Tool repair

[Larry Fisher]

Hi all,

I'm from Wisconsin, and during the long cold winters there, all them dairy
farmers with their red and white barns would fix their equipment for the
next season.  June and July are typically slow months for us technicians,
and so now is a good time to go through your tech cases and empty out the
sludge that collects in the tech cases of only the finest of technicians,
and repair and service all the tools and storage mediums that have
accumulated over the years, so that you don't have to deal with it during a
surge in work/profit.  Here's a few things I've been doing lately.

For those of you who still have the power in your hands to turn the head
right off of a screw with a combination handle type screwdriver, you might
want to strengthen your combo handle with a bridge pin inserted directly
through the handle at the skinny part near where the plastic and the metal
meet.  I drilled the appropriate sized hole (I believe the pin was .099 and
I drilled a .089 or .092 hole) clear through at this point and hammered a
bridge pin through there, cutting off the excess and grinding smooth the
remainder.  The metal clamping apparatus that is inserted in the plastic
handle would slip as I'd rotate the screwdriver.  There was enough friction
to "snug" the screw, but I couldn't loosen most screws with it, and I sure
couldn't get that "just right" amount of torque when tightening screws.  Now
I'm back to creating extra work for myself again, breaking off screw heads.

I blow out my motorized tools at least once a year with compressed air.
This reduces the risk of fire, extends motor life, and usually makes you
really look the tool over for excessive wear, potential future lack of
service due to structural failure, and is a great time to recalibrate things
like your table saw, and belt sander.  You might even find that dental
bridge you've been missing, or that glass eyeball that was your favorite
.......  the one with that huge exploded blood vessel off the side of the
pupil.  

If you have exposed trusses like I do, and you have an area where you like
to do dust free work, don't forget to blow or vaccuum off the dust that is
on top of the trusses over your work area.

I also lube the threads on the combo handles with Prolube, along with all
other tools that have threads to keep them from binding when I least want
that to happen (extension tuning levers, vise grips, micrometer, hammer head
remover, hammer shank clamp, pin vise, Dremel chuck, set screws, etc.).  If
you oil them once a year or so, you might save yourself some down time when
it would be most irritating.  Those of you with gold plated tools need not
be concerned with this process.  The service contract you have with your
tool supplier should cover this for you.  I also have some ocean view
property in Wyoming I'll sell for a fair price (Aye, ahoy matey!!).

Anyone else have some ideas to keep the shop in top "earning" condition??

lar



                                    Larry Fisher RPT
   specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff
      phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com
         http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96)
           Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water