Weather and your shark

[Steve Wojo]

I will be the recipient of a shark shortly but one thing that has just popped into my mind is the fact that while I have a decent sized area for a shop it also happens to be an unheated barn.

Is there any danger to my shark by leaving it in an unheated environment?

*Edit* I live in the Hudson Valley area of NY

Thanks in advance for any answers to this and any other questions I will ask in the future.

~Woj

[McBuster]

As we eSpeak, my HD is in my garage in St Paul Mn. 1 Degree outside. 20 degrees in the garage. I leave my XP Dell box on day and night. It is happier that way. The Control Box I cycle on and off as needed. I also lube the XYZ screws and guides each time I use it. Especially, the Z screw. Seems the plastic nut gets a bit tight on the threads so I start that out at Medium Speed when jogging instead of high.

[Consultingwoodworker]

Being cold will not hurt it, but it should be warmed prior to running. I'd want it to be about 50 degrees before starting. If you can't get the shop that warm, a radiant heater will warm the machine.

Ralph

[Steve Wojo]

What kind of lube McBuster? I havent received my unit yet and Im sure that can be found in the documentation but Im a bit anxious and may want to get some now.

Thanks in advance,
Wojo

[McBuster]

In these parts, the Rockler store near St Paul has differing opinions. You can use silicon spray or graphite, to name a couple. I use silicone spray and get a "good" brand from Hm Depot. Cause it is close. The main thing you want to avoid is buildup on the shafts and the screws. Each day I use it, no matter how long, I spray a bit in the cap, and brush it on with what I call, a solder brush. Also called a glue brush. I replaced the metal bed with a wooden one and I have slots in the top to get at the Y Axis easily from above.

Take the time up front and go over every nut and bolt you can get to. Make sure they are tight. To get at the Y Axis parts, there are four outboard bolts that hold the entire bed onto the machine. Remove them, the bed, and you can easily check out the assembly on the screw. Mine, was loose to the point of +/- 1/8". The plastic will deform, so maybe a better term would be good and snug. As, some folks really wrench things when "tight" is used. You do not want to do that.

Oh, I am also going to try a silicone grease. Mil Spec and Std Issue in the Military for AR-15's. That stuff is really good. I do not know how much dust will stick to it, but when time, will find out.

Good Luck with your new machine!
.

[lsvien]

I live a little bit south of McBuster in the banana belt of SE Minnesota. When he is -10 we are a comfy -5 and happy we don't live in St. Paul. My shop is insulated but not heated except for a 1500 watt electric that I turn on when out there. I try not to do too much of a thermal bounce because of it's affect on the wood. I have run the shark at 20 - 30 degrees many times. While cold, it doesn't seem to affect the machine at all. I have left my Panasonic toughbook laptop out there a couple of times and it wouldn't boot up until I warmed it up. Once warmed everything worked fine. I use dry silicone spray with no reside occasionally but not religiously.

Now, running a table saw with a cast iron top at 20 degrees and the wind chill coming off the blade is another story....