Stupid Simple Chip Control

[Tmate]

I did some power feed drilling with annular cutters for the first time, and was surprised by the amount of small chips produced in addition to the big tangle of swarf. After looking on-line at high dollar clamp-on safety shields to control the chips I came up with the brainstorm pictured below.

The .020" galvanized sheet metal cut easily on my junk yard paper cutter.

 

[hman]

Yup! It's bad enough to track swarf into the house on my shoes. Having it all over my shirt is a real PITA!

 

[DavidR8]

Cutting the metal on the paper cutter is genius!

 

[Toolmaker51]

Like most end cutting tools, the birdnest occurs by not backing off intermittently. Just a slight reduction in pressure allows flutes to act as chip breakers, and gives cutting fluid a chance to reach the cutting edge. The action is known as 'pecking'.
re Cutting fluid, especially dripped or brushed. Don't 'paint' the cutting end, apply a good distance up the tool length, gravity, heat and time do the rest. Save cleanup of stray [unproductive] fluid as well.