Safety Tips for Easy Tool Use
Safety is an important issue, especially when it comes to operating tools. Reducing injuries and accidents usually comes to mind when thinking about safety. Preventative maintenance plays a huge part as well. What do you really need to know to safely operate tools?
Overinflating wheels?
It is easy to get distracted, but when it comes to operating pneumatic tools, focus is important. Pneumatic wheels are to be deflated to remove the abrasive and reinflated to keep the abrasive in place. Overinflating the wheel can cause "chatter marks" on your work surface and be quite uncomfortable to operate. Dynabrade offers a wheel inflation tool (94465) that allows for controlled inflation of pneumatic wheels.
Using a backup pad that is smaller or larger?
The counterbalance feature on a random orbital sander is designed to accept backup pads of a specific weight. Dynabrade's backup sanding pads are perfectly weight-mated for our tools. Using a pad that is not the correct diameter or weight will lead to vibration during use and premature wear of the internal components. Excess vibration of the tool transfers to the workpiece and a sub-standard finish will result as well as operator fatigue.
A downdraft table can collect metal dust, right?
Dynabrade offers a downdraft table for metal collection as well as a separate one for wood, composites, and other non-metal substrates. The metal collection table uses a wet collection method to safely capture aluminum or titanium dust. If a downdraft table would be too big for your application, our portable vacuum systems may be a better fit.
What does MOS mean?
MOS stands for maximum operating speed. This important safety information is commonly labeled on abrasives and accessories being used. The speed of your tool MUST NOT exceed the MOS of compatible abrasive or accessory. We encourage you to know your tool and the maximum operating speed, so the correct abrasive is used. If you are unsure if your abrasive will work for your tool, ask your Dynabrade rep or contact us below.
When is a guard required for sanding and grinding?
All Dynabrade tools that we label as a grinder or cut-off tool should have guarding. Following ANSI, a grinder requires a safety guard except grinders for mounted wheels 2 inches or smaller in diameter. When using a grinder for small cones, plugs and threaded hole pot balls, where the work offers protection, and the size does not exceed 3 inches in diameter by 5 inches long. Always make sure the safety guard is properly positioned before operating the tool. If a guard is damaged, bent, or severely worn, replace the guard.
Do I really need to use oil on my air tools?
Yes! Dynabrade recommends using a 10 weight non-detergent oil as a proper lubricant for high RPM rotor and vane style air motors. Our Dynabrade lubricants do not contain silicone. Dynabrade's air lube (10W/NR) comes in three different sizes, 4 ounces (95821), 1 pint (95842), and 1 gallon (95843). If you are using an FRL, we recommend setting the lubricator to apply one drop of oil per minute.
Have more questions/tips on how to safely operate tools?
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Please note:
Dynabrade refers to and complies with several safety organizations. We reference American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the European Standards (EN) and the International Safety Organization (ISO). We reference the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for general industrial safety & health regulations. Additionally, we refer to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) guidelines for Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®) regarding safe levels of various chemical and physical agents. Dynabrade tools and machines carry the CE, UL, ULC, CSA and GOST certifications where appropriate.
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