To blow or to suck, how do you clean your lathe or mill?

[DMS]

Shop vac if I am cutting MDF, otherwise I just use a brush, T-slot cleaner, dust pan. Oh, and a broom, as most of my chips seem to end up on the floor...

 

[pburns]

Fingers, small brush, broom, hand brush & dust pan, then shop vac...usually in that order. I was told from the very beginning never to use compressed air.

 

[GK1918]

Newspapers and plenty of them. Newspapers catch most of it , brass, alum and steel go into 5 gal
pails. Maybe someday I will melt it. Then comes the vac. I do sometimes blow out a chunk and or
quick changes only outside. Magnets hold newspapers and newspapers suck up oil too.

 

[fast freddie]

I myself have gotten into the habit of using a vacuum. I was taught that compressed air could in theory blow small chips under your beds and carriages. On the other hand I have seen people that are pro's blow chips with compressed air all the time. So my question, do you suck or do you blow your chips?

this is all pretty funny

 

[RandyM]

Here is what I use. Works pretty good, and the bag is machine washable.

Vac

 

[Richard King]

Please use compressed air to clean your machine! Blow those chips in there real far. When I walk into a shop and see them blowing off the ways, I slap the operator on the back and thank him and say turn up the pressure, so the machine wears out faster. So it gets those deep scores in the way faster. Then I tell them to never oil the machine so it wears out so I can fix it for them ).

All kidding aside...Never use air on the ways, even if it has way wipers. Wipers fail and the air nozels are a machine rebuilders best friend

Remember the old Fram oil filter commercial..."You can pay now for a good filter or pay me later (when using a cheap one) to rebuild your engine."

 

[OldMachinist]

To add to my earlier post, my mill is easy to clean because everything is covered. Chips just brush or wipe off to the floor to be swept or vacuumed up.

 

[8ntsane]

Don

Those covers you have covering the unused parts of you mill table look like a great idea. I think Im going to make me a set for my machine. I already have covers for the Y and Z ways, but keeping the table clear would be nice too.

Thanks for that tip:thumbzup:

 

[RandyM]

Yeah, I went a little different route on the table covers. Here are mine. Though Don's are a little more versitile in vice locations.

 

[AR1911]

I mostly use a vacuum, along with a bench brush. And I do use compressed air occasionally & carefully.

OldMachinist and RandyM, I do like those table covers. Mine are just flat plastic that sits on the table, but I'll be upgrading them. Thanks for the ideas