DeWalt DW443 Operation, Precautions To Take When Sanding Paint, Environmental Safety

Operation

To operate your sander, grasp it as shown in Figure 5 and turn it on. Move the unit in long, sweeping strokes along the surface being sanded, letting the sander do the work.

NOTE: Excessive downward pressure on the tool while sanding actu- ally slows the removal rate and produces an inferior quality surface. A side handle has been provided with your unit and can be used if desired. The side handle can be screwed into either side of tool by first removing the plastic screw, as shown in Figure 6.

NOTE: Be sure to 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.

The rate at which the dust 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, (see additional precautions when sanding paint) 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 INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

NOTE: (DW441 and DW444 only): When using PSA sanding discs, it is necessary to remove the disc soon after operation. PSA papers, if left on during tool storage, sometimes become difficult to remove. To aid in the removal of old PSA paper, sand for a few minutes to soften adhesive backing prior to changing disc.

Precautions To Take When Sanding Paint

1.Sanding of lead based paint is NOT RECOMMENDED due to the difficulty of controlling the contaminated dust. The greatest danger of lead poisoning is to children and pregnant women.

2.Since it is difficult to identify whether or not a paint contains lead without a chemical analysis, we recommend the following precau- tions when sanding any paint:

PERSONAL SAFETY

a. No children or pregnant women should enter the work area where the paint sanding is being done until all clean up is completed.

b. A dust mask or respirator should be worn by all persons entering the work area. The filter should be replaced daily or whenever the wearer has difficulty breathing.

NOTE: Only those dust masks suitable for working with lead paint dust and fumes should be used. Ordinary painting masks do not offer this protection. See your local hardware dealer for the proper N.I.O.S.H. approved mask.

c. NO EATING, DRINKING or SMOKING should be done in the work area to prevent ingesting contaminated paint particles. Workers should wash and clean up BEFORE eating, drinking or smoking. Articles of food, drink, or smoking should not be left in the work area where dust would settle on them.

ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY

a. Paint should be removed in such a manner as to minimize the amount of dust generated.

b. Areas where paint removal is occurring should be sealed with plastic sheeting of 4 mils thickness.

c. Sanding should be done in a manner to reduce tracking of paint dust outside the work area.

CLEANING AND DISPOSAL

a. All surfaces in the work area should be vacuumed and thoroughly cleaned daily for the duration of the sanding project. Vacuum filter bags should be changed frequently.

b. Plastic drop cloths should be gathered up and disposed of along with any dust particles or other removal debris. They should be placed in sealed refuse receptacles and disposed of through regu- lar trash pick-up procedures.

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