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Maintenance schedule?

682 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  RyanGi
I'm looking to establish a power tool maintenance schedule for the shop. Using a new blast gate automation system means all the tool run time is recorded. The system also lets you establish maintenance warnings…so, I'm trying to collect and consolidate a maintenance schedule! Even most of my manuals don't really spell it out too well, and I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone have something they use? Even if it's for generic machine types?

Edited: to remove product name as, evidently, naming it makes this sound like an advertisement.
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I'm looking to establish a power tool maintenance schedule for the shop. Using the new GRIT automation system means all the tool run time is recorded. The system also lets you establish maintenance warnings…so, I'm trying to collect and consolidate a maintenance schedule! Even most of my manuals don't really spell it out too well, and I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone have something they use? Even if it's for generic machine types?

- RyanGi
yeah mine is when a tool stops working.man im bad about any maintenance im afraid.hell i havn't even drained my compressor in the last few years.
hell i havn t even drained my compressor in the last few years.

- pottz
Ooofff…that's got to be beautifully colored water floating about in there….
I put a 12" stainless whip and a quarter turn valve on mine and it spits more than a few ounces after only a couple days of shop work…

But, I'm not great about lubing and the like…I'm excited to have this built in scheduler with the GRIT product, but I've got to figure out what numbers to put into it!!
I'm looking to establish a power tool maintenance schedule for the shop. Using the new GRIT automation system means all the tool run time is recorded. The system also lets you establish maintenance warnings…so, I'm trying to collect and consolidate a maintenance schedule! Even most of my manuals don't really spell it out too well, and I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone have something they use? Even if it's for generic machine types?

- RyanGi
Maintenance warnings involve smoke, screeching bearings and fire. Over the course of almost 60 years, I have never worried about scheduling maintenance for my tools-I tend to them when they need it.

Are you by chance a GRIT representative? Honestly, I've never heard of it and don't need anything like it in my shop. What's the point?
Hmm, tough question to answer:

I have built and maintained large factories full of tools, and never seen a 'one size fits all' solution? The maintenance program always depends on type of machine, number of different operators, and total use/abuse per day. About the only thing regular to wood shop maintenance, was Friday afternoon cast iron table waxing to prevent rust over weekend, and blowing the misc dust out of the cabinets before sweeping the floor. :)

IMHO - For a home shop, you are on a snipe hunt, as most tools don't need regular maintenance. Plus a single operator will not use the tool(s) enough hours to warrant a regular maintenance schedule, beyond the normal 'start using the tool' inspection. If you do have tools that require grease/oil, doing this at same time as your monthly/quarterly/yearly cast iron waxing to prevent rust is probably more than enough, if not overkill.

Regardless, here are some examples of recommended wood working tool maintenance off top of my head:

PM TS motors come with grease fittings, and manual recommends monthly (160 use hr) squirt of grease for motor bearings. PM also recommends to clean/grease the tilt/lift mechanisms, and ensure blade guard is working. Large panel saws can also have grease fittings on motors and saw arbor. Unisaw only suggests cleaning the height/tilt mechanisms. Based on condition of the TS I have rebuilt, I doubt any TS ever received any maintenance unless 'smoking, screeching, or burning' as mentioned by Rich.

15in & 20in four post planers require weekly oil on feed roller bushings, plus oil check of gear box. Larger 20-36 inch thickness planers usually have automatic oiler's that need filled once a week, and some grease fittings on key motor/cutter/roller bearings. They also require regular grease of sliding dovetail ways for table.

Large 10-16" jointers are like a TS. They might have grease fitting on the cutter head bearings, or motor. They rest is keeping surface rust off the tables, checking the belt(s), and keeping the blade guard working. Small jointers have zero maintenance, except blades, rust and when noisy.

Shaper only maintenance need is cartridge replacement. Never seen a shaper motor with grease fittings, as they operate in cabinet without much dust exposure. Only service shaper when it makes noise.

Automatic indexing glue stations require more maintenance that other tools. There are grease fittings on the rotary or drive chain that need serviced once a week, plus excess glue catch paper/pans need to be cleaned once a day.

Bandsaw maintenance is nearly non-existent, assuming your operators clean out debris, and check the guide bearings; when changing blades. If blade is seldom changed, then only need to inspect before each use. Again, making strange noises is primary source of maintenance determination.

IME the highest maintenance item in wood shop is dust collector. :)

If the collection drum dump is not automatic, there has to be regular checking fill levels, cleaning out blockage from the shop towels vacuumed, and emptying drums. Most larger units have grease fittings on motor and/or blower bearings.
One tip I can share is using the tool run times to set the DC drum fill/empty inspection timer. An hour on TS produces a lot less than an hour on thickness planer. Have to empty my DC drum about once hour when seriously using my 20" thickness planer at home.

Best Luck.
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I'm just a hobbyist, and other than some rust prevention stuff have never considered a regular maintenance schedule on anything. I think my compressor went 8-10 years with out being drained. I don't recommend that, it's just what happened to me. Your post does smack a little like a spam post for Grit…which I've never heard of before.
Nope, not at all associated with any brand. I started using the product and it has a maintenance scheduler so I figured I'd try to find numbers to put into it. Why not use it if it's available, right? I do better with reminders to do things, otherwise they get forgotten.

Up to this point, I've just been kind of maintaining tools as I think about it or as I notice a problem…neither of which seem like a good idea. I guess I was expecting it to be more like a machine shop. Sounds like woodshop machines are bullet proof! Good to know…
Some years ago, a buddy of mine showed me a maintenance schedule for a large cabinet manufacturing operation where he had worked in England. So I know that such things exist for large companies. Only thing that I remember was the attention paid to cleaning up dust. On regular schedule, all walls were to be blown clean of dust in addition to equipment, floors, bins, tools, etc…
I worked in a picture framing shop for 26 years (retired). It is a production shop doing a lot of frames (production runs of thousands of small frames at a time). I created maintenance schedules several times (getting the coworkers to use them was difficult, at best).
I went through the manuals to find recommended intervals for individual machines. The dust collectors, I could hear when they needed to be cleaned (high pitch in the motor), kept track of how long it took to reach that point and subtracted a day.. Did that with most of the machines, if it needed cleaned or adjusted every 4 days, then scheduled every 3 days.
So, just keep track of the hours that you run each machine and fill in the blanks.
In addition, when you oil air tools, do it after you use then and position the tool so the oil will sit in the trigger area until the next use (if you oil and go the oil will blow past the trigger and cause issues down the line).
I'm looking to establish a power tool maintenance schedule for the shop. Using the new GRIT automation system means all the tool run time is recorded. The system also lets you establish maintenance warnings…so, I'm trying to collect and consolidate a maintenance schedule! Even most of my manuals don't really spell it out too well, and I can't seem to find much online. Does anyone have something they use? Even if it's for generic machine types?

- RyanGi

Maintenance warnings involve smoke, screeching bearings and fire. Over the course of almost 60 years, I have never worried about scheduling maintenance for my tools-I tend to them when they need it.

Are you by chance a GRIT representative? Honestly, I ve never heard of it and don t need anything like it in my shop. What s the point?

- Rich
im looking at the GRIT system to automate my dust collection.theve got a pretty cool syetem that opens and closes blast gates automaticaaly. as far as monitoring machines for maintenance i could care less. id say thats more for large industrial shops.
. id say thats more for large industrial shops.

- pottz
I dunno. I use alerts, alarms and calendar reminders for all sorts of stuff…'cause I forget stuff all the time. Seems like getting an alert when I need to lube bearings would work for me. But, that's just an add on to the system…and I agree it would probably be better for industrial or productions shops.
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