Wood Workshop Maintenance Plan

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Intro

This wiki covers the maintenance plan (schedule and work instructions) for maintaining the machinery in the wood shop in Arch Two at SLMS. It includes a schedule, a method of work, and links to maintenance instructions for the tools in the wood shop. It is designed to be used for training new techs or other maintainers.

Warning

The maintenance tasks below should not be undertaken by members unless specifically asked to do so by the @woodtechs. This is to protect member safety and ensure the tools remain in good condition.

This wiki is currently in development and should not be used.

Safety

When undertaking machine maintenance the priority is:

  1. The immediate safety of yourself and others.
  2. Any broader risk to the Makerspace or our neighbours.
  3. The condition of the tool.

Protect yourself while working: use Lock Out/Tag Out and other safety isolations to prevent serious injury or death.
If you suspect or know a tool is unsafe, tag it out of order until a repair can be completed.

The Maintenance Plan

Strategy

This wiki is being built as part of the maintenance plan for the woodshop. Machines are being added to it progressively. The maintenance plan will:

  1. Establish a Method of Work (MOW) for maintenance.
  2. Establish a Maintenance Schedule.
  3. Set up initial roster of machines and incorporate existing work instructions.
  4. Gradually add machines to the roster as more work instructions are completed.

Once established the plan will be maintained and modified as required to balance the condition of the machinery and the workload on the tech team.

How the Plan Works

The aim of this plan is to let anyone walk into the shop, see what needs doing, and do it with the minimum of effort.

  • All machines have a regular Blue Exam for inspection and cleaning.
  • Some machines have a less frequent Green Exam where light maintenance is done, which is added on to the Blue Exam tasks.
  • Exams are done on a schedule.
  • Every machine has a clear folder containing a Kanban card, Record Sheet and handbook.
  • Anyone can see what maintenance is needed by looking at the Kanban Card for the machine.
  • Members will continue to check tools while in use and raise faults and issues with the tech team.

Kanban Cards are simple, visible signs kept at the front of the maintenance folder. They tell you if there’s an issue with the machine and when the maintenance is next due. The Kanban cards mean most people won’t need to look at a schedule to understand what maintenance is due.

The detailed exams for each machine are detailed in the links at the bottom of this page.

Method of work

Every maintenance task is structured in the same way.

  1. Check if the task is due by looking at the Kanban Card.
  2. Get the paperwork out of the machine folder.
  3. Do the required safety isolations (Lock Out/Tag Out).
  4. Complete the maintenance exam using the instructions.
  5. Deal with any faults.
  6. Update the record sheet and Kanban card.
  7. Remove the safety isolations.

The Machine Folder

Every machine in the woodshop has a clear plastic Machine Folder fitted on or near the machine. It contains:

  • A laminated Kanban card.
    • This has one white and one amber side.
    • It should be visible through the front of the folder.
  • A hard copy of the maintenance handbook detailing the exams for that machine.
  • A Record Sheet, which also lays out which exams are due.

Schedule and Exams

Blue exams:

  • Are focused on inspection and deep cleaning.
  • Are conducted every two months on the larger/more complex machines.
  • Are conducted every six months on simpler machines and hand tools.

Green Exams:

  • Are a short add-on to the blue exams.
  • Are focused on specific maintenance such as periodic greasing and oiling.
  • Are conducted every six months on the larger/more complex machines.
  • Are conducted annually on the simpler machines and hand tools.

The schedule is written so that when you do maintenance, you always do a blue exam; sometimes you will do a green exam at the same time.

Schedule Example
Schedule Example499×108 2.74 KB

Here both the table saw and bandsaw get an inspection and clean every two months. Every six months they get additional maintenance like oiling. The work is balanced across the year to make it more manageable.

Faults

Faults found on maintenance are dealt with based on their seriousness.

  • If the fault can be fixed now, then fix it. Otherwise:

  • If the fault is a serious safety risk, or could result in the tool being damaged through continued use, place the tool out of order with a White Tag. e.g. a broken e-stop or a malfunctioning safety guard.

  • If the fault needs addressing, but doesn’t present an immediate risk, finish the maintenance and fill out the amber side of the Kanban card. e.g. a belt starting to show signs of wear or a plane blade with a small nick in it.

Examples of Maintenance

Table saw Blue Exam

Table saw blue exam

  1. A tech walks into the wood shop and looks at the folder for each machine. They can see that the table saw has NOV written on the kanban card: since it’s November they decide to do that maintenance.
  2. They open the folder and look at the Record Sheet - they can see that the next task due is a Blue Exam; inspect and clean.
  3. They get the handbook for the machine or look at the Discourse page using the QR code to see what the Blue Exam involves.
  4. They isolate the machine using LOTO to keep everyone safe while they work.
  5. They inspect and clean the machine.
  6. When they’re done they take the isolation off.
  7. They fill out the record sheet and Kanban card. The next task is due in two months, so the Kanban card reads JAN.
  8. They put everything back in the folder with the Kanban card at the front so it’s visible.
Planer thicknesser blue and green exam

Planer thicknesser blue and green exam.

  1. A tech walks into the wood shop and looks at the folder for each machine. They can see that the planer-thicknesser has NOV written on the kanban card: since it’s November they decide to do that maintenance.
  2. They open the folder and look at the Record Sheet - they can see that the next task due is a Blue Exam (inspect and clean) and a Green Exam (Light Maintenance).
  3. They get the handbook for the machine or look at the Discourse page using the QR code to see what the two exams involve.
  4. They isolate the machine using LOTO to keep everyone safe while they work.
  5. They inspect and clean the machine (blue exam) and oil a few parts as directed by the green exam.
  6. When they’re done they tidy up and take the isolation off.
  7. They fill out the record sheet and Kanban card. The next task is due in two months, so the Kanban card reads JAN.
  8. They put everything back in the folder with the Kanban card at the front so it’s visible.
Pillar Drill - finding a minor issue

Pillar Drill - finding a minor issue

  1. While completing a blue exam on the pillar drill, two techs notice that the table is slightly out of square to the spindle.
  2. They inspect it and aren’t sure what the issue is. However the table still adjusts and locks correctly.
  3. The two techs discuss it and consider the impact on safety. They conclude that in this case the tool is still safe to use for now but that it should be fixed when they can.
  4. They finish the other tasks on the Blue Exam list.
  5. The next exam is due in January, so they write JAN in the due slot on the amber side of the kanban card. Then they write the issue “table not square” underneath.
  6. They put the card back in the front of the folder so that it’s clearly visible.
  7. Now anyone looking at the machine can see that there’s an issue straight away.
  8. The techs finish their work and make a post on Discourse warning people about the minor issue.
Power Planer - serious issue

Power Planer - serious issue

  1. When completing a blue exam on the handheld power planer, a tech identifies that there is a deep cut to the flex an five inches of copper wire is visible.
  2. They determine that the state of the cable is bad enough that a temporary repair would not be safe - the flex needs replacing completely.
  3. They get a white Out of Order tag and a zip tie, and a lockout box. After filling out the tag, they place the box over the plug and secure it with the zip tie and tag, then put the power planer back on the shelf.
  4. They make a note of it in the maintenance record and fill out the amber side of the Kanban card with the next due date and issue.
  5. They make a post on discourse to warn people about the issue and so the woodtechs can agree a plan to fit the tool.

General Directions

Tips on machinery maintenance
  • Look for witness marks on moving parts which might indicate something isn’t right. In this context witness marks are scrapes, scuffs or any other kind of mark which might suggest the part has touched something it wasn’t designed to. See the below example of a motor rotor which has rubbed on the stator, leaving marks across the body.

Rubbing-of-the-rotor-of-a-motor
Rubbing-of-the-rotor-of-a-motor600×450 62 KB

  • A little grease or oil goes a long way. Always wipe off excess and never over-lubricate.

Current Exam Work Insructions

The tools currently included in the maintenance system are listed in the tool status table below.

Tool Status
Tool Exam Status
Table Saw Blue Issued 22/02/2025
Green Issued 22/02/2025
Pillar Drill Blue Issued 22/02/2025
Green Issued 22/02/2025
Planer-Thicknesser Blue Issued 22/02/2025
Green WIP
Extraction Blue
Green
Air Filters Blue
Green
Mitre Saw Blue
Green Not used.
Bandsaw Blue
Green
Mortiser Blue
Green
Router Table Blue
Green Not used.
Spindle Moulder Blue
Green
Air Compressor Blue
Green
Drum Sander Blue
Green Not used.
Axminster Sander Blue
Green Not used.

The hand tools, festool systems, and hand held power tools will be managed via periodic inspection rather than being added to the maintenance system at this stage.

The following exams are live and may be used to maintain the wood shop equipment.

SCM SI12 Table Saw Exams

Ajax AJB16 Pillar Drill Exam

Wadkin Burgreen Planer-Thicknesser

The following tools are being prioritised for addition to the maintenance system:

  • Extraction
  • Air filters
  • Planer-Thicknesser (green exam)
Version Date Author Notes
001 22/02/2025 CriticalTolerance - Ed Bilson First Issue: general MOW and theory with LOTO, OOO and three machine tools.
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