A mong the various woodshops I've visited over the years, the best shops are always run by woodworkers serious about taking care of their tools. Rather than just fixing tools and machines when they break, they service and adjust them at regular intervals. Regularly performing some or all of the cleaning and adjustment tasks described here will keep your machines at peak performance and help prevent unexpected problems or accidents due to misaligned or worn parts. Because the exact procedure for certain adjustments depends on the specific make and model of the machine, only general information is given here; consult your tool's manual or contact the manufacturer for more detailed instructions.

Table Saw: Clean and dry lubricate the saw's trunnions and blade height adjustment mechanism. If adjustable, set the throat plate flat with the table. Check the saw's bevel tilt at 90° and 45° and readjust the stops. Check to make sure the miter slots are parallel to the saw blade, and realign the saw table if necessary. Check to make sure the rip fence is parallel to the blade and set the miter gauge stops. Check and align the blade guard and splitter.

Crosscut Saw: Alignment differs by type and style. Radial- arm saws will require the most attention and fuss, as the head and arm must be aligned and set in a specific order to assure parallelism of the blade to the travel of the arm (consult your tool's manual). Newer compound- and sliding-compound miter saws are usually much easier to adjust. Take a few test cuts to check for square cuts and regularly used miter and bevel angles. Readjust the stops as necessary. You should also confirm the accuracy of the saw's detents (click stops), which may or may not be adjustable. If a detent is off and you can't readjust it, mark it clearly on the saw, so you'll know you must set that angle manually in the future. Also check the squareness of the fence to the table with a try square. Clean the arm(s) on sliding-compound miter saws and radial-arm saws and dry lubricate them.

Band Saw: Check the saw's rubber tires and, if they are encrusted, clean them with a brush or by lightly scraping them. Replace them if they are cracked or torn. If the saw blade is difficult to track, check the alignment of wheels to assure they are coplanar (both - or all three - discs are in the same flat plane) using a straightedge and shimming the wheels in or out on their axles as necessary. Check both upper and lower sets of blade guide blocks for wear, and redress by sanding or filing them or replace them if they're worn out. Adjust the guide blocks to make light contact with the blade, and set the rear thrust bearing just shy of touching the back edge of the blade. Set the table stop so that the saw table is square to the blade, and finish up by setting the miter gauge stops.

Jointer: Check the machine's belts and pulleys. Clean and lubricate the tables and their ways. Confirm that the infeed and outfeed tables are straight and parallel (see photo at right). Check the fence for square and 45 degrees and readjust the stops as needed. Check the knives for sharpness and confirm that they're all set to the same cutting circle, using a dial indicator or knife gauge (made specifically for adjusting jointer knives). Make sure the knife-locking screws are all tight. Set the outfeed table flush to the cutting circle.

Planer: On small portable planers, check knives for nicks and sharpness. Also check to make sure knives are parallel to the bed and all set to the same cutting circle. Clean rubber infeed and/or outfeed rollers. Check and align the infeed and outfeed tables. Also, check the accuracy of the depth gauge and depth stops.) On larger stationary planers, adjust the pressure of the infeed and outfeed rollers, chip breaker and pressure bar. Check and adjust the height of bed rollers. Check and adjust the power feed drive belt or chain; drain and refill gear case if your planer has one.

Adjust the guide blocks on your band saw to make light contact with the blade, and set the rear thrust bearing just shy of touching the back edge of the blade.

Confirm that the infeed and outfeed tables on your jointer are straight and parallel with a true straightedge. You can use a feeler gauge (the corner of a credit card works well, too) to check the gap between the straightedge and infeed table. If the gap varies along the table, you'll need to adjust or shim the ways to restore parallel.

Drill Press: Lubricate the quill assembly and check and adjust quill retraction spring tension if necessary. Check squareness of table relative to the chuck and reset stops, if fitted. Check the chuck for concentricity with a dial indicator. Clean, lubricate and adjust the table raising and lowering mechanism.

Stationary Sanders: Clean discs and belts with a rubber cleaning stick; remove and replace the abrasives if they're heavily worn. On belt sanders, examine the drive and idler rollers and carefully scrape off sawdust and debris. Check the alignment of support tables for square; set miter gauges and stops as necessary.

Router Table: Check flatness of the router insert, and adjust its height flush with the tabletop. Clean and lubricate the router lifter mechanism, if fitted. Check the squareness of the router fence relative to the table.

Routers: Thoroughly vacuum air vents on motor housing. Examine collets for damage; clean with wire brush as necessary. Clean and dry lubricate height adjustment assembly. Discard and replace any router bits with bent shafts and replace or resharpen carbide bits with chipped cutting edges. Lubricate pilot bearings with special high-speed bearing lubricant.

Cordless Tools: Check battery packs for cracks or damage. If the tool's charger has the feature, run all batteries through a "conditioning cycle." Clean electrical contacts on both batteries and tools with a spray contact cleaner (rubbing with a clean pencil eraser also works).