Workbench Advise

I think the heart of every shop is the work bench Vice, a conviction I've held for many years. It's the place where any dream comes to life, where the artist comes alive with whatever they create.

Living in a social media environment, I've noted the phenomenon that has been the focus of workbenches. Each article and every video that attempts to lead you on what bench to create. The challenge with someone studying the issue is the amount of knowledge they have to sift throughout there. And who are you referring to? When craftsman talks on job benches, you should be assured that it is good sound advice. So you've got to look at what someone did and decide if you should listen to what they've got to say.

I think a workbench is a personal item that can only be determined by the person who uses it because it is only after years of practicing their art that they can really realize what works for them or not. When you're a person who makes hand-cut joinery, maybe a moxon vise is something you should talk about, eliminating the need to design a bench that might fit for you or might not. Especially if all you need is a way to secure stock while cutting dovetails.

My best advice is to take as much useful knowledge as you can get. So look at proven woodworkers that you are inspired by work patterns and see what they are doing, committing yourself to learn why they are using what they are using. Perhaps most importantly, don't just build a bench yet, get a few sawhorses and place a few boards over the top to start woodworking. And you can make a truthful, insightful and educated decision on what will or won't work for you only after you advance in your art and learn some expertise.

How to Maintain All of Your Tools So They Last Forever

Ways to maintain your hand tools

Hand tools could be pretty costly. It's important to keep them on a regular basis to make them last as long as you can if you want to make the most out of your buck.

The good news is that most tools do not need so much care and maintenance — strong tools are used for violence. But they're not invincible, and a while later your instruments start showing signs of deterioration if you don't care about them properly. Here are several things to remember so that you won't have to buy any backup devices in the near future.


Give Tools a Quick Cleaning After Each Use

Dirt and grime on tools speed up the corrosion process, and if you only could do something about cleaning equipment, they would clean them easily after every use.

Nor must you be extremely detailed. Get a drink and wipe away most of the mud. Takes a canned air or a pump in the air to blow in the dirt to remove sawdust and drywall dust when it comes to power tools.


Frequently Lubricate Tools That Need It

Hand tools with moving parts that rub against one another will quickly wear, if not maintained properly. Good examples are nail handguns, ratchets, and adjustable wrenches.

Just put on any moving piece a very small amount of basic machine oil and work it in. This stuff also works very well around the house, like door hinges and sliding tracks.

It is recommended that a lubricant intended for such instruments be used for pneumatic devices such as nail guns. Luckily, it's cheaper than essential oils 
for the unit.

Coat Metal Parts in Oil to Prevent Rusting

Metal tools are made, and most metals can roast and cause corrosion and worsening. Sometimes it doesn't work, but a very light oil coat can do the trick with your instruments.

You can use almost any oil you want. I just use standard motor oil, because I've always fooled about. What I like to do is continue with my first instrument using a liberal amount, then cleanly wipe out the excess. I'm going to use that rag from there to use oil for all other instruments. It makes sure I am not using too much grease, which can trap a lot of dust in the instruments.
The goal is to coat your tools enough to make the tools feel somewhat greasy and oil residues on your finger when you run across them. And you are just wasting oil. More than that.


Keep Tools Away from High Humidity

Coating your oil tools is a good measure to avoid rusting, but probably the best thing you can do is to store your tools away from high dampness in a dry place.

Moisture accelerates the rusting process. If you decide not to oil your instruments it is therefore important to keep them as dry as possible. You can not really pump the power tools indoors anyway (unless you uninstall them), so keeping them dry is definitely important.

The best way is in case or toolboxes to store your tools. The effect is a kind of microclimate in which the level of humidity is much easier to control. You can even put in a tube of silicone gel or two to help moisture accretion (some small packets of beads that you use in sneakers and other items before you buy them). Even in most hardware stores — or online — you can buy dry packages of different sizes unless you have one.


Drain Air Compressors After Every Use

The air compressors are drawn in the outside air, pumped into tanks and then fired out at high speeds of compressed air. Yet air compressors also suck all the moisture that is present in the air when drawing in the air.

When the memo from the two previous sections has not been received, the moisture for instruments is bad. The same happens to the air compressors, and after every use, you have to empty the tank to get all the water out of it.

If you do not, with every application moisture will keep building up in the tank. Finally, at the bottom of the tank, you end up with a puddle of water that will rust inside and eventually affect the structural integrity of the tank.

In the end, Don’t Sweat It Too Much

As stated above, tools have been made to be abused and can last very long, even if you treat them relatively poorly. I met certain tools without proper care for the user that last for decades, but tools do not last well, if not preserved. Much is linked to the company. Moreover, the costlier a tool is, the better quality it is.

It is also quite likely that before you tire out, you would like to substitute those power tools just for new technology that constantly enhances and improves power tools.

On the other hand, most hand tools do not change— a wrench is an armband, and a hammer is a hammer. It's best to bring a little thought into these devices so that I hope that in your lifetime you will never have to replace them.