Chips about to run me out of the shop!

[rogee]

In an effort to get a better finished product, I have started using a lot more carbide end mills than I did in the past. The problem is that at the higher speed I am running the mill I end up with chips every where, and I mean every where. Will a set up like wood workers use to keep saw dust down, by using a vacuum machine on their table saws and routers, work with the heavier chips made by metal working machines. I clean the shop daily with a vacuum, but will it work catching chips flying off the end of a carbide cutter? Maybe such a set up is already available and I just haven't seen it advertised. Any suggestions? Any plans?

 

[itsme_Bernie]

I have an arm holding a vacuum hose in place right by the spindle while I cut. On the lathe too. It significantly reduces the amount of cleanup later! ESPECIALLY important (and effective) with that dusty cast iron!

I use a "magic arm", part of my photo gear. But anything that holds a vacuum by the spindle will work.

Here is a pic of the setup:




I usually have the vacuum even closer to the cut than that.

Bernie

 

[awander]

I have used a shop vac for aluminum on my mill, and it worked well. Haven;t tried steel yet.

one thing to think about if you use a vacuum cleaner of any kind, is that hot chips, especially if oil-soaked, can be a fire hazard. A plastic shop vac tub would probably burn pretty well, not to mention a paper vacuum bag in a regular household vacuum, so be careful.

 

[Bill C.]

I have an arm holding a vacuum hose in place right by the spindle while I cut. On the lathe too. It significantly reduces the amount of cleanup later! ESPECIALLY important (and effective) with that dusty cast iron!

I use a "magic arm", part of my photo gear. But anything that holds a vacuum by the spindle will work.

Here is a pic of the setup:




I usually have the vacuum even closer to the cut than that.

Bernie

I would suggest using this method. Steel will be hotter than other materials. Their chips might melt and stick in the plastic tubing. Using a steel tube attached to your hose is a great idea.

 

[Rbeckett]

I think a plumbed in lone using 2 inch or larger exhaust pipe from AZ or Discount would be great. You could "T" it and cap it in several places so you could just move the snout and let everything cool in the metal lines before getting discharged into the vacuum canister. Could be pretty neat and a very sanitary looking installation. The pipe and fitting shouldn't be too much and you could build a tapered dustpan style nozzle to catch and route the chips to the hose intake too. That should really help keep the chips and dust in you shop down to a minimum and reduce any fire hazard to pretty low or maybe even zero. Could be a great project if your machines are already spread out and set up. Definitely worth a good long look to explore the feasibility of doing a project like that. It will make momma happy if it cuts down on the chips you drag into the house in you clothes and on you shoe soles too. Yup I can see a lot of upside to a vacuum system in the shop running just below the air lines and electrical. Thanks for another great idea!!!

Bob

 

[Old Iron]

I use a 5 HP vac that hangs in a bracket on the wall I also have a cyclone on a 5 gallon bucket to catch every thing.

As for the oily hot chips I haven.t had a problem in 4 years so I wouldn't worry about that if you had a cyclone in the line to the vac.

Paul.

 

[george wilson]

Just be sure to NEVER use the same vac for metal and WOOD. If it catches fire,it will be like a jet engine on fire in your shop.

 

[pineyfolks]

rogee, You can use roughing endmills to cut chip size and help control them. Lets see your mess of chips.

 

[stern]

I have contemplated using a vacuum on my mill (lathe isnt a problem as aside from curlies running off the front, everything gets dropped in the swarf tray) but also worried about hot chips. Thought about using a bucket "inline" on the hose so that the chips would be pulled by the vacuum but dropped in the bucket, therefore never making it to the actual shop vac enclosure (or motor).

 

[ridgeway]

For somewhat control,I bend, cut , twist or whatever thin aluminum sheets(printing plates) to form temporary shields and held in place with magnets. What I use is very thin...I can cut with scissors or score a line with a razor and will make a nice cut.