Frugal Woodworking

Investing in tools that carry a lifetime warranty can be a good way to protect your investment and as a result, remain frugal.   The problem I have run into on occasion is that the brand name that carries the guarantee sometimes gets warn off or falls off the tool with use.  When this happens it becomes difficult to exchange it for a replacement tool if it breaks.

It becomes worthwhile to protect that label or other markings in order to protect your investment.

A couple of quick coats of shellac over the handle and label, protect the brand on the label and protect the warranty.

Here are some tips that I use to protect the branding of the tool in order to protect my investment:

• Be proactive. Take a digital photo of the tool while it still has the branding on it.  Save it on your computer in a folder dedicated to your tools.  This also helps if you ever need to file an insurance claim.
• If the brand name is printed or painted on a tool’s wooden handle, put a coat or two of polyurethane over it.  Use spar polyurethane if they are outdoor tools.  This will help keep the branding from getting warn off.  Shellac can be used for indoor tools if you prefer.
• If the only branding is on a printed label, cover it with a few coats of poly or shellac.  You should spot test it first as the mineral spirits in the poly may damage the printing on some labels and the alcohol in shellac may damage others
• If the branding is printed , but not etched, on a metal portion of the tool and is not on a functioning surface of the tool then a bit of boiled linseed oil can help protect it from wear and rust. (Don’t apply it too thick or it will become gummy.  Thin coats are better.)
• If the name is etched into the metal, then just keep the area protected from rust.
• A file folder in the workshop for receipts can also help.

One of the basic ideas behind being a frugal woodworker is to protect your investment in the tools you already have.  Oil on tools, paste wax on table saw tops, and now, plastic bags over calculators.

I have a calculator I keep in the shop and to keep sawdust and grimy hands from shortening its life, I follow this tip and put a small zip loc bag over it.  I can use it through the bag, but grime can’t get in to foul up the works.

Bag your shop calculator.