Belt Sander Troubleshooting

Use the right kind of sandpaper for the job you're doing if the results are poor. Aluminum oxide, silicone carbide and other synthetic abrasives work best for power sanding. Coarse grit sandpaper takes off the most surface, but the end result isn't as good as what you'd get with a finer grit paper. Consider starting the job with the belt sander and moving on to a palm sander for more delicate finishing work.

Connect the dust bag properly if dust is excessive. Disconnect the sander from the power supply and fit the opening in the dust bag retainer over the dust exhaust orifice on the blower cover. Slide the retainer onto the blower cover until the bag is snug.

Adjust the sanding belt if it contacts the sander parts, wears quickly, and runs inward or outward. Use the tracking screw to do this. Turn the tracking screw on the top of the sander clockwise if the belt runs inward, or counterclockwise if the belt runs outward. You may have to do this a few times after first installing a belt. The tracking is correct when the outer edge of the belt is even with the edge of the base of the sander.