You've invested a pretty fair amount into the machines in your shop so you probably want them to last as long as possible. Right? Right.
We've preached about cleaning for years here at Goodson. Cleaning parts before you start to machine; cleaning machines before use and more. But there's one aspect of helping your machines last longer we've never really talked about — covering them between uses to keep the other crud in the shop from gunking them up.
There are lots of ways to cover machines - plastic bags (if you can find ones big enough) or plastic sheets , tarps (if you can find one small enough), fabric sheets, etc. But these all have some drawbacks.
- Plastic bags or sheets are going to hold in moisture. If your shop is in a humid part of the world, this can be a real issue. All that moisture is going to cause rust and/or rot that's not good for the machine.
- Just like plastic bags or sheets, tarps can hold in moisture. They're also awkward to put on and take off of the machine. Most tarp material is pretty stiff so you might need to tie the tarp down to the machine to keep it there.
- Sheets will let the machine breathe, but they can easily catch on a sharp edge or a screw and tear. They also don't look very professional. Imagine if a customer stopped by the shop and found your valve refacer covered with a "Hello Kitty" sheet. Probably not the image you want to project to your customers.
So what do we suggest? Here comes the shameless product plug...
Goodson has designed a line of Machine Covers specifically to satisfy this need. These machine covers are made of Sun-Dura® fabric. Sun-Dura® fabric is a 7 oz. marine-grade polyester that was created for boat covers so you know it's made to resist a lot of wear and tear. In fact, the company's information states it "...offers superior resistance to harmful UV rays, fading, mildew, tearing and overall wear-and-tear. Our own unique finish provides exceptional water repellency while maintaining breathability..." If this material can stand up to all of that, it can surely stand up to whatever your machine shop throws at it.
Goodson offers several covers that are made to fit specific machines (see the chart below for details). Of course, if you need a different size or style, give us a call.
View our current selection of machine covers