Care and Repair of Shop Machines

Woodshop tools are a major investment -- and keeping them in good running order is essential. In Care and Repair of Shop Machines, veteran woodworker John White shows you how to assemble, tune, maintain and repair the machines that you count on. Throughout the book, Whites approach is practical, straight-forward, and effective.

White includes chapters on tune-up, the jointer, the table saw, the thickness planer, the drill press, the bandsaw, the router table and the miter saw. This is the first book youll reach for when your machines arent performing, and its the book you need to keep them running at their best.

Care and Repair of Shop Machines gives you:

• complete guidance on assembling, tuning, maintaining and repairing all major shop machines
• low-tech solutions and alternatives to expensive set up tools and jigs
• clear, concise troubleshooting information geared to help you solve common tool problems
• some excellent jigs to improve tool performance

About the author
John White has been the shop manager for Fine Woodworking magazine since 1997. Prior to joining the magazine he had his own cabinetmaking shop and construction business in Vermont for 25 years, with a few side excursions as a Volkswagen factory mechanic, antique car restorer, and catering chef. He is a regular contributor to the magazine, writing primarily about tool maintenance and reviewing new tools. His home is in Rochester, Vermont, where he is currently finishing construction on a new woodworking studio.

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Tune-Up and Maintenance
Tools
Tools Accompanying Your Machine
The Basic Kit
Commercial Jigs and Setup Aids
Making Your Own Setup Jigs
Other Useful Tools and Materials

Chapter 2 - The Jointer
Anatomy
Setting Up the Machine
Removing Tables for Maintenance
Gib Tune-Up
Adjusting Tables for Flatness
Fence Alignment
Setting and Replacing Knives
Testing the Machine

Chapter 3 - The Table Saw
Table-Saw Types
How the Saws Work
Tuning Up the Table Saw
Choosing the Right Blade
Assembling the Right Tools
Cleaning and Lubricating
Checking the Saw's Drive Line
Checking the Saw's Original Settings
Checking for Arbor-Flange Runout
Aligning the Blade and Miter-Gauge Slot
Aligning the Rip Fence
Tuning Up the Blade-Tilt Settings
Checking the Miter Gauge

Chapter 4 - The Thickness Planer
Anatomy
Troubleshooting
Setup and Maintenance
Table Adjustments
Tuning Up the Cutterhead
Sharpening and Installing Blades
Aligning the Table with the Cutterhead
Infeed and Outfeed Roller Adjustments

Chapter 5 - The Drill Press
Anatomy
Troubleshooting
Checking the Machine's Basic Setup
Tuning Up a Drill Press

Chapter 6 - The Bandsaw
Anatomy
Troubleshooting
Set Up, Then Tune Up
Setting Up a Bandsaw
Tuning Up a Bandsaw

Chapter 7 - The Router Table
Anatomy
Troubleshooting
Tuning Up a Router Table
Making a Metal Table Frame
Making a Wood Table Frame
Adjusting the Fence

Chapter 8 - The Miter Saw
Anatomy
Troubleshooting
Setting Up a Miter Saw
Tuning Up a Miter Saw

Sources

Index

There is great advantage in the consistent accuracy a woodworking machine can achieve. But this precision is not guaranteed, since no machine will cut square and straight forever. Even brand-new tools, straight out of the box, can't be assumed to be accurate. Some are not correctly tuned when they leave the factory. The parts are bolted together and brought approximately into line, but the final adjustments are always left up to the person using the machine. Some machines go out of alignment from having suffered bumps and shoves in their journey from the assembly line to your shop. In older machines, time and use take their toll. Parts wear, bolts may loosen, and even massive castings can warp.

The engineers and machinists who build power tools know that their machines will need adjusting, and all power tools are designed with this reality in mind. Some owner's manuals will supply the information you need to tune up a machine, but most manuals lack the detailed information you need to bring your tools into precise adjustment.

The purpose of this book is to supply the information you need to make your tools perform at their best, to pick up where the manuals, if they haven't been lost, left off. Although there have been dozens if not hundreds of models of each power tool built over the past century, most tools are very similar in their basic elements. The tune-up techniques in each chapter aren't specific to any one machine but will in most cases be adaptable to the power tools you own. Even if you don't see exactly your make and model machine in this book, you will be able to apply the basic principle.

There is no one right way to set up machinery. In fact, I've tried to offer alternatives where I could, especially low-tech or shopmade solutions in place of expensive, dedicated tools. If you own a professional shop and need to keep your machines in top form every day, then dedicated measuring tools and jigs may be right for you. If you're a home-shop woodworker, low-tech solutions are often adequate for the occasions when you check and maintain your machines.

Most important is to take the time to set up your machinery correctly and to maintain the settings. The result will be more accurate cuts, square, flat stock, and better, safer woodworking.