It's always something....

When you have as many people using your tools as I do, things are bound to break. Or wear out. Or get dull. Or...you get the idea.


So when the switch on one of the jointers started acting up - it wasn't like I could call my local tool repairman to come over and fix it. Ummm... I'm the tool repairer.

Of course, I was just guessing it was the switch, and not the motor. That would be really bad.

I started by pulling the switch cover off,

but then I realized that I'd have to go a step further and remove the whole front of the machine.

Here is what I'm looking for - the switch box.

One thing I've learned (the hard way) is to label everything before disconnecting a single wire.

Once everything was tagged, I removed the switch and bypassed it, by connecting both black wires together, and both white wires together. If you don't want a permanent hair perm, it's best to unplug the machine first.

After the switch was bypassed and the wires connected with wire nuts, I plugged the machine in. As I suspected - it started up just fine. About a half hour later, I'd located a replacement switch online, and ordered it.

Gotta love the internet! The part arrived a few days later.

Getting ready to install it - but first -

I added some connectors to the ends of the wires, to make the connection more secure.

Out with the old, in with the new.

If you're going to own tools like these, you might as well learn to repair them yourself. It's difficult to find anyone to repair them, and who wants to spend money on that, anyway?

But - the best part? It's actually fun to repair them. That may sound stupid, but it's a nice break from working with wood all the time. And the sense of accomplishment is pretty great, too.