Does Anyone Recycle Their Chips?

[The Liberal Arts Garage]

Interesting, I did not think they would take motor oil. I will have to check with our waste management co.

Thanks

Joe

Check at local auto parts suppliers- there are laws in many places obliging them to
Take at least the oil they sell in original containers - no mixing, etc. Ask locally......
BLJHB.

 

[Joe Pitz]

Yes I am aware of the local auto supply taking oil, but never heard of the waste management companies taking oil.

Thanks

Joe

 

[Micke S]

Thanks Micke, I thought Sweden had very strict laws about that.?

Joe

Good point !

It is regulated, waste must be sorted, since about a decade. I produce very small amounts of chips, like a gallon per month, so it is not a measurable quantity of what goes into the burn-container and it is not harmful for the environment. But it would be better to put the chips in a box and empty it in the metal scrap container. This is what I'll do if it is not the usual negligible amount.

 

[savarin]

I dont recycle any of my swarf now.
I tried re-melting the brass and aluminium swarf in my furnace but the amount of dross it produced climbed exponentially so I stopped.
I dont think I do anywhere enough work to save it in separate containers for the scrap man.

 

[Round in circles]

When you want to melt the chippings /turnings get a pot of bigger stuff in a good molten state then add the smaller parts & swarf . Trying to flame melt the turnings/swarf will see them mostly burn up .

Don't forget to add the dross cleanser /flux ( usually borax ) & pour the molten metal into a clean dry steel food can or a similar mould .
Once it is cold you simply turn the can & the dross off the slug of metal with your lathe , retaining the waste material produced for cleansing at the next melting session .

Damp sand moulding can give you lots of sand in the metal ... that means you have to take a fair bit off the mould to get down to decent metal .

Years ago I had a large heavy cast iron saucepan that I melted the low heat metals in &, had to make collar & swinging gimble on over head chains to move it from the heat to pour in to tins.
Once or twice I've poured the gungy bits through a small grid of steel to let the molten metal run out into a cans which made collecting the unwanted lumps of things easy .


Our local waste disposal system is operated by contractors under licence to the local authority .

At the site where they sort the domestic and trade waste they have magnetic ejectors that throw out the various non ferrous metals and magnets under thin alloy sheeting that conveyor belts pass over to retain the steel stuff till it reaches the end of the upside down elevator belting where it drops off on to another elevator that takes it to a massive ferrous pile .

 

[aametalmaster]

I also keep a small bucket of them in my trunk during the winter just in case I get stuck on an ice patch. Used them many times...Bob

 

[Joe Pitz]

Thanks Bob, that is a very creative use of chips.

Joe

 

[astjp2]

We do about 5 tons of chips a month at work. I work on our puck maker, takes loose chips and makes them into a 3" round puck about the size of a tuna can. 8 barrels of chips makes 1 barrel of pucks. The good thing is it squeezes off the coolant so we can recycle it too. Tim

 

[Joe Pitz]

Tim, wow what a ratio, What do you guys to with the pucks?

Joe

 

[astjp2]

They go to scrap, we have a company that picks up 10 yard dumpsters that are full a couple of times a week that are a mix of pucks and chips that don't get squished.