Maintenance - RIDGID R2601 Operator's Manual

OPERATION
Do not force. The weight of the unit supplies adequate pres-
sure, so let the sanding disc and sander do the work. Apply-
ing additional pressure only slows the motor, rapidly wears
sanding disc and greatly reduces sander speed. Excessive
pressure will overload the motor causing possible damage
from motor overheating and can result in inferior work. Any
finish or resin on wood may soften from the frictional heat.
Do not allow sanding on one spot too long as the sander's
rapid action may remove too much material, making the
surface uneven.
Extended periods of sanding may tend to overheat the mo-
tor. If this occurs, turn sander off and wait until sanding disc
comes to a complete stop, then remove it from workpiece.
Remove your hand from vent area, remove sanding disc,
then with your hand removed from vent area, turn sander
on and run it free without a load to cool motor.
EMPTYING THE DUST BAG
See Figures 7 - 8, page 11.
For more efficient operation, empty the dust bag when it is no
more than half full. This will permit the air to flow through the
bag better. Always empty and clean the dust bag thoroughly
upon completion of a sanding operation and before placing
the sander in storage.
WARNING:
Collected sanding dust from sanding surface
coatings such as polyurethanes, linseed oil,
etc. can self-ignite in the sander dust bag or
elsewhere and cause fire. To reduce the risk of
fire always empty the dust bag frequently (10-
15 minutes) while sanding and never store or leave
a sander without totally emptying its dust bag.
Also follow the recommendations of the coatings
manufacturers.

MAINTENANCE

WARNING:
Before inspecting, cleaning, or performing any
maintenance, make sure the switch is in the off
(O) position, wait for all moving parts to stop, and
disconnect from the power supply. Failure to follow
these instructions can result in death, serious
personal injury, or property damage.
To empty the dust bag:
 Unplug the sander.
WARNING:
Failure to unplug the tool could result in accidental
starting causing possible serious injury.
 Remove the dust bag from the sander.
 Shake out the dust.
 Reattach the dust bag to the sander.
For a more thorough cleaning of the dust bag, remove dust
bag from spring, and shake out dust. Replace dust bag over
spring then install dust bag assembly on sander.
VARIABLE SPEED DIAL
See Figure 9, page 11.
The variable speed feature allows the sander to operate at
speeds that can be adjusted by rotating the dial from 1 to
6. The dial is conveniently located on the motor housing,
allowing operator control of disc speed. To increase sanding
disc speed, turn the dial to a higher setting. Turn dial to a
lower setting to decrease sanding disc speed.
WARNING:
Always wear eye protection with side shields
marked to comply with ANSI Z87.1. Failure to do
so could result in objects being thrown into your
eyes, resulting in possible serious injury.
WARNING:
When servicing use only identical replacement
parts. Use of any other parts may create a hazard
or cause product damage.
8 - English