# How Do You Dispose Of Your Chips?



## Mini Cooper S (Jun 30, 2020)

I was cleaning up my big lathe and manual Bridgeport mill after a project and it suddenly popped into my head....How do other hobbyists dispose of their chips?  I used to keep aluminum and steel separated in order to get the highest price at the scrap dealer but they got so picky with their magnets, (The slightest trace of steel in the aluminum chips, and they would only give the price of steel shavings) that I no longer try to separate my chips anymore.

I use large cardboard boxes, maybe 20" square, to put chips in and a small steel drums and small cardboard boxes to put solid pieces in.  I do separate my solid scrap steel, aluminum, copper wire, and brass as the scrap dealer will pay a decent price for those.  The containers tuck under my big lathe quit well so that they are out of the way until it is time for a trip to the scrap dealer.

How do you guys deal with your scrap and chips?

Richard


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## benmychree (Jun 30, 2020)

chips go in the garbage if steel or iron, saved if brass or bronze, don't do hardly any aluminum.


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## middle.road (Jun 30, 2020)

All into a bucket and off to the scrap yard. 
Life is too short to dink around with a couple of metal shavings mixed in with the aluminum.
Not enough volume here to worry about it. 
At least it isn't headed into the landfill, or so I hope.


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## Superburban (Jun 30, 2020)

Last week, I took a load of alumnium cans in, a whopping 17 cents a pound. spent more in gas, then I got back.


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## randyjaco (Jun 30, 2020)

Mine go directly to the trash can. The city can sort it out if they want to
Randy


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 30, 2020)

I put the chip and swarf Into 5 gal pails, when the scraper picks up the metal plate scraps, he take them, usually the next day the empty 5 gal pails come back.


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## francist (Jun 30, 2020)

All goes to recycle. I keep red metals separate and can sell that, but otherwise steel and aluminum go into the mixed bin. I don’t generate large amounts, but none goes to landfill.

-frank


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## NCjeeper (Jun 30, 2020)

Chips go in 5 gallon buckets. I think I have 5 or 6 of them. Once there are full I make a run to the scrap yard. I usually have a pile of scrap steel to go too.


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## BGHansen (Jun 30, 2020)

Directly into the trash. My shop vac gets heavily used on the Tormach and floor. Use a rag to wipe the chip pans on the lathes right into the trash.

Bruce


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## Tozguy (Jun 30, 2020)

Not much accumulates but it all goes to the eco center. I have to drive across town once there is enough junk to deliver. The center has containers for metal, wood, plastics, compostables (branches, leaves, etc.) electronics, appliances, paint, solvents, etc. The eco center sorts and recycles as much as possible depending on the markets. They do send out stuff to the dump but only what they have no other outlet for. Our population is very diligent about recycling.

Our household garbage (destination landfill) is picked up once every three weeks at the curb. We barely have a grocery bag full of 'garbage' every three weeks. The city also picks up our recyclables bin of paper/cardboard/glass, etc at the curb every two weeks. Compostables all go into a third bin for pick up every week.


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## savarin (Jun 30, 2020)

all metals into the re/cycling bin, where they go after that I have no idea, not worth my time separating them.


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## Logan 400 (Jun 30, 2020)

All my scrap metal goes in a bucket and every couple of months I set it by the road and it is usually gone by sundown. 
Jay


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## NCjeeper (Jun 30, 2020)

Superburban said:


> Last week, I took a load of alumnium cans in, a whopping 17 cents a pound. spent more in gas, then I got back.


Ouch. Prices are really down right now. Of course good time to buy scrap metal.


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## NortonDommi (Jul 1, 2020)

I ask painters for their empty 20 litre buckets with lids and put swarf and scraps.(sorted), in them.  When full the lid goes on.
When I have a trailer full they go to the scrap yard.


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## Martin W (Jul 1, 2020)

Mine goes to the recyclers in empty 5 gallon solvent or lacquer cans. I drill holes in the cans so they dont fill up with water. They go in a scrap pile behind my barn and once a year go to the recycler. 
Cheers
Martin


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## Technical Ted (Jul 1, 2020)

My local transfer station takes any metal scrap free for recycling. I just put them in large garbage bags and drop them off.

Ted


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## cathead (Jul 1, 2020)

I take a tote to my local scrapper and ask him where he wants it.  Usually I'm told to dump it into one of the auto hulks
getting ready for reprocessing.  It's mostly ferric.  Throwing it "away" in the trash sends it to the land fill so I don't do that.  
After all, your "away" is getting to be someone else's back yard these days.


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## derfatdutchman (Jul 1, 2020)

Keep a bucket for chips when it’s about half full it goes to the recycling center and into the metal container.


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## Tim9 (Jul 1, 2020)

I used to throw them loose in the trash can but then one day noticed the havoc it created when the refuse collector ( garbage man ) emptied the can. Metal dust was everywhere and I kind of felt bad. The light bulb went off when I was throwing away the 30 pound plastic bag which was the dog food bag. Really heavy plastic and almost monthly when I’m refilling the dog food receptacle... I then go and empty all the shards from 5 gallon buckets into this big plastic bag. 
No more metal screwing with the refuse collectors and no more loose metal shards on the ground in the street. 
I know it sounds anal....just can’t help it.


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## markba633csi (Jul 1, 2020)

Just used the chips from my last arbor project + HCL to make some ferric chloride for pcb etching.  So I didn't really dispose of them, they're still here
-Mark


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## Shootymacshootface (Jul 1, 2020)

I have a metal 55 gal. drum that I plan on cutting the top off of, and putting a few drain holes in the bottom. When its full the whole drum goes to scrap.


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## brino (Jul 1, 2020)

I stand by my previous answer here:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/waste.80316/post-691611

-brino


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## macardoso (Jul 1, 2020)

I collect my aluminum chips and scrap in a 35 gallon garbage bin. Almost full after 2 years. All other metals are combined together in a smaller bin that was a cat litter bin. I probably work with 80% aluminum.

I don't expect to get money back, but the wife and I try to be environmentally conscious and it makes me feel better to recycle the chips if possible.


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## Cooter Brown (Jul 1, 2020)

I drive to my local scrape yard and just dump it on the big pile and run.... I don't worry about getting money for it unless I have dumpster full..... lol


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## pontiac428 (Jul 1, 2020)

I don't have a lot of space, so chips go into the regular trash can, either via dust pan or via canister vac.  Might be different if I ran a factory, but I'm just a hobbyist who makes a few pounds of chips a year.


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## RandyWilson (Jul 1, 2020)

I disposed of a few chips last weekend.  I took a few handfuls of that nasty stringy birdsnest from cutting down the hardened BT40, stuffed in into the hole, and added a good dose of polyurethane foam. Let's see the mouses get past THAT.


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