Professionals and DIY masters know these simple rules by heart. But if you are just starting out you might want to spend some time and check the guidelines below. It is your introduction to sanding with optimal efficiency and operational safety in mind.
You can buy high quality sander online these days. Local retailers stock the popular brands of Makita, De Welt, Metabo and many others. Once you’ve purchased your power sander you want to adhere to the following instructions.
Use the Sander for Sanding
This one is obvious ain’t it? You might be surprised by the high number of injures that result from improper use of hand and power tools. You would not use pliers as if they are a hammer won’t you? Same goes here to significantly reduce this safety risk.
Secure the Object That Is Being Sanded
It is a basic safety precaution, however one that greatly affects performance. Attaching the object prevents it from slipping and will save you from injuring yourself or inflicting damage to the material. You can use clamps to attach it to a working surface. If it is small you can find another way to do it, but dare not to forget it because it is very important.
Put on Personal Protective Gear
Wearing gloves will help absorb the vibration that comes with the sanding. And on line with this safety gear are other similar pieces like eye googles and face mask. They can keep the dust away from your eyes and will stop you from inhaling detritus . This is mostly for those with allergies, and those otherwise sensitive to small particles of any sorts.
Hold the Sander Appropriately
It might seem inconsequential or a subject to personal preference, however there is a proper way to hold a sander. Namely, holding it low on its body, around its neck. Fire it up, keep it flat and in constant motion. This helps avoid tipping it over, particularly if you work on an object with narrow surface. Tipping the sander over can leave gouges, scratches and rounded edges.
Take Your Time
It is paramount to set aside ample time for your sanding session. Cutting corners contributes to inferior processing. And if your clients have a sharp eye the poor workmanship provide them with leverage to bring down your price. You might be obliged by a contract, or supervisors might try to exert pressure to cut the production time to a minimum. Don’t let this feeling of having insufficient time take over you. If you are in a hurry, you might end up heading to the hospital too.
Be Light and Gentle
You gotta give some love to the material. Nothing of substance is born without love. In as much is counter intuitive to the process of sanding, pressing too much is counter productive. Not following this advise would be the number one reason the surface of your final product is uneven.
Let There Be Dust
Sanding splits the material in two: end product and heaps of dust. Nothing new, we all know this, but it doesn’t mean that we all get into it prepared for a lot of run off. And there will be dust everywhere. Even if you get sander online, one that has cartridge to catch the dust, you will still find your self using a vacuum cleaner to sort out the mess.
Overlap Passes
That is right. Go more than once on top of the same surface. Cover each surface at least twice to get a nice soft finish. And make sure to sand parallel with the wood grain. Is far easier to work with the wood instead of against it.
Finish It off With Your Own Hand
Just because you used a fancy sander it doesn’t mean that your work is over. There is always room for adding the finishing touches by hand. Well, not literally. You can pick up any block of wood that is laying around and put a sandpaper on it. You can go with the same degree of grit as your last modality used with the sander. Even a quick once over will bring you benefits in the latter stages of processing that wood.
Allow Some Time for the Dust to Settle
There are instances when sanding is the last stage of production, however they are rare. It is highly likely that you are looking to finish off by applying paint. You might want to take your time before setting out to do this. You can use the time to clean up the mess. Only after the dust has settled can you continue with laying out lacquer, primer for the paint, or coats of varnish to your final object.
Proceed With Caution and Care
Best possible way to do your sanding is under the immediate supervision of someone with substantial experience in using this power tool. If that kind of support is simply not available to you you can go ahead on your own. Don’t expect to master the sander without a sizable learning curve. At first glance it seem straightforward, but you will sand out a number of objects before your end result reaches high quality standards.
Don’t allow yourself to be afraid of the damn tool either. Your undivided attention and focus is needed either way, for no one can uphold safety measures for you. So, even if you have a sanding expert close by, you are still the one that is going to do the job. Keep the power tool firmly in your hands and give your best effort. Who knows, you might end up being completely satisfied with your first sanding project ever.
