Silicone sheet mill column way covers

M

MontanaLon

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The rubber way cover on my mill needs to be replaced, the mudflap that came on it is shot. I think the hot metal chips that land on it caused it to stiffen up and crack. Looking at replacements and wondering if anyone has used a sheet of silicone to use. In my head it works great, very flexible, resistant to high temps and not expensive. Looking for input as to how well it will work.
 
I had the same idea. Seems like it would work fine but you would need to make a long metal folded clip to hold them so screws could pass through to fasten the clips to the machine. Bet it would work really well.
 
I was thinking the same the other day.
 
I replaced mine on a Jet mill with what is probably PVC black carpet runner from Menards. Not as flexible as silicone, but pretty cheap at a buck or two per foot. It's held up well though PVC has a melt temp much lower than silicone.

I've cast a few molds from two-part silicone, has a max temp of around 625F. Seems like silicone would work great against hot chips if you can buy sheets of it.

Bruce
 
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I woud mix silicone with mineral spirit and brush on some fiber backed material (I used treadmil belt). People have done this to make tarp. I used paint roller to put it on a tent, that has vinyl top that was leaking all over, in bad shape. That fixed it for several years and still going. Hard to believe it. In the winter, vinyl harden and wind cracks them. Silicone seals and add flexibility even in winter and add thickness. Mineral spirit mixed well with solicone and give good adhessive to vinyl. I forgot the ratio, but look up the web would give you info and video.
 
BGHansen said:
Seems like silicone would work great against hot chips if you can buy sheets of t.
Click to expand...

Yep, I have seen them in the local dollar store for lining cookie sheets so things do not stick.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reusable...-Liners-Set-Of-3-by-Collections-Etc/168381546

I have some in the shop for handling hot things.......but never thought about way covers.
Great idea!

a larger size, "Full-size Oven Liner" but does NOT say "silicone":
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Range-Kleen-Full-size-Oven-Liner/25355272

Also when seraching for the above links I also found that you can get them in other materials:

fiberglass: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Evelots-...berglass-Reusable-400-Degrees-Set-2/185106706

teflon: https://www.walmart.com/ip/3-x-Heav...r-43cm-x-62cm-For-Fan-Assisted-Oven/362968132

-brino
 
The mix ratios for silicone depends on what you are using it for. If just waterproofing seams you want it thick. 1:1 mineral spirits to silicone. The more flexible it needs to be you use more mineral spirits all the way up to about 15:1. 5:1 to 10:1 are the most common mix ratios. The mix ratio is by weight not volume.

I use aluminum foil to cover the ways and table on my mill/drill. Seems to work well for me. Makes cleanup really easy. Fold it up with the chips inside and throw it in the trash.
 
I saw some "silicone" baking sheets while the wife was dragging me through a kitchen store and thought they'd be great way covers for my mill. They came in various, mostly dubious, colors but did have black available so I got a pack and took them home. I carefully cut a couple to size and installed them on the mill. Looked good.

Later I noticed that while milling steel some of the really hot chips were melting into the covers. But, the real problem showed up when I was milling some 7075. I was using WD-40 as a cutting fluid and the "silicone" covers started to basically dissolve. I peeled them off the mill and tossed 'em. End of experiment. I guess the manufacturer didn't test their baking sheets with WD-40. Can you imagine?!

Now, that being said, these things were doubtless made in China and who knows what their composition really is. Mystery silicone..

BTW, I took the extras that I bought (came in a 5-pack) to the kitchen where we use them to cover unused burners on the gas cook top while cooking. They make clean-up much easier and the wife likes that. OTOH, I have managed to set one on fire by placing it too near a hot cast iron skillet that I was searing steaks in. The emissivity of the cast iron was amply demonstrated. The wife did not like that, even after my very lucid explanation of emissivity and the magic of cast iron. ;-)

So, there ya have it. One man's' experience; YMMV.

MK
 
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