There are entire industries devoted to selling and repairing tools. Despite the overwhelming self evident usefulness of this activity — after all, there isn’t much use in a broken tool, and the cost of rebuilding tools can be expensive — the emphasis seems equally overwhelmingly misplaced. The focus ought to be on preventing the need for machine tool repair in the first place rather than how to cheaply or easily fix the tools. Here are three tips to avoid the need for machine tool repair:
1. Keep Them in a Safe Place
The first thing one can do to extend the lifespan of their tools and avoid a visit to a machining services shop is to keep the tools in a safe environment. There is nothing better for keeping tools safe than leaving them in a safe place, as simple as that sounds. That means picking an area that is dry and away from any adverse elements that may have a cumulative effect on the tools over periods of disuse.
2. Keep Them Clean
Another thing one can do to avoid seeking out machine shop services is to routinely clean the tools. These tools often operate using very fine machinery, so little pieces of grit or dirt can easily prevent them from functioning properly or even cause a larger problem. Checking for dirt routinely can prevent a buildup that could put you in a machine tool services shop.
3. Keep Liquids High
One last thing you can do to keep your tools in perfect working order is to constantly check their fluid levels. The most obvious thing to check would be oil, but other relevant fluids should be checked just as often. Having low oil, for example, can lead to parts damaging one another and ultimately creating a very expensive repair. The price of refilling fluids is much less than that of repair, so do it! How do you care for your tools?
