In order to keep your creative juices flowing while woodworking in your shop, you probably need to spend some time cleaning it thoroughly once every month or so. Since you probably spend a lot of time there, you deserve to give yourself the cleanest safest environment possible.
Clean Your Table
Because the shop table is often the dirtiest thing in your shop, cleaning it should be the first task. You can buy some Butcher’s Wax for under $10.00 a can. But first clean your table with WD 40 and a rag. Get your workshop proper equipped as well. Especially with free jigs for mortise and tenon and a decent router. After that wax away the finger prints and make it shine using some elbow grease. Then every couple of months or so, wax it again. The wax should extend the beauty, life, and utility of the table.
Cleaning Saw Blades
The next thing is to clean the resin from your blades. While you might be able to let the table of your saw go for a long time without being cleaned, your circular saws will not operate properly if you don’t clean the resin from the blades from time to time. The job isn’t always pleasant, but it is a necessity to maintain those expensive saws you have purchased . Many products for cleaning resin from blades are available, but perhaps the most important consideration before you pick a product is to choose one that does not have harmful fumes. You can choose from many products, but one of the safest is Woodcraft’s brand, Resin Remover.
To use it just pour the solution into a plastic tub. The Resin Remover has no harmful fumes, so you can still work in your shop while your blades are soaking. If you would like to soak several blades at the same time, put small but sturdy pieces of wood or a thick washer between the blades so they don’t scratch one another. Soaking the blades probably takes less time than you think.
Cleaning Belt Sanders
Cleaning belt sanders is easier than cleaning blades. You don’t have to disassemble either the belt or the disk, and you can get the cleaner for around five bucks. The great thing about cleaning your belts is you can clean and work at the same time.
Cleaning the Floor
Cleaning your table, your saw blades and your belt sanders first will insure that your floor will stay clean for a while after you have vacuumed, swept, or mopped it. Sometimes, though, a daily well-swept floor is all you can hope for in that part of your shop. If you follow these procedures in this order, you will be able to systematically keep a beautiful, clean shop.
