Tools, Equipment and Workshop Maintenance
This domain tests your knowledge of the hand tools, power tools and workshop equipment used in auto body repair, and the maintenance routines that keep them accurate, safe and available. You should be able to name a tool's purpose, describe its inspection and explain what happens when it is neglected.
Core rules
- Match the tool to the task. A dual-action (DA) sander with the correct backing pad for paint removal, a stud welder for pulling dents, a MIG welder for plug welds, a panel stand for support and a torque wrench for structural fasteners.
- Inspect before use: guards, cords, air hoses, trigger, disc condition, welding cable insulation and earth clamp. Tag out and report damaged equipment rather than repairing it informally.
- Maintain the compressed-air system daily: drain receiver moisture, check oil level and belt tension, clean or replace filters, and keep the regulator and filter unit working. Water and oil in the line cause fish-eyes and poor welds.
- Clean spray guns immediately after use. Disassemble the air cap and fluid nozzle, soak in suitable solvent, brush passages and never poke the fluid tip with wire. Lubricate moving parts with the manufacturer's lubricant.
- Keep abrasives flat and dry, replace worn sander pads and ensure discs match the pad diameter.
- Calibrate or verify measuring tools and torque wrenches at recommended intervals, and keep a maintenance log with dates, faults and actions.
- Store tools clean and dry; coil hoses and cables without kinks; keep bench areas clear.
Worked example
A DA sander leaves swirl marks and cuts slowly. The technician wants to increase air pressure. The better reasoning is to check the pad condition, disc grit, air pressure at the gun, and technique. A worn or clogged pad and too-fine grit are common causes; raising pressure may damage the tool and create more swirls. The correct action is to replace the pad and disc, set pressure to the tool specification, and test on a scrap panel.
Traps that cost marks
Overtightening fasteners, using a cracked disc, leaving solvent in a gun, ignoring compressor water, and assuming a tool is safe because it starts.