperis capableofigniting paper,wood, paintand
varnishresidue andsimilarmaterials.
Asyou becomemore familiarwiththetooland developthe propertechnique, thedangerof
accidentalignitionwillbegreatly reduced.In establishingtheproper technique,the bestthing
todo ispractice! Workon simplestrippingprojects, preferablyoutdoors,until youget a“feel”
forhow touse yourstripper safelyandeffectively.
Asyou practice,observe thefollowingprocedures forsafety:
1. Alwaysbesure thetoolis turnedoffand disconnectedfrompower supplywhenunattended.
2. Cleanthe scraperbladeoften duringuse.Built upresidue ontheblade ishighly
flammable.
3. Experimentto findtheoptimum distancefromthe toolʼsnozzleto thesurface being
stripped.This distance(usually1-2 inches)(25-50mm)willvarydepending onthe
materialbeing removed.
4. Keepthe heatgun movingaheadof thescraperblade atall times.
5. Asyou work,cleanup loosepieces ofpaintas theyaccumulatearound thework area.
6. Whenworking indoors,keepaway fromcurtains,papers, upholsteryandsimilar
flammablematerials.
7. Aboveall, rememberthatthis isa seriouspowertool thatis capable ofproducing
excellentresults whenusedproperly. Practiceonsimpleprojectsuntil youfeel
comfortablewith yourstripper.Only thenwill youhave masteredtheproper technique.
WARNING: Extremecareshould betaken whenstrippingpaint.Thepeelings, residue
andvapors ofpaint maycontain lead,whichis poisonous.Any pre-1977paintmay contain
leadand paintapplied tohomes priorto1950islikely tocontain lead.Once depositedon
surfaces,hand tomouth contactcanresult inthe ingestionof lead.Exposuresto evenlow
levelsof leadcan causeirreversiblebrain andnervous systemdamage;young andunborn
childrenare particularlyvulnerable.
Beforebeginning anypaintremovalprocessyou shoulddeterminewhether thepaint youare
removingcontains lead.Thiscan bedone byyour localhealth departmentorbya
professionalwho usesa paintanalyzerto checkthe leadcontent ofthe paintto beremoved.
Leadbased paint should onlybe removed by a professionaland should not be
removedusing a heat gun.
Personsremoving paintshouldalways followthese guidelines:
1. Movethe workpieceoutdoors. Ifthis isnotpossible, keepthework areawell ventilated.
Openthe windowsand putan exhaustfaninoneofthem.Be surethe fanis movingthe
airfrom insideto outside.
2. Removeor coveranycarpets, rugs,furniture,cooking utensils,andair ducts.
3. Placedrop clothsinthe workarea tocatchany paintchips orpeelings.Wear protective
clothingsuch asextra workshirts,overalls andhats.
4. Workin oneroom atatime. Furnishingsshouldbe removedor placed inthecenter ofthe
roomand covered.Work areasshouldbe sealedoff fromthe restof thedwellingby
sealingdoorways withdropcloths.
5. Children,pregnant womenorpotentially pregnant womenandnursing mothersshould
notbe presentin thework areauntil theworkisdoneandallclean upis complete.
6. Weara dustrespiratormask ora dualfilter(dust andfume) respiratormask whichhas
beenapproved bythe OccupationalSafetyand HealthAdministration(OSHA), the
NationalInstituteofSafetyand Health(NIOSH), orthe UnitedStatesBureauofMines.
4