gasoline powered professional chainsaw on pile of cut woodIn part two of our basic power tool maintenance series, we’ll look at more complex machines and help you keep them running smoothly.

Chain Saws

Chain saws are highly adaptable tools that can be used on a wide variety of projects. Keep it in tip-top shape by:

  • Cleaning fuel cap vents with a toothpick.
  • Opening up inside and clean with a blast of compressed air and brush.
  • Removing air filter and take it against a hard surface to remove dirt.
  • Checking the spark plug and replacing if necessary.
  • Inspecting interior screws and tighten if necessary.
  • Cleaning cooling fins with a wire brush.
  • Calibrating carburetor.
  • Adjusting chain tension.

Drill Press

The drill press is vital for making highly accurate, precise holes in your woodworking projects. Thankfully, they’re fairly easy to maintain by performing the following steps:

  • Wiping down the table and metal areas with paste wax.
  • Inspecting front bearings once a month.
  • Oiling front bearings twice a year with two cups of motor oil.
  • Dripping No. 20 SAE oil into bearing slots.
  • Checking drill head and bits for damage and replacing if necessary.
  • Removing dirt and grime from interior with compressed air and dirt brush.

Wood Router

Wood routers are designed to remove excessive wood from your board, flatten it, and make it smooth. Router maintenance focuses heavily on:

  • Regrinding dull drill bits.
  • Inspecting router arm for damage.
  • Cleaning interior areas with blasts of compressed air.
  • Oiling router head at least once a month.
  • Cleaning routing area to avoid gunk buildup on work area.

Following this maintenance tips may add an hour or two to your woodworking projects, but they’ll also add years of life to your power tools and save you replacement costs.