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I used to work with a guy that was, what you would call, a weekend warrior. He was the do-it-yourself type who had a few tools and liked to do home improvements and small projects around the house. I'm the same way but, being an avid woodworker, I do have a much larger collection of tools. The peculiar thing about this fellow is that once he bought a tool, the manual, instruction booklet, user's guide, or whatever you want to call it, immediately went into the garbage can. I discovered this one day when he asked me why I kept all that old stuff. At a singular loss for words, all I could think to do was to ask what he did with his manuals. He responded and went on to explain that if the tool malfunctioned in any way, it too would hit the trash and he would go out and buy another immediately. This behavior is great for the economy but bad for the pocket book. I like to get the most mileage out of the tools and machines I buy so I treasure, and keep, my manuals.
Your tool manuals are your only source of repair information unless you have the wherewithal to obtain the technician's maintenance and repair guides for the tool. They are indispensable if you ever have to refurbish it or make repairs. You could, obviously, pay to have them fixed but I have been quite disappointed in the past with the cost of repairs and the quality with which they are done. Usually I get back a tool that some trainee has barely managed to put back into running order. The motor turns yet when I go to put it to actual use, the tool is no longer functional in a practical sense. Instead, I have been much more satisfied with the results if I make the repairs myself. Lets face it, tools are expensive and I have invested a great deal of money in them so I want to stretch those dollars as far as they will go.
I even save the manuals for tools I have "written off". They are a great memory aid, when looking back over past purchases, and they can be a source of much entertainment. Alright, so I am a bit nostalgic, it still pays to keep them if you are like me and make notes and drawings in the margins. Sometimes those scribbles come in handy later when you are trying to figure out how to solve a problem.
I usually save every piece of paper that comes with a tool. You never know when you may need to refer to the manual or why. Whether you are setting up the tool for a specific operation, repairing it, searching for parts information, trying to find a specific accessory, or need the exploded parts diagram so you can learn how to best disassemble it, the material that comes with your tools is important. It is especially important not to discard anything with phone numbers or contact information on it. Sure, that information goes out of date but addresses and phone numbers require more effort to change than copy on a web page so they tend not to go out of date too quickly. Don’t always count on being able to find the phone number or address on the web. Even as recently as last fall I recall a thread on rec.woodworking regarding the fact that the contact number on the web for Powermatic was useless. The person inquiring was able to get it from another Powermatic owner that had the number. It was in his manual.
I like to keep my manuals close at all times. I used to have a shelf right above one of my benches where I kept everything in what I called a "Shop Manual" - essentially a large binder that held everything I had for every tool arranged in alphabetical order, by tool name. Unfortunately, I haven't progressed that far in my present shop. I have projects to complete and other things to attend to so storage has taken a real back seat.
Recently, however, I came to the decision that this 25 year old binder is in rough shape. I couldn't flip through it anymore as the rings, that had been repeatedly repaired and smoothed , were beyond help. Reasoning that an extra large binder has greater stresses upon its rings and is heavier and more awkward to deal with, I opted to move my manuals into a collection of smaller binders that I had in storage in the basement. My system remains unchanged, but now each tool type has it's own binder. All I had to do was print out some of my stock labels, mark them and stick them back on the shelf - which isn't yet built.
Now, if I ever need a manual, they're close at hand and in a more manageable sized binder. So, if a tool ever malfunctions, if I have a question about adjustment or capacity, or if I ever need to clean or repair something, I know I have the manual right there to help me maintain and extend the life of my precious investment.
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