Keeping your tools in tip top condition starts the day you buy or inherit them.
First always wear closed toed shoes and cotton or cotton blend clothing, preferably pant or shorts that go to your knees. This material is less likely to melt to your skin if hot solder balls roll off your work surface onto you lap.
Work Surface: sweep before each session to be sure there no glass chips which can make your glass break when you start cutting as they act like fulcrums.
Sweep after each session and wipe down with a damp cloth to pick up micro debris.
Check surface for damage and make necessary repairs.
First always wear closed toed shoes and cotton or cotton blend clothing, preferably pant or shorts that go to your knees. This material is less likely to melt to your skin if hot solder balls roll off your work surface onto you lap.
Work Surface: sweep before each session to be sure there no glass chips which can make your glass break when you start cutting as they act like fulcrums.
Sweep after each session and wipe down with a damp cloth to pick up micro debris.
Check surface for damage and make necessary repairs.
Pattern Shears: do not use them to cut anything but patterns. Copper Foil will gunk them up as will tape of any kind.
Glass Cutter: be sure to use cutting oil. If you have an old fashioned cutter put a small piece of cloth in a small jar with some cutting oil on it and dip after each cut to lubricate the cutting wheel. If you have an oil fed cutter do not fill the reservoir to the top, they are like old cars and leak oil! Be sure your wheel moves freely.
I use a very thin wire to clear the space between the wheel and the base. Glass chips get caught in there and impede the movement of the wheel. Use care as to not damage the oil wick with the wire.
Stop 1/8" from the edge to avoid damaging the wheel when you run off the glass onto work surface.
When wheel gets dull or starts skipping it is time to replace it.
Running Pliers: never use to hold glass pieces or wire while soldering, this goes for all your glass pliers. The flux will cause the pliers to rust over time, use cheap needle nose pliers to hold pieces for soldering.
You can find replacement jaw covers when they start to wear down or break down.
Grozier Pliers: also known as Grozing Pliers. Keep them away from flux. I use a wire brush frequently to clean the grooves of fine glass chips.
Tip: I put a "T" on the top jaw of the grozier pliers. Why? If you use them upside down they underbite the glass and take a chip out from the underside.
Breaking Pliers: same NO flux near them.
Grinder: this is a big one! Check your cord where it comes out of grinder for fraying, just to be safe.
I keep mine in shallow trays with splash guards to catch water spray.
Make sure there is enough water to keep sponge wet. (Just to the over flow spout)
Keep the sponge clean, when it fills with glass grit it does not do its job to bring water to the grinder head.
Clean reservoir each day. The buildup of glass grit will end up souring and stinking and it makes the grinder overheat if left for extended periods of time. DO NOT dump in the sink or in the toilet! The glass grit will bind to your pipes and eventually close them off completely- plumber time! I dump the grinders in a bucket and wipe them out with a cloth. I let the bucket sit for the water to evaporate and then scrape into a bag and throw away.
Use grinder coolant to prolong the life of the grinder head and grinder.
If you are not going to be grinding for days, weeks, months remove the head. Lube the shaft before replacing the head.
Be sure grub screw (screw that keeps grinder head in place) is free of glass grit. Clean and refill with vasaline- keeps the grub screw free from glass grit and makes it easier to unscrew when needed.
Fid/Burnisher: they come in plastic, metal, bone, wood. Choose which ever you feel most comfortable with. The plastic and wood will wear so they will need to be replaced at some point.
Soldering Iron: at the end of use, use a damp sponge to remove oxides and flux! you can also use a brass sponge tip cleaner to keep your tip clean.
If you do not use a damp sponge to remove the flux, it will eat through your soldering iron tip!
Came Saw: use oil at oil points, they are usually marked or can be found in your owners manual.
Make sure cutting deck is clear of any cut offs- they can stop a cut or be kicked out at your or out the back of saw.
Check blade for wear- when it gets dull replace it.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions please feel feel to reach out to me.