Bosch GSS18V-40 Operating/Safety Instructions Manual page 15

Using the Orbit Sander
Your sander was designed to sand in small or
confined areas. Its small size and light weight
makes it ideal for overhead work.
You may grip the tool from the Gripping Surface
17 with either the battery behind your hand or
in front of you hand.
Selecting Sanding Sheets
Open-coat aluminum oxide sanding sheets are
recommended for most wood or metal sand-
ing applications, as this synthetic material cuts
quickly and wears well. Some applications, such
as plastics, glass, or stone require silicon car-
bide sheets, which have a very sharp cutting
edge. For best results, use Bosch sanding and
polishing accessories, which are of superior
quality and are carefully selected to produce
professional quality results with your sander.
Start of Sanding
With the workpiece firmly secured, first place
the sander's pad on the work surface, then
switch the tool on.
DO NOT start the tool and bring it up to speed
before applying to the work.
DO NOT apply excessive pressure when switch-
ing the tool on (or at any other time).
Either method will likely create swirl marks.
Applying excessive pressure upon start-up will
also shorten the life of the switch.
160992A72C GSS18V-40 202209.indd 15
page heading Operation
Sanding Action
In general, higher speeds will give the best re-
sults. If faster removal is desired, DO NOT APPLY
PRESSURE ON THE TOOL; use a coarser grade
of abrasive. Move the sander in long sweeping
strokes, parallel to the grain using some lateral
motion to overlap the strokes by as much as
75%. The random orbit action allows cross-grain
sanding, but be careful not to tilt the sander
near edges, or undesirable rounding may result.
Sanding Sequence
If the surface is rough, begin with coarser grits
and then complete the surfacing with medium
and fine abrasives. Because the orbit action is
so effective, it is often possible to begin sanding
with a medium grit sheet and go directly to fine
finishing. To avoid uneven results, do not skip
more than one grit size when going from coarser
to finer, and do not sand in one area for too long.
Removal of Sander
To help prevent swirl marks when the job is
completed, gently lift the tool from the work sur-
face, then switch the tool off. Operating in this
manner will also prolong the switch life.
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