Operation; Troubleshooting; Maintenance - Porter-Cable 380 Instruction Manual

IPM.................impacts per minute
SPM ...............strokes per minute
ADDITIONAL SAFETY RULES FOR PAINT REMOVAL
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 precautions when sanding any paint:
PERSONAL SAFETY
1. No children or pregnant women should enter the work area where the paint sanding is being
done until all clean up is completed.
2. 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. See your local
hardware store for the proper NIOSH approved dust mask.
3. 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
1. Paint should be removed in such a manner as to minimize the amount of dust generated.
2. Areas where paint removal is occurring should be sealed with plastic sheeting of 4 mil thickness.
3. Sanding should be done in a manner to reduce tracking of paint dust outside the work area.
CLEANING AND DISPOSAL
1. 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.
2. Plastic drop cloths should be gathered up and disposed of along with any dust chips or other
removal debris. They should be placed in sealed refuse receptacles and disposed of through
regular trash pick-up procedures. During clean up, children and pregnant women should be
kept away from the immediate work area.
3. All toys, washable furniture and utensils used by children should be washed thoroughly before
being used again.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE USE
MOTOR
Be sure your power supply agrees with nameplate marking. 120 Volts AC means your tool will operate on
alternating current. As little as 10% lower voltage can cause loss of power and can result in overheating.
All PORTER-CABLE tools are factory-tested; if this tool does not operate, check the power supply.
COMPONENTS (FIG. 2, 3, 5, 7, 10)
Never modify the power tool or any part of it. Damage or personal injury could result.
A. Clamp lever
B. Paper punch
C. Collection bag
Accessories must be rated for at least the speed recommended on the tool warning
label. Accessories running over rated speed can fly apart and cause injury. Accessory ratings
must always be above tool speed as shown on tool nameplate.

OPERATION

To reduce the risk of injury, turn unit off and disconnect it from power source
before installing and removing accessories, before adjusting or when making repairs. An
accidental start-up can cause injury.
ATTACHING ABRASIVE PAPER (FIG. 1-3, 5)
Your sander is designed to use quarter sheet sandpaper. A quarter sheet of sandpaper is measured
4-1/2" x 5-1/2" (114.3 mm x 139.7 mm). This size paper can be made by:
a. Cutting full sized - 9" x 11" (228.6 mm x 279.4 mm) - sandpaper into 1/4 sheets of
4-1/2" x 5-1/2" (114.3 mm x 139.7 mm).
b. Cutting half sheet of sandpaper into two 4-1/2" x 5-1/2" (114.3 mm x 139.7 mm) sheets.
c. Pre-cut 4-1/2" x 5-1/2" (114.3 mm x 139.7 mm) sandpaper is available at extra cost.
For normal operations, assemble the abrasive paper to your unit as follows.
1. Soften the stiff sandpaper by pulling it over the 90° edge of a table or other straight edge,
as shown in Figure 1. Concentrate on softening the edges to be clamped.
2. Release clamp by pulling up on clamp lever (A) and disengaging it from the tab on the
base plate. Fig. 2.
3. Insert the 4-1/2" (114.3 mm) edge of the abrasive paper under the front paper clamp, as
shown in Figure 3 until it hits the paper limiting ribs shown in the figure. Close the front
paper clamp and hook it into the lock position behind the tab on the base plate.
4. Stretch paper over sanding pad and insert under the opposite clamp in the same way.
5. If you are using the dust extraction feature, perforate the sandpaper with the provided
paper punch (B) as shown in Figure 5. (See Paper Punch section.)
SWITCH (FIG. 4)
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure the sander is not resting on the workpiece
when the switch is turned on.
To turn the unit on, depress the side of the dust protected switch (D) that corresponds to the symbol
"I". To turn the tool off, depress the side of the switch that corresponds to the symbol "O". See
Figure 4.
PAPER PUNCH (FIG. 5, 6)
A paper punch (B) is provided with your sander to let you perforate regular sandpaper to make dust
collection possible.
To perforate your sandpaper, install the sandpaper on the tool as instructed in this manual. With
the sander turned off and unplugged, place the paper punch on the paper so that the tabs at the
edges of the punch are against any two adjacent sides of the sanding pad, as shown in Figure 5.
Press the punch against the pad so that the 8 points penetrate the paper, as shown in Figure 6.
(Press the punch into the pad as far as it will go.) Remove the paper punch and the paper is ready.
An alternate method of perforating the paper is to fasten the punch down to a suitable work surface
and press the sander (with the paper attached) down on the punch. Two holes are provided in the
punch for this purpose. Use #8 flat head screws.
DUST COLLECTION BAG (FIG. 7)
To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, NEVER operate this tool with perforated paper
unless the dust collection system is in place.
Empty dust collection system frequently, especially when sanding resin-coated surfaces
such as polyurethane, varnish, shellac, etc. Dispose of coated dust particles according to the fi nish
manufacturer's guidelines, or place in a metal can with a tight fi tting metal lid. Remove coated dust particles
from the premises daily. The accumulation of fi ne sanding dust particles may self ignite and cause fi re.
To use the dust collecting system, lower the plastic end of the collection bag (C) over the flange and
push it down as far as it will go, as shown.
To empty the dust collection bag, simply lift it up, off of the sander and empty over a trash receptacle.
OPERATION (FIG. 8)
To operate your sander, grasp it as shown in Figure 8 and turn it on. Move it in long, sweeping
strokes along the surface being sanded, letting it do the work. Pushing down on the tool while
sanding actually slows the removal rate and produces an inferior quality surface. Be sure to check
your work often, this sander is capable of removing material rapidly, especially with coarse paper.
Your sander is designed to sand flush on three sides (four sides without the dust collection bag) for
sanding in corners, and its small size and light weight make it ideal for overhead work.
The orbital action of your sander allows you to sand with the grain or at any angle across it for most
sanding jobs. On the final sanding steps, as discussed below, a better finish will result if you sand
only with the grain.
To produce the best finish possible, start with coarse grit sandpaper and change gradually to
finer and finer paper. A final sanding with a piece of well worn fine sandpaper will produce a really
professional looking finish that in many cases will need no hand sanding at all. The rate at which the
dust collection bag will fill up will vary with the type of material being sanded and the coarseness
of the sandpaper. For best results, empty the bag frequently and check the opening for clogging.
When sanding painted surfaces, 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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

For assistance with your tool, visit our website at www.portercable.com for a list of service centers,
or call the PORTER-CABLE Customer Care Center at (888) 848-5175.

MAINTENANCE

To reduce the risk of injury, turn unit off and disconnect it from power source
before installing and removing accessories, before adjusting or when making repairs. An
accidental start-up can cause injury.
RPM ...................revolutions per minute
sfpm ...................surface feet per minute
D. Switch
E. Brush holders
F. Brush springs
FIG. 1
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
A
FIG. 4
I
FIG. 6
FIG. 8
FIG. 10
E
F
REPAIRS
For assistance with your tool, visit our website at www.portercable.com for a list of service centers,
or call the PORTER-CABLE Customer Care Center at (888) 848-5175.
CLEANING
Periodically blowing dust and chips out of the motor housing using clean, dry
compressed air is a suggested maintenance procedure. To reduce the risk of serious personal injury,
ALWAYS wear ANSI Z87.1 safety glasses while using compressed air.
When cleaning, use only mild soap and a damp cloth on plastic parts. Many household
cleaners contain chemicals which could seriously damage plastic. Also, do not use gasoline,
turpentine, lacquer, paint thinner, dry cleaning fluids or similar products which may seriously damage
plastic parts. NEVER let any liquid get inside the tool; NEVER immerse any part of the tool into a liquid.
FAILURE TO START
Should your tool fail to start, check to make sure the prongs on the cord plug are making good contact
in the outlet. Also, check for blown fuses or open circuit breakers in the line.
TOOL CARE
Avoid overloading your sander. Overloading will result in a considerable reduction in speed and
efficiency and the unit will become hot. In this event, run sander at a "no load" condition for a
minute or two.
BRUSH REPLACEMENT (FIG 9, 10)
To replace the tool's brushes, remove the three screws located in the top cap, as shown in Figure 9.
Lift off the top cap. Observe the brush holders (E), as shown in Figure 10 and the wires leading
from the brushes to the motor field.
Pull the wires from the motor field and then lift and hold out of the way one of the brush springs (F).
Remove the old brush from the brush holder and discard the brush/wire assembly. Still holding the
brush spring out of the way, insert the new brush, release the spring against the back of the brush
and plug the wire into the motor field. Repeat the procedure for the second brush.
Replace the top cap and tighten the three screws that hold it in place. (Always replace both
brushes.)
LUBRICATION
Self lubricating bearings are used in the tool and periodic relubrication is not required. However,
it is recommended that, once a year, you take or send the tool to a service center for a thorough
cleaning and inspection.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Use only identical replacement parts. For a parts list or to order parts, visit our company's service
website at servicenet.portercable.com. You can also order parts from your nearest PORTER-
CABLE Factory Service Center or PORTER-CABLE Authorized Warranty Service Center. Or, you
can call our Customer Care Center at (888) 848-5175.
B
FIG. 5
D
O
FIG. 7
C
FIG. 9
SERVICE
A