The best way to Take Good Care of Your Power Tools [Homemod]

Proper maintenance of your power tools is important. Doing so not only helps extend their effective service life but increases your probabilities of finishing that project with all your digits. Norm ” Ten Fingers” Abram from This Old House magazine has some suggestions.

I Remember When…
Old circular saws used to have grease cups and a lubrication schedule you actually had to follow once you wanted your saw to last. Power tools this present day don’t take nearly that much care, but you still have to treat them decently-keep them clean; don’t drop them. Listed here are some other common-sense things I do regularly with my tools so they’ll continue to provide me their best work.

Clean Contacts for Motors
Most small power tools have two ” brushes,” solid blocks of carbon graphite that conduct electricity to the motor’s spinning armature. Friction gradually wears these brushes away, and if they’re not replaced, the motor loses power and finally quits. You may tell it’s time for brand new brushes while you see a lot of arcing-small, harmless sparks throughout the motor housing as the tool is running.

Replacing worn-out brushes is simple in case your tool has brush covers-the two black caps on opposite sides of the motor housing. Always replace both brushes jointly. I buy my replacements from the manufacturer; it’s the way to ensure they’re exactly the correct fit. In case your tool doesn’t have brush covers, you’ll need to let a repair shop do the work.

Brush away any dust and debris from the brush cover, then unscrew it with a flat-blade screwdriver or coin. As the cap loosens, rest a finger on it; the spring-loaded brush can pop loose suddenly.



Pull out the brush and its attached spring. Vacuum the cap area to remove any sawdust that will have come out with the old brush, then slip the brand new one in. Tighten the cap against the spring and test the tool.



TOH Tip: Tempting as it’s miles to blow away dust with a blast of compressed air, I don’t because it could drive particles into the switch or other sensitive areas.”

Power-Tool Care Checklist

Every time you utilize a tool…
- Brush, vacuum, or wipe off dust; an analogous goes for battery chargers.
- Inspect power cords for nicks; replace cords with frayed jackets or exposed wires.
- Check that each one moving parts work smoothly.
- Tighten any loose screws or bolts; put a drop of Loctite on the threads to keep them in place.
- Test a circular saw’s blade brake; it’ll stop the blade while you release the trigger.

At the tip of the year…
- Search for cracks in motor housing; don’t use a tool with cracks larger than a hairline.
- Lubricate parts where metal rubs on metal.
- File any nicks inside the shoe plates of jigsaws and circular saws.
- Flatten bent shoes with Vise-Grips; use a mix square to examine that the shoe is perpendicular to the blade.
- Follow the instruction sin each tool’s manual for specific maintenance procedures.

Find more great tips for around the house at This Old House.com

Top Photo courtesy of Elsie esq via Flickr

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This post is tagged: carbon graphite, circular saws, conduct electricity, old house magazine, proper maintenance, this old house