@JRT,
what winches do you have on your boat? I have found that they are not all the same.
I did a video on a Lewmar 16…
And I started a video on a Barlow 27…
In general, I agree with other posters to put some towels around the cockpit and coaming to try and keep things from bouncing into the drink
The box around the winch is also a good idea, and even better if you put a towel inside to dampen things from bouncing out.
Be careful when you lift the drum off…bearings may be stuck in the drum, so watch so they don’t fall out in a bad place. Depending on the winch type, there may be pawls that can come out when the drum is lifted off. That would probably be the biggest damnger. On my Lewmar, if you take the ST ring off, there are pawls that can pop out…
I found my Barlow 27‘s to be the easiest, as the winch body can be taken off the base with 3 bolts…and then I could work on it in my shop. The Barlow 23’s I have wond separate from the base, but pretty easy to clean and service.
I found my lonely Lewmar 16 the most finicky…but maybe because it was the first one I ever serviced.
Greg