Orbital Drywall Sander User Guide
Making sure walls present a uniform look is essential when building a room or repairing damage to an existing structure. The orbital drywall sander provides a time saving and portable method for achieving this. It has an automatic sanding surface that wears down wall compound and smooths out other rough patches. Still, like any tool, the effectiveness depends in large part on the know-how of the user. Does this Spark an idea?
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Safety First
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Like most tools, orbital drywall sanders are dangerous in uninformed or inexperienced hands. Practice common safety practices such as keeping your distance from moving parts, such as the sanding pad and the sander's inner workings. When replacing the sand paper, activate all safety mechanisms and guards before attempting to detach or reattach sand paper. Additionally, use all necessary personal protective equipment including ear and eye protection. Workers in closed areas should also wear a mask for protection against dust emitted from the sander as it works.
Sandpaper Selection
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While orbital drywall sanders use a variety of speed settings in determining sanding intensity, the type of sandpaper used also plays a large role. Using rough grit sandpaper is good for jobs that require a great deal of sanding in a localized area, as well as for removing paint, because the paper is very rough. Finer paper sands less intensively but also allows the user the freedom to sand just a little, and then come back for more, later.
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Applying Pressure
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Many drywall sanders vibrate at thousands of times per minute. This can make sanding an area properly difficult since it's hard to gauge how hard to press down when sanding. Pressing down too hard will cause uneven sanding and may even damage the wall or joint compound. Pressing too lightly causes scuffing and gouging as the sander bucks back and forth. Apply a firm but even hand on the sander, pressing hard enough that the whole pad of the sander is making contact with the surface but not so much that the sander grinds or sinks past the surface.
Not for Detail Jobs
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Orbital drywall sanders are designed for large areas, sanding areas quickly and allowing homeowners to finish entire walls in minutes. This speed also makes orbital drywall sanders inappropriate for smaller, detail jobs and touchups on large jobs. Going over edges and small misses manually ensures the maximum control when finishing the job and prevents accidents.
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