Jump to content

Preventive maintenance on shop tools


Mark Wilson

Recommended Posts

Use.  That's the best protectant.  Use them regularly.

 

If you have a wet  site, like I do, you will have to bite the bullet and spend  money on dehumidifiers.

You just can't get enough wax or kerosene on  the  exposed steel and on saws and lathes and planers and jointers there's exposed steel  in  all sorts of places.  Even in  hand held  power tools there is exposed steel and think of the hand tools.

 

Harry's right about the wax.  it's about the only thing that is both cheap and effective.  Oils and sprays will collect abrasive dust. Plus they cost a ton of money. 

 

To remove moisture from steel ( or pretty much anything else)  use Deoderized Kerosene.   That is what the water  displacement stuff  is in WD40

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Ron Altier said:

However, I do have problems after I build things and ship them to a high humidity area. Some of the gifts I make warp/split when they 

get to those areas. Even with a good finish applied.

 

 

A while back, I made that cabinet style humidor. The humidity/wood movement was a real concern as most of the "box" was made of solid walnut. In my basement shop, the humidity is usually kept pretty low by using a dehumidifier. My fear was that when the humidor was in "operation" the higher humidity levels would cause the wood to expand/warp. I turned off the dehumidifier and allowed the wood to acclimate to the higher level- hoping that would maybe lessen the problem.

 

Apparently, it did not work as well as I had hoped because recently I received a request from the owner to adjust the door lock. He said it was binding and did not fully engage. Best laid plans....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
9 hours ago, Mark Wilson said:

People kept telling to find paraffin wax but when looking it up I either couldn't find it or it cost an arm and a leg.

Mark,

You should be able to find paraffin wax at a local hardware store. In the "old" days ladies used it during the canning process to seal over the tops of the food. I bought about  a pound of it from an Ace Hardware store. Maybe they had it 'cause we live in the "country". Here's a link to maybe a more readily available source- http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Candle-Soap-Making/Candle-Making/1-Pound-Paraffin-Wax/p/29799

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...