How often do you clean up the swarf on your lathe/Mill

I have to admit, despite getting swarf blown into my eye once (see below) I use use C-A near the lathe for a 3/8" air ratchet used to open/close the collet chuck. It takes about 40 turns to close a collet and when my wrist is acting-up, it feels more like 400 or 4000...
 
I work in basement that is shared with storage and laundry so have to keep mess to a minimum, and also not to bring it into the house.

I clean during and after each use. depending on the time of day (I usually have a window of opportunity to get shop time between 9pm-12am) I'll either brush, and wipe oils with a paper towel, or if I can, I'll vacuum, then wipe the reminders (the easier way). sweep floor once a week.
 
The quicker the better this shows my initial attempts to mount the vacuum on the mill.
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I have both vacuum and air on the lathe. The vacuum shown has a remote control built on the handle which is convenient.
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I also have a dedicated vacuum near the drill press. Neither of these Lowes vacuums work very well. They need to be higher volume.

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i used compressed air when i first started making chips. i found it blew the chips in my face and all over the machine more than off the machine. lol. so i now just use a small brush to get the chips off the mill, and then a larger brush to get it off the bench into the trash. works great.

i usually clean the mill after each part i make.

once in a while i take it apart and clean out old grease and oil and put new oil on the moving parts.
 
I clean whenever my wife gets on my case which is often. She is anal about cleanliness. I have a large industrial vacuum near my mill along with cheap paint brushes. My vacuum has an extra long hose I acquired from somewhere which reaches half way across my small shop. Quite a few years ago I purchased a gross of 2" paint brushes really cheap from MSC.I have them wherever you look. I have a smaller vacuum at the lathe. I brush off the swarf, then vacuum and wipe with a paper towel. sometimes I sweep whenever my wife has not already done it. Keep out of my shop woman!
 
I clean after every job. Don't take long and sure is nice to start the next job on a clean machine.
 
GaryK said:
I'm just curious when you guys clean up after yourselves.

After every time you use your machine, never, only when it gets overwhelming, just the main stuff leaving the small stuff....

How do you clean it up? By hand, vacuum, air hose then sweep it up...

Just a fun little informal survey.

Gary
Click to expand...

Every single time before I turn off the lights. Or more often. Shopvac. If I see a machine with chips on it, I know I'm not looking at a machinist's shop. My teachers taught me to clean up, wipe down, leave a coat of oil on the ways...all that stuff. Eat-off-the-floor clean. And don't mention compressed air. Use a brush.
 
Id like to clean up everyday, but sometimes it just doesnt happen. The chip pan on my 3A, it seems like it is always full even a day after i clean it out. Making big chips for 10 hours a day really makes a mess. I usually grab a helper from the steel shop while im on the mill for an extended period of time and let them clean it out. My cinci mill.....its old, but i cant stand having anything left in the t slots, must be my ocd coming out. Ways get wiped and oiled, vacuum is always on stand by. I do however prefer to let the coolant drain off the chips overnight if at all possible. All of my machines are old iron and were never kept up by the previous employees, so i guess its on me now to resurrect things.
mark
 
the bare minimum. i keep the mess down with a shop vac and sweeping off with paint brushes but good cleanings only happen when i have to do big changes like changing to a rotary head or doing two vices. on the lathe when ever i cant stop the swarf from pulling chips up from the pan.

Roy
 
i have never been accused of being a neat freak.
i will clean swarf from any surface that rubs, holds, or spins. i clean after changing operations generally.
i don't use compressed air as i feel it pushes swarf where it doesn't belong in the machine.
i use a 2" paint brush to knock swarf off, and/or a vacuum to get unseen swarf, then a lightly oil soaked rag to wipe off any dust or chips left behind.
 
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