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

[Frank Ford]

When I go into a shop and see a air hose hanging on the machine I smile and Think YES you made my day! Wear Baby Wear! It's also so cool when I see the lube pumps empty and when I ask the operator "when is the last time you pumped the lube pump"?...and when he says "what pump"? YES what a deal $$ Cha Ching more scraping needed. Please never wipe off the machine or use a paint brush to clean the ways. Squirt the ways off with 120 PSI air pressure. Maintenance manuals, Heh, who needs those? No need to have them... I need the work and money, SO Please Never Clean your machines, Help me and the other machine rebuilders out. Thanks again for never following the maintenance manuals.

Well, thanks for the encouragement (nyuk, nyuk) - I have a blowgun hanging right by both the lathe and mill, and I use compressed air to blow off chips pretty much anytime I'm working.

OK, I don't actually TRY to blow stuff under the ways, and I don't really blast cast iron dust around, either. But, I'm just a home shop guy, and there's absolutely no chance I'll be able to put serious mileage on these machines, so if my behavior shortens their useful life a bit, it really won't be something I notice. Now, I do keep both machines shrouded with almost as much care as some who are setting up to grind, so I figure I get a pass on some criticism with that. I do also turn or mill wood often enough that it gets pretty dusty in the area, and my rubber sheeting keeps the ways clean enough so it's uncommon for me to remove the sheet and actually see stuff sitting on the ways.

All DROs on all axes have separate, full neoprene shrouds, too, so my air blasting doesn't send anything in there, either.

Here's a shot of the mill:



If you look closely under the table you can see the shroud over the Y-axis DRO scale - it's actually aluminum so it wouldn't snag and bunch up with the table moves on that axis.

Some may think all that rubber would get in the way, but it only took me a week or so to adjust.


So far the only chips I've actually blown into the works are in the Kurt vise and various lathe chucks, which get cleaned when they start to feel sticky.

The shop vac gets a good workout, too.

To the left of the mill is a heavy shower curtain against which most chips are thrown, and it directs them to a neat-ish pile on the floor.

 

[anokdoke]

While I'm turning on my HLVH I keep the big sutff pulled out and in the trash. I am constantly sweeping the ways with a small El-cheapo bristle brush and never, ever blow off with compressed air repeat, never! When I'm done I let the oil drain off for several hours and then brush off the machine and wipe thoroughly until squeaky clean. My 1952 Very early "J" head Bridgeport gets the same treatment. The result: The HLVH (Hardinge Toolroom Lathe) looks and works like new (it's 55years old) the Mill is 61. Neither have ever had, nor do they need to have their ways, spindles or moving parts ever repaired. Once a year I wash them down with degreaser and clean water and then wax with a good Carnuba wax ( It makes it a snap to wipe them down in between jobs) KEEP THEM CLEAN AND THEY WILL REWARD YOU WITH MANY YEARS OF TROUBLE FREE USE! Keep the air hose fo something else
Good luck!

 

[KenS]

Oh come on....get out your air gun and blast those chips under those ways....

I see Keith Fenner on YouTube use compressed air all the time around his equipment. It would be hard to argue that he does not know what he's doing. The thing about his videos is that from the title you can't necessarily tell how much you will learn about machining in a given video. But if you want to learn how to use a lathe or mill, or want to know how to fab any kind of shaft, collar, bearing carrier, etc., his videos are hard to beat.

Then again, you don't see him blowing swarf directly into the way wipers. I guess knowing where air should go, and where it shouldn't, is what counts. Also, aren't most blow guns now limited to 30 PSI?

At any rate, the government here in the states does regulate-- but not prohibit-- air use around equipment:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/static/air-gun-safety-187.html

From this I will agree that the novice should leave air to the pros.

 

[Mid Day Machining]

I will usually run my Tormach all day, them let the chips sit in it over night so the coolant can drain out, then I will vacuum the chips out before I start cutting in the morning.

Then I will dump the chips from the shop vac into a deep sink where they will sit all day with a 5 gallon can under the drain, then they go in a 50 gallon chip can outside.

 

[Richard King]

I was teasing you guys...Yikes. I wanted you to think about Maintenance and cleaning your machines. And no I am not looking for work, I am booked up for months. The "expert" who uses a blow gun to clean his machines is foolish and all the Machinists of old are turning over in their graves as they were taught to not blow off the machine ways. I never do it and any of the other pro's on here don't either. Many machinists blow off their, vises, other work holding devices and the parts they just made, but are instructed by their supervisors not to clean the machines ways, spindles with an air nozzle. You have not been in many shops that use 30 PSI. Hopefully next time you go to blow off your machines you will get a laugh, stop and grab a brush.

 

[sophijo]

Vacuum all the time and wipe it down after every job. One of those floor magnetized "brooms" too. They work pretty good.

 

[Analias]

Okay, being the newb I'll bite. Just why shouldn't air be used to clear chips? I hear a lot of folks say it's bad, but not why.

My X3 uses air for the power draw bar and the FogBuster, I have an air hose that I added for clearing chips as I babysit a job. The only reason I can think of is that you may blow chips in to areas that can't be cleaned. What other reasons are there to avoid using air?



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[GK1918]

Myself it is shop vac during or after each operation. Then its speaker magnets in the pan covered with
newspaper. Three 5 gal pails, one brass, one alum, and one steel chips. End of day through cleaning
oil again, I do blow off tool posts, chucks and threads, but not near any machines. And sweep the floor
constantly cause Im afraid of shop cat cutting his feet. My sign reads abrasive grinding, chop saws
sand blast cabinets >out side< The best I can do with cast iron is old bed sheets with a lot of
clothes pins. The shaper spitting machine, its one of those tripod halogen work lites with a large leaf
garbage bag, clothes pinned to it looking like an airport wind sock. Those shaper sharp moon chips
not good for any four legged freind. I wonder what Keith Fenner does, he's got a jet black shop cat.
Oh and turning alum which tend to peal long snakes (a cats dream) I put him in those pet things then
clean and let him out. about it.

 

[Dranreb]

Having made a nice new chip tray for my lathe, I just love to see it doing it's job.....so I'm letting the chips and the oil stay put for a while!

 

[ARM]

Clean the MUCK !!!