Compressed Air For Chip Removal

I purchased both my lathe and my mill as used machines, as many of us do. Disassembly and cleaning revealed greater quantities of chips than would be imagined, and in places where they should not be. I cleaned everything up and reassembled them. I only use a vacuum and a brush to clean up my machines. The lathe gets brushed off and the chip pan underneath it either gets vacuumed or gets dumped manually. The mill typically gets brushed off, then the chips get vacuumed up off of the floor. I use compressed air only for a no fog coolant system, which doesn't move the chips very much, and for blowing chips out of blind holes, bores, etc., and then only after the part has been removed from the machine so that I can direct the blast of air and chips toward the floor when it can be cleaned up easily later on.
 
Being a hobby forum and given that most of us share our shops with other uses, I shy away from air blasting. It is amazing where that stuff gets off to. My wife has complained about the shrapnel on the laundry machines. I also had to move the electronics for the CNC machine after finding metal shavings inside... probably drawn in by its cooling fan. A vacuum is far safer for handling chips, swarf, or whatever you call it. I am forever tracking what looks like silver glitter into the house. Aluminum is a real pain. The chips that linger in pockets seems to get ground up into fine swarf that migrates everywhere. The only way to get rid of it is to vacuum.

And I too got a steel sliver in the eye while wearing safety glasses. I never felt it go in, but 2 days later I couldn't keep my eye open and it was getting real red. The ER doctor showed me the rusty sliver that he pulled out.
 
I have a loc line setup with a magnetic base that I can use on both my drill press and mill. It has a valve so I can keep the pressure set way low to just clear the area around my bits and tools so I can see what I'm cutting. A small 1/8 valve between my airline and blower help lower the pressure so I don't accidentally blast chips in the air.
 
I only use a Shop Vac and chip brush to clean up my lathe, mill, or band saw. I have torn down 3 lathes previous to the one I own now, and there were chips in places chips normally can't get into. I'm part of the anti-compressed air school of thought now.

I don't use paper bags in my Shop Vac, and don't care if oil gets inside. The oil doesn't seem to affect the plastic vac, and anything that IS metal will never rust. I've never even bought a new paper filter for it. I just blow the gunk out of the filter (outdoors... down wind...) every time I empty the bucket. Maybe... someday... just for amusement... if I have too much money in my pocket... I'll buy a new air filter for it.

I made one of those tubalcain magnetic chip picker-uppers (that's a technical term I think), but my magnets are too small so it isn't very effective. Someday I will upgrade it with larger magnets just for the fun of it.

The only thing I'll use compressed air for is to blow chips out of a freshly tapped blind hole pointing away from the head stock, and to get chips out of the headshaft. Even for those things, I hold a rag over the hole to catch the chips.

GG
 
Thanks for the input guys. I agree, the shop vac would work the best, however mine is rather loud and I can't stand to listen to it for long. I'm not worried so much about clearing the whole table, just the area right around the bit.
This is the project I'm working on now. Attempting to mill slots in 1/8 6061 aluminum. For the most part, it's going well. Just have to keep blowing the slots out. I have a small fan setup right now that blows most of the chips to my right and onto the floor. An occasional sweep or vacuum keeps the mess in check.

Nick

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How about some ear protection ? Available at any sporting goods store for ten or fifteen bucks. Or a headphone sound system. BUT it sounds like you've already made up your mind despite the overwhelming response opposing compressed air :)
 
On a project like you have going, it is worth it, imo, to use a low pressure air blast to keep from recutting the chips, ruining the surface finish.

If you pay attention to where you direct the air, it's not difficult to make sure it isn't blowing the chips into any critical area. Then when you're done,
that's Hoover time.
 
One might suppose the same configuration that provides low pressure air could also be connected to a shop vac (unless there is a valve in the line). Re-cutting chips implies pocket milling where the chips are very small therefore a small vacuum wand could be inserted fairly close to the cutter without clogging, right ?

I certainly don't take issue with the convenience of air, that's indisputable. But as others have mentioned, dis-assembly of most older machine tools will always reveal chips that have migrated to unexpected areas. It's a given that these machines have been "cleaned" with compressed air throughout their life.

My smallest lathe has been vacuumed for it's forty-year life (thirty-five years with me) but even so, chips, surprisingly, can be found inside the apron, go figure ! If I'd blown off the chips (even gently) I think that the situation would be worse. But since I've never used compressed air except in clearing chips from a bore, I can't really prove that statement, LOL.

I have five shop vacs distributed throughout the shop, one for the two lathes, one each for the two mills and one each for bandsaw and table saw. These things are very inexpensive and they are small enough to be tucked away underneath most machinery.

Most of mine don't require much maintenance - emptying them a couple of times a year is about average. It's true that the cutting oil coats the filters but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the efficiency -

FWIW, this topic was debated thoroughly in the "Practical Machinist" forum not long ago. With very few exceptions, vacuuming was the preferred method of chip removal.

I guess that it's one of those situations where, as the old American adage goes: "You pays your money and you takes your chances" :)
 
I do value everybody's input and will be shopping for a quieter vacuum. Problem with this one is the west wall off my garage is shared with both my daughter's rooms and most of my work lately is done between 10pm and however late I want to stay up so I have to keep the noise down somewhat.
Here's what I have for now. 10 bucks for an oil pressure gauge tubing kit. A couple old fittings clamped to the bench so i can unhook it with one hand. Tubing simply zip tied to the press and the end close to where I'm working. Regulator turned way down, just enough air flow to clear the area right around the bit. Think there might have been some confusion when I said compressed air. All comments welcome

Nick
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