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

[Randy_m]

I think tommorow will be the day I give compressed air a try. I will be able to clean under my mill which has never been cleaned. Thanks

 

[Kennyd]

I mostly use a vacuum as well, but with a little twist-I run it through a cyclone separator lid first-this way none of the chips make it to the vacuum as they all fall into the 5g bucket. This makes for a clean vac and easy chip disposal.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2004310/8939/mini-dust-collection-separator.aspx



View attachment 100961

 

[onecut jimmy]

In my 70 plus years experience I have never seen a vacuum in a production machine shop. They all had compressed air at the machines. For the answer you really have to understand the world of Machinist, Toolmakers,etc. They are very intelligent people always striving to obtain more knowledge and they are meticulous in caring for their tools and machines. No matter who or what company they work for they consider the machinery and tools their personal property and treat it as such.
They will use whatever does the job best without damage. Most importantly they will know how to use air without hurting any thing or anybody. If they are not sure they will not do it.
The right answer is Do what you know how to. If its suck suck, if it's blow blow.
In that 70 plus years, I have never seen a machine damaged by cleaning and oiling it. USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

 

[metalmole]

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.

Randy that's got to be the cleanest mill I have ever seen...............very nice

 

[itsme_Bernie]

Hey Randy

I always vacuum. I even vacuum while cutting if I can. Then there is NO mess. Especially cutting cast iron.

Anything else requires two steps- blowing and sweeping.

Vacuuming requires only one step. Vacuuming.


Bernie

 

[Cheeseking]

I use the shop vac while cutting too bernie. It keeps the mess to a minimum.