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

Ray C said:
Constantly at a medium level -before, during and after a project. I don't worry about tiny details or slight messiness but the floors, equipment etc is kept relatively swarf free. I see no point in making a lathe or mill squeaky clean every time it's used. I woulnd't get anything done. Do I vacuum and wipe it down? Heck yes -constantly. Do I worry about a handful of chips in the tray? Heck no.

I never use compressed air for cleaning. Just use vacuum, (3 in the shop for easy access) broom (3 in the shop), whisk broom (one at every machine) and heavy paper shop towels. Mop the floor once a week. Once a year, I devote a couple days to a thorough organizing and cleaning/inspection of the machines with oil changes etc.
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When I was working we cleaned our machines just before the end of the shift. Compressed air can be a safety problem. For safety we sweeped the area around the machines. Nothing like cutting up a hardwood floor with chips trapped in the soles of your shoes. In school we had to wipe the machines down as well to make the shop look good.
 
Well, it depends on WHAT I am machining. I clean my lathe IMMEDIATELY of I am doing any kind of grinding or machining of cast iton or any procedure that makes fine stuff. The usual chips
don't get into the ways anyway so that stuff I brush off and vacuum at the end of the day. I follow this with wiping of the ways with a rag and then oiling. The chip pan I clean when it starts of
get full.


Cathead
 
cleaning the chip pan is easy. It's the chips that go flying across the garage that are problematic, especially when they get into your shoes. I built a 2' "wall" around the back of the lathe but some chips just sail right over.

The drill press generates a lot of swarf as well that's hard to find with the big shop vac
 
I like to start each job with a clean machine, but my idea of clean seems to fall somewhat short of the standards of you guys, my machines get a quick scrape of the swarf tray then a brush off of the bed and thats it!:whiteflag:
 
At home I try to clean up as soon as I'm done since I hate to work in a messy shop. Most of the shops I've worked, except for one, in never took much effort to keep things clean. In one shop the boss told me never to stop and clean. I told him he was an idiot and ignored him after that. I didn't stay there for to long.

Sandro Di Filippo
 
I know I should do it immediately after using but usually end up doing it at the start unless it is really covered or it was something like cast iron. I keep my vacuum within reach so I don't have that as an excuse. I also try to keep the floors clean so I don't track in too many chips.
 
Every evening when I finish for the day it's sweep the bulk of the chips n swarf into the dust pan. Grab the shop vac to get the rest. During operation the small cheap paint brushes get a work out. I also TRY and put my tools back on the wall as I go as I find this helps me find 'em. Last jobs on exit is to drape my mini mill and lathe with old bath towels then turn off the power to all machines (fortunately they are all on the same power board.) IF I know I am not going back into the shed for a few days then its a light oiling for all.
 
Hi all, I am a newb....I try to keep my Lathe clean after every job. i have never used air, and i try and keep it covered between uses....I do turn some brass, i have heard maybe i should stay away from brass?
 
Im trying to instill the concept of taking 10 minutes of every hour in the shop to do ongoing cleaning. So far ive failed miserably!!!!:jester:
 
Well like most I use a cheap brush to keep the ways clean as im working, and once I get a load in the swarf pan at the back I will transfer them to a bucket (for later disposal). Clean and oil the ways a lot, and have a vacuum for the occasion good clean up. Yea, have swaf chip on the floor, and sweep them up when they start to get bad (Im the only one ever in my garage/shop). Could clean more, but Im sure not a clean freak and try to squeeze as much time making things as I can, with the occasion "full day mega clean" to clean and arrange things.

Oh, and having to dig chips from my eyes on many more then one occasion (yes, wear safety glasses, but some chips actually dont fly straight, the do a kind of manuvering attack run like Skywalker did on the death star lol) I wont use air to blow chips anywhere. Have enough issues with the lathe chucking TLAM ships without having to deal with air driven "cluster bombs"
 
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