Tool Inventory from
WoodCentral
The woodworker who began this
discussion was concerned about taking inventory of his shop's
contents, for insurance purposes, in the face of approaching
wildfires. The ensuing discussion provided some valuable insight on
how woodworkers could make such an inventory at any time. - Editor
"Since
we live in the tinderbox dry Southwest and we can smell the smoke
from the Arizona fires, [love of my life] suggested I make an
inventory of my shop equipment. Does anyone have any suggestions on
the best way to do this? I can just list everything in a spreadsheet,
but is there software made for this purpose or templates available?
Any other suggestions?" -Merle
He
did receive several suggestions on how to go about this, including a
link to an online home inventory program. - Editor
"Merle,
The
Insurance Information Institute has a software application you might
like. You can find it here:
http://www.knowyourstuff.org/iii/login.html"
- Tom P
"Photograph
everything." - Paul
As
an insurance claims adjuster, I can state that insurance companies
love photos. Since the burden of proof is on you, it makes sense to
document everything you have, even the mundane items. Line up your
routers on the workbench and photo them, make an inventory of each
item and list the model number, make, date of purchase and any
accessories for each.
Photo your collection of planes, boxes of
supplies (screws, nuts, bolts, doodads, etc).
Keep owner's
manuals, or cut off the model number from the box it came in, keep
the sales
receipt or shipping label. And for obvious reasons, do
not keep this list and photos in the shop. You can even give your
agent this information for safekeeping, with your own list."
- Michael W.
"In
addition to whatever else - post it someplace online - such as in an
email account. You could easily video or photograph and 'store' it up
on
Google Picasa or wherever else you can think."
- J.L.
Photos
and videos are a very good idea. And make sure you photograph your
router bits and saw blades. Cumulatively, my bits and blades are as
expensive as any of the big machines in my shop. I'd think that they
would be big targets for thieves as they would be easy to pawn or
resell. My
friend, a retired insurance adjuster, also said that he used to like
to see owner's manual as proof of
ownership."
- Scott
And,
the discussion also included a post from a woodworker who,
unfortunately, had to make an insurance claim relating to his shop
tools. - Editor
"I
lost about $4k to theft just after Indyfest last year, and all I had
to do was make a complete list of everything taken and the date of
purchase, get a police report and send it in. They then made
estimates of what the tools were worth depreciated and sent me a
check. I then replaced the tools and sent them the receipt, and they
sent me another check for the difference between the depreciated
amount and the full replacement cost."
- Ray
The original poster in this thread
had previously received some valuable advice from the forum regarding
the correct oil for her planer -- but then she needed to figure out
the trick to getting the oil inside the machine. - Editor
How to Change Planer Gearbox Oil
from WoodCentral
"I have, thanks to this board,
obtained the correct gearbox oil for my 20" Woodtek planer. But
how in the world does one get it into the gearbox? I tried using a
pressure oil can -- it just came right back out. I put some 1/4-inch
tubing on a funnel, and that did not work -- oil comes back out. So
can any of you who own a stationary planer with the gearbox oil hole
on the side of the planer inconveniently behind the gear chain tell
me how to get the oil into the planer? I'd lay it on its side if I
could figure out how to ever get it upright again!" - Johanna J.
One
respondent suggested that the tool may have originally been designed
not for oil, but for grease. - Editor
"Are
you sure that the gearbox on your planer is supposed to have oil in
it? The reason I ask is because I have a vintage 12" Parks
planer, and the gearbox on it is supposed to be packed with grease.
When I bought it it had been rebuilt and filled with oil, but I have
a reprint of a 1949 manual and it clearly states that grease is to be
used in the gearbox. This makes sense because the small hole on the
side is about right for a grease gun tip." - Robin C.
Others
suggested that there might be air in there which was not allowing the
oil to enter the gearbox. - Editor
"Perhaps
you have an airlock. If your tube fits so tight in the hole, the air
inside cannot get out to be replaced by the oil. Perhaps you can find
a thin metal tube to fit into the hole and attach the plastic tubing
to it. The metal tube would have to be smaller in [outer diameter] to
allow air to bypass the tube and allow the oil to flow. Hobby stores
have thin metal tubing." - Carol R.
Or
that there might be a second, as yet-undrained, plug. - Editor
"The
gearbox on my 15" Delta was filled with oil. It had a drain hole
in the bottom and a filler hole about two-thirds of the way up the
gearbox. Make sure it is drained and that there is not a second plug
down in the the filler hole. Then use vinyl hose and a funnel if you
need it (my bottle of oil had a nice long tip) to fill the gearbox to
the lip of the hole and reinstall the plug." - Alan
And
another respondent thought an addiitonal technique might be useful. -
Editor
"In
addition to using small diameter metal tube, insuring that there is
an escape route for the air in the gearbox, try heating the oil in a
pan of water." - Gary C