How to Properly Maintain Your Mechanical Woodworking Tools
When it comes to woodworking, your tools will serve as your greatest allies. There’s no doubt that you’ve spent a considerable amount of time and money into acquiring these things. It would be a shame if it all deteriorated over time because of a lack of proper maintenance. Don’t wait for this dreaded day to arrive; be proactive and learn how to properly maintain your mechanical woodworking tools. Cited below are useful tips that are bound to help you keep everything in great shape for a long, long time.
Maintenance of mechanical woodworking tools involves lubrication
It is stated as plain as day. The more you use machines, the more important it is for you to inspect the lubrication levels on a regular basis. By making sure that its moving parts are lubricated, you will adequately protect its motor over a greater period of time. Activities will include greasing the moving parts, oiling the internal moving components, and taking a visual inspection of the movements as it happens. Know that this is all necessary since without oil, machines will face avoidable wear and tear.
Maintenance also involves sharpening important components
Should your machines possess any components that are made for cutting, slicing, sharpening, or chopping, the responsibility of keeping it all sharp falls squarely on you. Neglect the routine maintenance of said parts and you are practically guaranteeing that production quality will decline, which is a high risk for any self-respecting woodworker. Sharp machine parts are necessary because the cut materials also need to be shaped as accurately as possible. Be sure to check out tools like drill bits, end bills, precision cutters, and lathe tools.
Be sure to take proper care of all parts and accessories
Routine maintenance checks will be needed for your machine tools’ components and accessories. This is an important part of preventative care and you need to ensure that everything is handled and stored as responsibly as possible. Carelessness will only add to the risks involved with handling any form of woodworking machinery and can have numerous negative consequences.
Maintenance involves making sure that everything is clean enough
As obvious as this would be, there’s no shame in emphasizing just how important cleaning your tools is. Don’t just actively clean it when it looks really, really dirty; make it a regular part of your routine to clean the various equipment pieces. You can do this daily or weekly. This will help ensure that your machine is operating at its maximum capacity. Look into things such as significant build ups of grime or rusting. By finding these things and taking care of them now, you will prevent a lot of significant long-term problems.
As you can see, there’s nothing too complicated or fancy when it comes to woodworking tool maintenance. Use your senses and detect any potential problems before they get worse. Make a checklist and ensure that each of your tools get the attention it deserves.