Workbench Safety and Maintenance

Avoiding workbench disasters

Safety glasses

I know you think they make you look stupid, but get a pair anyway. Go to the power tool section of any home improvement store and you'll find that the old goggle and horn-rim problem has been solved by free market capitalism.

You no longer have to worry so much about how stupid you look, because the glasses offered today are not only tougher but also better looking than the ones offered the last time you looked.

Bench top sanding

Throughout the year, metal breaks off in the bench top and splinters develop in the course of normal wear. By refinishing your garage workbench, you can inspect the surface occasionally, ensure longer working life of the top, and also eliminate possible injuries that arise from an irregular work surface.

Tightening up

While cleaning up the wear on your bench top, why not tighten up all the nuts and bolts used to put it together as well? Throughout the year, the power tools and repetitive motions used in your work have done a number on all of the fasteners used to put it together. By going through and checking all of the bolts you will be avoiding what could amount to catastrophic damage. You will also want to pick up some Locktite to put on the fasteners so that next time less work will have to be done.

 
Sweeping compound

One of the most overlooked items you'll want to keep in your workbench is a sweeping compound. After a day of working in the shop you can get a ton of debris, oil, and sawdust on the floor that is not only unsightly, but also dangerous. The shop is fraught with dangers, ranging from dinging your head on the corner of a bench, to reaching out to brake a fall only to sustain injury by catching hold of a saw blade.  These issues can be easily addressed by a quick safety sweep as the job progresses.

More information on work benches