I re-invented the wheel.

cet

cet

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Started using a small 3-in-1 lathe/mill combo for small projects about 4 months ago, mostly aluminum and Delrin.
For conveniance, I installed it in the basement, in my work shop, lots of room.
Because of my hobby, I do spend a lot of time in machine shops, not a stranger to them.

But this is one THING I never, ever, thought about.................metal shavings on the floor.

The wife started complaining about a month ago, the shyte hit the fan when the damn cat
got one stuck in it's paw................well..........that did it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Questions:
- Is there anyone else out there also in shyte with the wife ?
- If yes, how do you deal with the mess ?
- Does anyone have a pair of twisers and magnifying glass I could borrow?

Note: I do have an excellent exaust system, change my shoes before going upstairs, have a carpet
to wipe my feet, and YES I have a shop-vac.

Thanks
 
"...have a shop-vac..." Won't do it enough. Princess Auto is/was selling a "magnetic broom". Really a magnetized bar on wheels. Not horribly expensive, as I recall. No good for Al, of course. And lose the carpet. It's what caused your grief.
 
If you've spent a lot of time in machine shops and know your way around, I'm surprised you never came across a magnetic sweeper.

It's a hand held device that is 16 in in length, has a release handle for the magnet on the sweep end and is used to sweep the area around the machine, as well as the chip tray under the machine, if you have one.

I have no idea what they cost but they work very well and even pick up the tiny slivers. The only time they won't pick up the tine stuff is when they get stuck in partially dried cutting oil residue.
 
Those little bits of swarf hang on to your clothes, not only the shoe soles. I'm constantly picking them out of my socks, feet etc. Years ago my ex would put them in my coffee cup. Trying to do me harm I guess eh B###h?
 
A magnetic sweeper won't exactly work on aluminum or Delrin which is what the op says he machines. But there is a fancy new fangled tool that virtually all machine shops use. It's called a broom and a shovel
 
I use cutting fluid called "Butter cut" which is probably mostly lard. Anyways, one time my dog came into the garage to visit me and started to eat those delicious buttery metal chips off the floor, big curly ones too. Lucky I got them out of his mouth in time. Also had him get one in his foot. Now I always keep him out of the garage if I am working on the lathe.
 
sunray said:
"...have a shop-vac..." Won't do it enough. Princess Auto is/was selling a "magnetic broom". Really a magnetized bar on wheels. Not horribly expensive, as I recall. No good for Al, of course. And lose the carpet. It's what caused your grief.
Click to expand...

Yes yes...magnetic broom very useful for aluminum and delrin.....o_O


And to the op shop vac, broom, dust pan and elbow grease ..not much way around it.

Unless ...you can happen to get the wife to join ya ;)
 
Thanks for all the advice folks..............here is what we have so far.....

- Get rid of the wife and get a pussy for the fun room.........Excellent idea !!
- Kill the cat and make a chip rug with the hide........you guys are the masters !!
- Shop-vac the cat when I use the Mill.........that should be fun !!!!!!!
- Get the wife to build me a garage..........that might work, but I'll never see the pussy again!!

Thanks guys.
 
Chips on your body will invariably fall off in your house... My shop is in a room in my garage and the odd chip still shows up where it shouldn't.
 
had the same problem

about all you can do.. is build a cabinet around the lathe ... for me it was a tall backing board and sidewalls .. that seemed to contain the bulk of the chips from being flung around the room ... ( think of the cabinet for some VMC's ) but a total enclosure
- then for every freakin little step in the process, i'd shop vac

now i have it all in the garage..its filthy and i love it for what it is
 
A shop or lab type coat (short sleeves or cuffed up really high to avoid getting hung up in the chuck, eh), a set of shoes or overshoes for use in the shop, a section of 1970's shag carpet somewhere on the 'out route' and a bit of care with the type of chips you make, will all contribute to some domestic harmony.

Trying to cut bass fast is about the worst, a spray of fine, sharp needles, as chips. Some of the stainless is as bad, though the chips are stringy and razor blade sharp.

Choosing speeds and feeds that leave you with manageable chips, instead of stuff flung about like poo in the monkey house, is well worth considering.
Chips in the chip tray are easier to clean up.

Tweezers. Get a set of Dumont or similar quality tweezers and you will never be without them ever again. Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $50 for a pair, choose the tip shape that suits you, but a Number 3 and a Number 7 are the two I usually have around to hand.
For fine splinters that are not dug in too deep, warm a bit of duct tape to make it miserable sticky, and touch it to the area of the splinter. Often the goo will stick to the splinter well enough to pull it out when the tape is peeled off.
A couple decent quality loupes or magnifying lenses will help a lot too.

Once you use a set of tweezers that actually can grip at the tips, you will never go back to using the crap from the drug store!


Cheers
Trev
 
Last edited:
trevj said:
A shop or lab type coat (short sleeves or cuffed up really high to avoid getting hung up in the chuck, eh), a set of shoes or overshoes for use in the shop, a section of 1970's shag carpet somewhere on the 'out route' and a bit of care with the type of chips you make, will all contribute to some domestic harmony.

Trying to cut bass fast is about the worst, a spray of fine, sharp needles, as chips. Some of the stainless is as bad, though the chips are stringy and razor blade sharp.

Choosing speeds and feeds that leave you with manageable chips, instead of stuff flung about like poo in the monkey house, is well worth considering.
Chips in the chip tray are easier to clean up.

Tweezers. Get a set of Dumont or similar quality tweezers and you will never be without them ever again. Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $50 for a pair, choose the tip shape that suits you, but a Number 3 and a Number 7 are the two I usually have around to hand.
For fine splinters that are not dug in too deep, warm a bit of duct tape to make it miserable sticky, and touch it to the area of the splinter. Often the goo will stick to the splinter well enough to pull it out when the tape is peeled off.
A couple decent quality loupes or magnifying lenses will help a lot too.

Once you use a set of tweezers that actually can grip at the tips, you will never go back to using the crap from the drug store!


Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...

OK....................here is what I understood.....

- use a loup to find the damn cat, dip it in hot water, and duct tape it.
- use a good quality pair of twizers to pick all that #####ing from the wife's mashed potatoes.
- build a garage AROUND the machine to catch most of the flying crap.
- use an old fashioned piece of shag carpet to lean-on and pray to the God of chips.

Just kidding of course, thanks for all the advice, you guys are THE best !!!

(next post will cover the following:
"what to do with that end mill stuck in the concrete wall"
"Infra-red/night vision to see through all the smoke?")
 
sunray said:
"...have a shop-vac..." Won't do it enough. Princess Auto is/was selling a "magnetic broom". Really a magnetized bar on wheels. Not horribly expensive, as I recall. No good for Al, of course. And lose the carpet. It's what caused your grief.
Click to expand...

We have these at work, they're awesome but not for aluminum or most stainless.
 
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