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Milling Machine

How best to clear up swarf.

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wotsit03/08/2011 20:36:27
188 forum posts
1 photos
Great Thread! I was developing a complex from seeing all those clinically sterile pictures of machining work in progress that are published in ME. I thought I had a serious problem when I found life was too short to spend most of my time sweeping and vacuuming up the swarf, then polishing the machine, treating it with anti-rust oil, wrapping it a warm blanket, singing it songs.....etc, etc. Cleaning the working bits sounds great to me.
John Stevenson03/08/2011 20:57:32
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5068 forum posts
3 photos
Damn,
Why didn't I think about singing it songs ??????????????
Jon03/08/2011 21:24:06
1001 forum posts
49 photos
I think there would be a bit of common sense there Wallace, but 99%+ of the time wouldnt be any drawbacks.
I would probably say if its old its written when it took 6 blokes to do a one man job as at 25 year ago, even less now.
Logically thinking forcing dirt or debri in to a machine, there must be something massively wrong. Most decent machines have scrapers for starters, even without them you have metal to metal contact, so how on earth can debri get in unless serious wear!
 
I do have a wet and dry vacuum bought for that purpose along with the bead blasting. Its unused 5 years on, by the time i have unwrapped the power cable, i can sweep over the mill with a broom and blow any excess away usually landing on the floor. Easy job with broom to sweep up then shovel in to bin.
Lathe i just reach across and grab a load holding between two arms, wash down with coolant which leaves an oil residue if left. Puka clean will see the angled scraper, coolant wash and air line, a rarity maybe twice a year.
Most materials are denser than air, so wont linger, ie drop to floor within 1 sec. Must say you would be a right idiot if blowing debri at yourself, again common sense.

T slots usually need scaping out first but admit a decent vacuum does a reasonable job. Airline run at higher pressure and more concentrated, plus mines always to hand at various points around the shop.
Billy Mills04/08/2011 16:16:57
377 forum posts
Would not advise anyone to use an air blast for cleaning- especially if the line pressure is very high. Any oil or coolant will end up as a very fine mist which then gets straight into your lungs.
It is very hard to remove it.
 
Same for dusts, fine particles can hang around in a workshop for much longer than you might think because the surface area /mass ratio is very large, it is the 1-20 micron size particles that can hang around for 15 mins or more that are killers, wood, metal and abrasives from sawing sanding and grinding being some of the worst. Woodworkers don't use dust extraction for fun, it is there to let them work longer and enjoy their retirement.
 
Blowing stuff around is just bad practice, how do you stop it getting inside ventilation slots or anyone who walks into the area? How long does it take to get a brass or glass sliver from an eye? Do you really want to replace a motor or a control board?
 
Much better to wipe or slowly brush debris up so that it does not get into the air.
 
Billy- just back from the Hospital for a Lung Function test.
Happy cleaning.

WALLACE04/08/2011 18:06:52
304 forum posts
17 photos
I would have a wet and dry if I had the floor space - I will have in the next workshop as opposed to the current garage !
 
Thinking about it for more than 0.1 of a second it's definetly the way to do it - there seems no point in using an airline to blow the cr*ap all over the place. Might as well bag it and bin it !
 
But I must admit an airline is a God-send for cleaning engine parts or similar off just before putting it all back together. But it is only to remove the odd git grit spec etc from notionally clean parts - I wouldn't use it to clean dirty components !
 
WALLACE.
 
 
Peter Bell05/08/2011 08:11:33
399 forum posts
167 photos

Thanks for those shots of your machines John, very inspirational.
I have found the angled guard bolted to my otherwise excellent KX3 to be a bit of a pain and had been thinking how to make it more friendly, (and removable?) and wondered if you or anyone else had done this?
 
Peter
David Clark 105/08/2011 09:47:44
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3357 forum posts
112 photos
10 articles
Hi There
I cut the guard down on the KX1.
I can't find the photos but it was on the cover of MEW 138.
 
You can see this if you check the digital issues preview as I have set this to issue 138.
You don't have to be a subscriber to see this.
regards David
 
Peter Bell05/08/2011 12:02:00
399 forum posts
167 photos
Hi Dave,
 
Interesting mod looks an improvement, would certainly help in lots of ways.
 
Difficult to see how John has made his but they look like a bottom box with removable sides? I'm sure he must dig it out sometime!
 
Been thinking on similar lines as it would help place material and heavy things like the 4th axis.
 
Peter
John Stevenson05/08/2011 12:50:50
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5068 forum posts
3 photos
Peter, No it's just a tray with welded up corners to remain coolant tight.
Some holes in the bottom that line up with the tee slots for fastening and draining.
I have some that take a vise sideways on and front ways on.
I also have a couple that are big enough for double vises.
 
I can get pics if needed but that are not works of art at all, just trays belted up by the local sheet metal shop.
 
John S.
Peter Bell05/08/2011 13:02:09
399 forum posts
167 photos

John,
 
That all sounds just what need as I realise that one size does not fit all. If you could sort some pics that would be great.
 
Thanks Peter
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