PSA: Spring Tool Tune Ups

[Herb G]

I found this on another forum, but it bears repeating here too.

With Spring arriving soon, it's time to think about your tools. Many of you will no doubt be going into your shops to work on whatever projects you may have. For Heaven's sake, before you go into your shop & use those tools, take a few hours to get those tools ready for use.

If you use hand tools, clean those blades & remove any rust on them. Sharpen those tools that need it. Chisels, etc. There's nothing like needing a tool, only to find out it's rusted and dull.

Make sure your power tools are in good shape also. Check those power cords for nicks, cuts, and the plugs for missing and bent blades and fix them as necessary. Check your table saw blades, make sure they are rust free & flat. There's nothing like a bent table saw blade to ruin an expensive piece of wood. Check any drive belts for fraying, cracks, splits, etc. Replace them before you use the tool. Make sure everything that should be tight is tight.
Check all drive belts, pulleys, etc. Double check all blade retaining nuts for tightness as well.

You do not want a pulley flying off as you use it to perform work. Sweep up your shop. Get rid of old oily rags.
Toss out old finishes such as paint, poly, shellac, etc. If you have a dust collector, empty it & clean out the bags & dust bin. Get rid of anything that could be flammable, sawdust, stuff like that.

Not only will your shop be safer to use, it will be easier to use if you do a little clean up work and basic tool check ups before you start. Take out the trash. Clean up any wood scraps & put them in a bucket or whatever you use.

Check your lighting also. Replace any burned out or weak bulbs before you need them. Make sure all your plugs work. Get a cheap plug tester for about $10 from the local hardware store. If you have a multi-meter, check the voltage in all your plugs to insure they have proper voltage. Also, check the receptacles for any broken or missing ones. Replace them if you are able to. If not, hire a licensed electrician to do it for you. Electricity is nothing to mess with.

Do not put off regular shop maintenance. Do not be lazy & say "I'll get to it later." Take the time to do it now, before you start making sawdust. Remove any trip hazards while you're at it too. Lubricate, grease and oil the machines and tools that need it. While you are cleaning up, organize your materials. Sandpaper, finishes, and other materials are easier to find and use if they are in one location and you know exactly where to go when you need an item.

Be careful, and do not operate any machinery if you are tired, or under the influence of any medication.
Do not operate anything or use any tool at all if you are emotional about something. Anger and frustration have caused more accidents in the shop than most people realize.
A few hours spent now, before you start working in your shop will more than pay for itself later on in the season.

I know most of you have heard it all before, but someone starting out may not think of it.

Thanks for reading.

[Admiral]

Herb G said:

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Do not operate anything or use any tool at all if you are emotional about something. Anger and frustration have caused more accidents in the shop than most people realize.

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The best safety rule I know, whether using power or hand tools, is to be patient and thoughtful. If something tells you in the back of your mind that what you are doing might be unsafe, it usually is, so figure out a workaround, or use recognized techniques to mitigate the risk. But patience, patience is your friend and will keep you out of the ER.

[Steve N]

Admiral said:

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[blockquote]Herb G said:

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Do not operate anything or use any tool at all if you are emotional about something. Anger and frustration have caused more accidents in the shop than most people realize.

---

The best safety rule I know, whether using power or hand tools, is to be patient and thoughtful. If something tells you in the back of your mind that what you are doing might be unsafe, it usually is, so figure out a workaround, or use recognized techniques to mitigate the risk. But patience, patience is your friend and will keep you out of the ER.

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[/blockquote]


From a pure safety standpoint:

I would only put understanding how the tool works before hitting the power switch and good lighting in front of this.

As simple as it sounds a lot of people just start using a tool, "I'll figure it out as I go" this is only mumbled by ER patients waiting to get something sewn back on slightly less often than "hey ya'll watch this".

Good lighting is almost as important as any other safety device, or piece of PPE. Working in a dimly lit cave is asking for trouble.

Then understanding what you want to do, and looking at how you are planning to do it, as mentioned above. This is very important. If you never do a dry run (power off) you may not really see the trouble you are about to invite into your life, until the damage is done.

From a cleaning standpoint:

Doesn't have to be Spring, any time you come back to your tools is a good time to do the basic "set up" IE: is the TS blade 90* to the miter slot? Is the rip fence squared to the blade. If not adjustments need to start there, and then you can move outward to check other aspects. Make sure the blade tilt, and height raising mechanisms move freely. Sharp blade? Cleaned, and waxed top surface?. An hour spent here will make your use easier, and safer.

Go through each tool as you get to it. That first time out may not be real productive in product made, but it will make a better product, and again, that safety thing.

Make sure your shop allows a good flow through it without trip hazards, or a bunch of dust, or slip prone materials on the floor.

This is the goal




This is the nightmare

[DaveParkis]

How did you get a picture of my shop?

[Steve N]

Oh Dave, they have had their eye on your shop a long time. I think they call them FEMA or something like that

[Wizard of Oz]

I bet Steve used a drone. :-)=====

[EricU]

I'm really trying to clean up my shop. At one point it was too messy to safely use most of my power tools. I always thought that I just needed to organize it, but I have come to realize it's just too small for what I have in it. Going to move a wall, and even then I'm not sure it's going to be big enough. Might have to cut down the extension on the tablesaw. Also thinking about getting a combo jointer/planer because having a 8" jointer is taking up too much space.

[Steve N]

Wizard of Oz said:

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I bet Steve used a drone. :-)=====

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Shhhhh now they will all start looking up.

[Curlycherry]

I would add check your fire extinguishers! If you don't have a decent size one, get one. Yesterday I burned the end of a rope and left the remainder of the rope on my workbench. I was in the shop for another 10 minutes or so with no signs of smoke. After about 15 minutes outside my fire alarms went off. I went in to see what was causing it. I found about a ~18" diameter fire on my workbench. The remaining coil of rope was on fire! A quick puff of the fire extinguisher and it was out but that could have been VERY BAD!

So NEVER do hot work without quenching it. And keep those fire extinguishers up to date and know where they are. It took me ~20 seconds to find the one I was looking for because when I worked on my water heater a few weeks ago I moved it and forgot where it got put.

[dartman]

Admiral said:

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[blockquote]Herb G said:

---

Do not operate anything or use any tool at all if you are emotional about something. Anger and frustration have caused more accidents in the shop than most people realize.

---

The best safety rule I know, whether using power or hand tools, is to be patient and thoughtful. If something tells you in the back of your mind that what you are doing might be unsafe, it usually is, so figure out a workaround, or use recognized techniques to mitigate the risk. But patience, patience is your friend and will keep you out of the ER.

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[/blockquote]


Like I tell my grand kids,don't be scared of the tool,just respect the tool.