Power Tool Maintenance 101: How to Keep Your Tools in Top Shape
Published 2/3/23 by Angelina Dimaggio
Keep Tools Cool
You work hard and so does your equipment! However, overworking a tool can put a lot of stress on the motor, causing it to overheat. This stress can be caused by running a tool too long or trying to work through a material like hard wood or concrete. Be observant. Keep an eye (or hand) on the temperature of your power tool. If you think it’s warming up, take a break until it can cool down. This will give you time for a water break and keep the motor from wearing out or burning up!
Keep Tools Clean
You should be cleaning your power tools after every shift and before storing them at night. A dry dust cloth will help keep the outside casing clean, and compressed air is a great way to clean dust from the vents of power tools. Keeping tools clean (inside and out) will prevent dirt from collecting inside the tool and causing irreparable damage.
Minimize the dust that accumulates in your shop, near your equipment and potentially inside your lungs. Beaver Industrial Supply has several dust collection systems that can help reduce particles and debris from woodworking, concrete work and machinery.
Festool
Festool Dust Extractors will keep air 99.99% dust-free with their HEPA air filters. With adjustable suction settings and power tool-triggered automatic dust extraction, clean-up is virtually complete once you finish the job! Plus, with added features like specified motor placement away from the dust bin, prolonged motor life is nearly guaranteed.
Mirka
The portable, dust-free sanding system offered by Mirka allows you to bring industrial performance to the job site. The Mirka Dust Extractor cuts airborne dust by over 99% while sanding, and an auto-start feature ensures the dust extractor only runs when the sander is in use.
Metabo
The Metabo AS 18 L PC Cordless Vacuum brings light, powerful convenience to dust clean up. This compact cordless vacuum is perfect for mobile use, so you can move freely around the workspace and stop up to 99.995% of fine dust particles. You can also blow, dry, and draw off exhaust air with the vacuum’s integrated blow function.
JET
A JET dust collector will keep your workstation safe and hazard free. Keep dust, fumes, chemicals and debris safely out of your shop and away from your tools. The JET JCDC-1.5 Cyclone Dust Collector will take your shop clean-up to the next level with a direct mount filter, radio frequency remote control, and a massive collection bin. Add one to your shop today!
Laguna
Laguna Dust Collectors are powerful enough to keep your shop and lungs dust-free so you can stay precise and efficient inside a clean workspace. Laguna products like the Cyclone Dust Collector can filter particles between .2 to 2 microns, ensuring air is 99.97% cleaner. Cleaner air means less dust around to settle in and on your tools.
Keep Tools Stored Properly
Once your power tools are clean, store them in a dry, clean place. It’s important to protect your tools from the elements. Environments that are damp can cause problems with electrical components, corrosion, safety issues or cause your tool to stop working entirely. Additionally, keeping tools in a case or cabinet when not in use will help eliminate excess dust and particles that can collect in and on tools when not in use.
Beaver Industrial Supply offers a few toolbox and systainer options to help keep your tools safe and in tip-top shape.
Festool
Festool Systainers can help you keep tools in sight, organized, and on hand. The systainer Products are compatible with one another, previous systainer generations, mobile dust extractors, and most other system accessories. They keep things together in one place, so you don’t have to stop working to find the tool you need.
Additionally, access to tools is simple with Festool’s exclusive T-LOC. You can open, close, and connect containers in one movement. Plus, there’s no need to disconnect. Retrieve tools easily without disrupting the system. Open the lid, grab a tool and get back to work.
Metabo
The Metabo MetaBOX storage system allows access to the contents of any container without disconnecting it from the others. Boxes also offer optimal protection from outside dirt and moisture. Additionally, Metabo’s rugged design is resistant to breakage, even when carrying the maximum load capacity.
Fein
Fein Tool Cases carry unparalleled quality and practicality. The cases allow you to securely store power tools, blades, abrasives and accessories in one heavy-duty case. Made of durable plastic with practical inner spacing to keep things neat and organized, you can safely transport tools from one location to the next.
Keep Tools Lubricated
Make sure you keep all the moving parts on your power tools running smoothly. Be sure you read the maintenance section of your tool’s owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to correctly lubricate your tool’s model and which lubricant to use. By keeping your tool well-lubricated, you will be preventing your tool from chafing, overheating and corroding.
A lot of metalworking machines and tools require a lubricant to reduce sparks. Beaver Industrial Supply carries a multitude of lubricants and coolants to keep your power tools and machines running smoothly.
JET Biodegradable Metalworking Flood Coolant
Jet’s Biodegradable Metalworking Flood Coolant is an environmentally-friendly solution for lubricating and cooling material that needs removal from a saw, lathe or milling machine. The coolant lubricates, removes chips and disperses heat to prevent damage to your tools or workpieces.
Fein Slugger Cutting Paste
Fein Slugger Cutting Paste improves the life of annular cutters. Its best use is anytime gravity-fed delivery systems don’t work (i.e., inverted or horizontal drilling). The paste gets packed into the center of the tool and liquefies once in use to reduce heat build-up when drilling. Additionally, convenient packaging makes the product both easy to handle and store.
Keep Consumables Updated
When you use old, worn bits and blades, you have to work your power tools harder to get the job done. This can cause unnecessary stress on the motor and cause damage to parts or even cause the tool to overheat. It’s important to keep blades and bits sharp. Similarly, you need to make sure you are using the correct bit for the material you are using.
Using worn abrasives can force you to take longer to do a job, and you often have to apply more pressure to get results. The longevity of your sandpaper can depend on what you use it for and how often you use it. Keep an eye on the paper’s wear patterns. If sandpaper looks spotty or feels smooth to the touch, it’s time to change it.
When this time comes, Beaver Industrial supply has the grit you need. Investing in a premium or high-quality abrasive can help you change papers less because they often last longer. Additionally, make sure you are using the correct grit for the job. Tough jobs usually require a rougher, extremely-abrasive grit.
Finally, if you have been working with worn paper, chances are you’ve also worn down your backing pad. Backing pads reduce wear and enhance the control you have over your machine. They also help extend the life of your power tool by protecting it from overheating and damage. A worn pad leaves your tool susceptible to this preventable damage.
If you think it’s time to replace your backing pad, shop Beaver Industrial Supply today!
Keep Electrical Cords Checked
A bad power cord can be dangerous. Be sure to check cords before use and replace them if need be. You should also be sure cords are properly wrapped when tools are not in use. This will help keep them from becoming damaged or ineffective over time. The most beneficial method for storing cords is to create large loops in an over/under pattern to minimize curls and damage.
Better yet, remove the need for cords all together! Cordless Power Tools provide extra job site safety. They give you flexibility, portability and freedom to move about a job site without tripping over wires. Beaver Industrial Supply offers a variety of cordless power tools to help add more safety, productivity and maneuverability to your shop.
Keep Worn Parts Replaced
There will come a time when parts inevitably wear out. When that time comes, trust Beaver Industrial Supply will have the right replacement parts or new power tools you need to get back to work quickly!