Keep your hand tools in good shape
Having a complete range of hand tools is quite an investment but they will return favours only if you are ready to take adequate care of them. Even if you are an expert craftsman or dexterous mechanic, you can’t work perfectly with obsolete tools or tools in bad shape, no matter how experienced the hand-holding is. Keeping your hand tools properly maintained is one of the most important and mandatory tasks of any good craftsman or mechanic.
Still, many people around there don’t take care of their tools and just treat them like a non-essential asset. This results in damaged tools and excessive replacement. However, you can avoid this by taking good care and having a timely check on your tools. This will not only save your precious time but also make your DIY endeavors much more fruitful and gratifying. So, ponder upon some golden tips that will not only keep your hand tools and equipment in splendid shape but will also make sure that they work like the day you bought them.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Hand Tools:
1. Proper Handtools Storage Space
Even if you have less space, you still have to keep your hand tools in a fitting storage compartment. You can store them in boxes or bags, or hang them on the wall or shelves but keep in mind you just can’t make them lie loose on the ground.
Pegboards can also be one of the best storage systems for the handtools. They not only save your space but also make it convenient for you to choose the tools effortlessly without wasting any time on searching.
2. Cleaning of Handtools And Storage
Whenever you’re done with your work and about to store your hand tools, make sure to clean them with a clean cloth first. In this case, a clean cloth with a mixture of Shellac and Turpentine will greatly help in removing oils and sawdust from your tools.
Moreover, apart from cleaning your hand tools, you should also clean the storage where you’ll keep your tools. For instance, if you’re storing it on a shelf, make sure that the shelf is clean and dry and there is not even a single mark of moisture or water on it.
3. Keep All Tools in a Dry Place
The most important and worthy tip any skilled mechanic or craftsman will give is to keep all the tools in a dry place. Humidity and moisture can be found easily in places like garages or basements. Take measures to protect your tools from moisture or else it will result in RUST which is the greatest enemy of any tool.
4. Tips for Averting Rust:
To prevent rust, the foremost thing you should do is keep all the tools away from moisture and water. If there are high humidity levels in your room then you have to use a dehumidifier in your room to maintain the levels of humidity.
5. Rust Collector
Use Silica gel packs as they are an effective moisture absorber and serve as one of the best rust collector techniques. Put the Silica gel packs in the drawers, shelves, and wherever you’ve put your hand tools. And then just wait for the magic of these tiny gel packs.
Figure Out and Repair your tools every time you use them:
Do you know, what is the most important reason for the continuation of your tools? No, it’s not using it regularly. It is the inspection of every tool of your kit every time you use them. At the same time whenever you detect anything that you feel can harm your tools, take immediate measures to prevent it.
Sharpening of Your Tools
Another very important tip to keep your tools in good shape is sharpening. This is vital, especially for woodworking tools. Sharpening of woodworking tools will not only increase their practicality but also make them work the same as they were bought from the factory.
Good Quality of Handtools
Last, but not least as this old proverb goes “Quality Always Matters”. Therefore, when making such an investment you have to make sure that in return you get a reward for each penny you spend. There are many good quality handtool manufacturers out there; you just have a thorough check on which tool you want and which manufacturer is expert in manufacturing that particular toolset.
Final Thought
Investing in quality hand tools is important for any craftsperson or mechanic, but the returns on that investment depend greatly on proper tool care and maintenance. Implementing basic habits like cleaning tools after each use, storing them in dry locations away from moisture, regularly sharpening edges, and inspecting for defects go a long way in extending tool lifetime while ensuring optimal performance.
Your tools are your trusted allies in getting work done – so treat them as the precious assets they are by keeping them in good working order via proper maintenance routines.
