by Jimmy

Created on: June 27, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Cleanliness and safety go hand in hand in a productive workshop.

When it comes to machinery, you either have it in working order, or you don't. Any machinery sitting around for a period of time will succumb to the elements.

As long as you have your equipment stored in a moderate humidity, 50% or less, and it is stored indoors, metal can sit for a while without the battering effects of rain fall. If you see any signs of rust appear, especially near the spinning arbor, or the movable fences, you need to perform some maintenance.

A bar of Uncle Earl's soap for machinist, and a can of WD-40, or any other rust inhibitor; will help you free up spinning, and sliding parts that may be jammed, due to sitting idle for a while, before plugging the saw back in to the socket, spray the arbor liberally and try to move them by hand. It you can't break the moving parts free by hand, have a technician look at the saw for mechanical soundness.

Saws are very affordable today, and are so chock full of new innovations, they make servicing an old model is really, nostalgic.

You can purchase a new model for less than two hundred dollars that will run rings around the highest competition only ten years ago. Lightweight strong material, combined with laser guided cuts; today's machines tower over the wood shop equipment available less than a decade, or so, ago.

But they still require maintenance. Even though these electrical motors are lifetime lubricated, a squirt or two of WD-40 will keep a smooth running saw, running smoothly for many years to come, remember, just a squirt! Guides, and fences, still answer to physics, and metal needs to slide on metal, using specially designed machinist soap, and oil in the right places, not only help to keep parts operating freely, but these products also coat the metal, repelling moisture and, keeps iron based surfaces rust free.

Placing a cover over your equipment is the best way to insure your machine isn't overwhelmed by saw dust. If you have a band saw, and you only need it for a few cuts that occur, not so often, a cove might be a great investment. Saw dust travels, that's why wearing a dust mask, is part of the safety apparatus. If your band saw sits idle long, while your radial arm saw is pumping out chair legs a mile a minute, dust will find its way to the most slightly exposed part.

In general knowing your equipment, checking (running) it, periodically, and lubricating the moving parts frequently, will ensure that your sawing equipment will be running right, and rust free.

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