How Do You Dispose Of Your Chips?

Mini Cooper S

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
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I was cleaning up my big lathe and manual Bridgeport mill after a project and it suddenly popped into my head....How do other hobbyists dispose of their chips? I used to keep aluminum and steel separated in order to get the highest price at the scrap dealer but they got so picky with their magnets, (The slightest trace of steel in the aluminum chips, and they would only give the price of steel shavings) that I no longer try to separate my chips anymore.

I use large cardboard boxes, maybe 20" square, to put chips in and a small steel drums and small cardboard boxes to put solid pieces in. I do separate my solid scrap steel, aluminum, copper wire, and brass as the scrap dealer will pay a decent price for those. The containers tuck under my big lathe quit well so that they are out of the way until it is time for a trip to the scrap dealer.

How do you guys deal with your scrap and chips?

Richard
 
chips go in the garbage if steel or iron, saved if brass or bronze, don't do hardly any aluminum.
 
All into a bucket and off to the scrap yard.
Life is too short to dink around with a couple of metal shavings mixed in with the aluminum.
Not enough volume here to worry about it.
At least it isn't headed into the landfill, or so I hope.
 
Last week, I took a load of alumnium cans in, a whopping 17 cents a pound. spent more in gas, then I got back.
 
I put the chip and swarf Into 5 gal pails, when the scraper picks up the metal plate scraps, he take them, usually the next day the empty 5 gal pails come back.
 
Chips go in 5 gallon buckets. I think I have 5 or 6 of them. Once there are full I make a run to the scrap yard. I usually have a pile of scrap steel to go too.
 
Directly into the trash. My shop vac gets heavily used on the Tormach and floor. Use a rag to wipe the chip pans on the lathes right into the trash.

Bruce
 
Not much accumulates but it all goes to the eco center. I have to drive across town once there is enough junk to deliver. The center has containers for metal, wood, plastics, compostables (branches, leaves, etc.) electronics, appliances, paint, solvents, etc. The eco center sorts and recycles as much as possible depending on the markets. They do send out stuff to the dump but only what they have no other outlet for. Our population is very diligent about recycling.

Our household garbage (destination landfill) is picked up once every three weeks at the curb. We barely have a grocery bag full of 'garbage' every three weeks. The city also picks up our recyclables bin of paper/cardboard/glass, etc at the curb every two weeks. Compostables all go into a third bin for pick up every week.
 
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