Shop Maintencnce Scheldule

[genek]

Maintenance Scheldule something that every shop should have in place no matter how large or small your shop is. Here is my shop maintenance schecule. What is yours.


Every Day: Empty shop garbage cans, Check all dust bins and empty if needed. Clean out rag storage cans; hang rags soaked with cleanner, thinner, finish, etc. outside to dry. Lubricate all air -powered tools.
Every Week: Cean sawdust from the shop floors and other survaces. Drain moisture from the comprssor air storage tanks, Pipes Manifolds and filter/moisture traps. Clean dust collectors filter or bags (more often if necessary). Empty shop vac and clean filter. Check heating and cooling air filters (replace if needed).
Every Month: Vacuum fine dust from tops of light fixtures, ledges, shelves, equipment, out of electrical outlets, switches, out of junciton boxes. Blow out electrical pannels. Vacuum or change prefilters on air filtration devices, Heating and cooling filters. Clean out Machines, equipment, sanding tables etc. Clean off buid-upof finish from spray guns, spray booth, walls, etc. Check air filter and oil level on compressor, vaccum pumps, etc. Test and reset ground-fault breakers or GFI Outlets and Circuits. Wax all machine surfaces.
Twice a Year: Inspect equipment, machines, power tools: service as needed. Check fire extingquishers: recharge as needed. Change the oil in the air compressor. Check the Air compression system (tank, hoses, fittings, filters, etc) for leaks. Check condition of fiter bags, cartridges on dust collection system: replace if necessary. Inspect central dust collections system's ductwork, flexible hoses for air leaks or clogs. Make sure grounding system is working or dust collection system. Check first aid Kitss and replace or refill supplies. Check condition of glues and finishes, discard product that are out of date. (Use proper methods to discard). Check central air and heating system for blockages. Check shop for leaks or moisture that could harm tools or damage stored wood.

[knight_toolworks]

thats scary really. dust everything? I wish I could pay someone to do that. I get my floor picked up and dump the cans as needed. maintain the machine. fix something when needed. though I do cheat and have a auto oiler for my airguns. no real heat in my shop only dc bags t deal with couple times a year or less. no GFI outlets. maybe I should hire you to do it (G)

[genek]

thats scary really. dust everything? I wish I could pay someone to do that. I get my floor picked up and dump the cans as needed. maintain the machine. fix something when needed. though I do cheat and have a auto oiler for my airguns. no real heat in my shop only dc bags t deal with couple times a year or less. no GFI outlets. maybe I should hire you to do it (G)

Insurance companies are getting tighter on wood working shops. I for see this being a required step in our lives of wood working. I have check off sheets that we do that is kept on record. In the past it has helped with insurance claims (roof Leaked one weekend). Most fires are stared by dust. Not a board on fire.. by kieeping the dust under control you cut down on the posibility of fires and how fast a fire spreads. Shop Maintenance is protecting you , your equipment, and employee's . If you maintain a scheldule it is easy to keep ones shop resonable clean.

[knight_toolworks]

my insurance company asked a few questions and I sent them a check. I don't have employees I can't even afford myself sometimes (G) I pay a guy to clean and sweep up.

[genek]

my insurance company asked a few questions and I sent them a check. I don't have employees I can't even afford myself sometimes (G) I pay a guy to clean and sweep up.

My insurance sent out a person that takes pictures of the shop, building and everthing in the shop including my lumber rack. I had to re-design the lumber rack to meet their requirments. Insurances are getting tighter on wood working shops.

[coryatjohn]

I spend a ridiculous amount of time vacuuming. I clean everything before I start a job, during machine runs and after. I personally cannot stand walking through dust. A lot of my cutting is plastic so that makes it even more important to clean that stuff up before it tracks everywhere. It really helps to have a high power dust collection system and use it on every tool. I had a friend use my shop for a job once and he didn't clean anything, ever. It was the first and last time I let him use any of my tools. His shop looks like a bomb went off 20 years ago. I doubt he ever picked up a wood scrap. It's a fire just waiting to happen.

[dmidkiff]

Thanks Eugene, I copied and pasted your schedule to a word processing software and made it easier for my old eyes to read and will attempt to follow. I think it makes sense to get ahead of the insurance companies if you can

[cr2]

You are thorough; I'll give you that. The only thing I do more often than you is I drain the water from my compressor twice a day...when I leave for lunch, and at the end of the day. I would never want to leave it in there for a week.

[Davo]

I turn off the light.

[Ajcoholic]

What Eugene says might seem overkill to many - especially if you are working alone part time, or infrequently. As a woodworking business, which has been around since the 1970's, I have to say we are held to quite a stringent standard from both the OHSA (workman's health and safety) and also the local FD, and most critically from the Insurance provider.

I've had several inspections over the years from the insurance company inspector. Just getting a major insurer to take on a woodworking shop here is hard - seriously. Ive been with the same brokerage and insurance company for many years. I have tried over the year`s to investigate from other brokers - several couldn't even get a company interested to quote.

Anyhow, as a three person shop with me in charge, I don't have a written, documented maintenance schedule. However, I will say, that the main issues (housekeeping, maintenance, etc) are done all the time and I don't need a written schedule to stay on top of things.

For me, the main things are to keep all machinery clean, lubricated and stay on top of anything that seems out of adjustment, etc immediately. Keeping the whole shop tidy is actually quite easy with good dust collection, and hand tools that are connected to vacuums and so forth. I am quite heavily invested in the Festool system, with three vacs, and 6 or so sanders. I do clean up (and the guys know to do so as well) where I am working, whether it be wood scraps or shavings etc) as I am working - we dont leave things until "tomorrow". This makes it easy to work clean and having a few brooms and shovels, and garbage pails around the shop again makes it easy.

One thing I can say, if you have employees that dont care about the shop, or your tools, or cleanliness - youre going to be hard pressed to keep things in line. I am lucky, I have two good guys who understand how I want things run and respect that.

As far as things like the compressor drain - get an electric timed drain and forget about it. I have mine set to drain every 45 minutes, for about 3 seconds. Never lets any water build up in the tank... ever.