Home shop chip removal .. what you guys use ?

JRivera · Aug 30, 2018

Looking for advice / ideas what you guys use to remove chips . Most of my chips are small and could be picked up with a shop vac . But the plan was to rig some thing out that can suck the chips up as I go . That way I don’t have a bunch of small chips all over the place. Not trying to go the coolant route . Using in a Hermes , hmo & dyna . Got a 6.5 peak vac and won’t pick up the chips as they fly . Thanks for the input

M.B. Naegle · Aug 30, 2018

IMO vacuuming the chips as they come off will take a lot more vacuum than it's worth, plus with a cutting path that's constantly changing, the stream of chips keep moving around, so you have to keep re-positioning the hose.

When I'm cutting out in the open and am trying to keep them from flying all over, I get a few of those positionable lock-line plexi-shields and try to deflect the chips where I want them. It dosn't get them all, but it helps.

rklopp · Aug 30, 2018

I do what Naegle said, and vacuum or sweep at the end of my work session. I have an old Rigid 6+ HP shop vac. It keeps chugging along, but is probably on its last legs, because the motor makes funny noises. The hose has required replacement once in a while, because way oil, cutting oil, and WD-40 (aluminum cutting fluid) plasticize the hoses and make them collapse under suction. Sometimes I suck the chips coming directly off an endmill, especially if dusty like micarta.

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Larry Dickman · Aug 31, 2018

Broom and a shovel?

Mtndew · Aug 31, 2018

JRivera said:
Looking for advice / ideas what you guys use to remove chips .

Our chip conveyors do that for us.
But back when I was hoggin on engine lathes, you can't beat a broom and a shovel.

Dumpster_diving · Aug 31, 2018

For home shop...a capped aluminum tube with a washer affixed around the outside part-way down. Magnet on a stick rides inside the tube inside. When the chips pile up, wave the magic wand over the pile and dump the resulting clump into the trash (by withdrawing the magnet up the tube). Cleanly disposes of 90% of the swarf. End of the session, vacuum what's left.

DDoug · Aug 31, 2018

For a home shop....

Try the obvious forums...Please.

PeteM · Aug 31, 2018

Good idea to real-time vac cast iron chips (they make a mess and are hard on ways) and surface grinding dust if you're running dry -- home shop or not. Chip pans & shovel, grab, vac the rest. I'll sometimes vac during machining if chips are getting recut.

sebzin · Sep 1, 2018

On a drill press and a knee mill, we use most of the times a magnetic pick up tool, like this:

Of course it only works with magnetics steels, but in our case it does well.
A big broom always has a good use too

Mike C. · Sep 1, 2018

Full size shop vac when finished. I have a big Rigid brand from HD that will suck up bowling balls. Long stringy chips. Get one of those little 1ft long one handed three pronged gardening rakes.

projectnut · Sep 1, 2018

If you're talking about a milling machine I use something like this. It was built by a member several years ago. I copied it for use on my Bridgeport for use when I was milling a number of cast iron parts. The attachment holds the vacuum intake from a shop vacuum in constant proximity to the cutter. Since it stays with the cutter it leaves both hands free to operate the machine.

tim9lives · Sep 1, 2018

Some chips are hot enough to burn your vac and then burn down your house. I'd shy away from sucking hot chips into a vac and then fanning the fire with said air-flow of vac.

Mark Rand · Sep 1, 2018

I don't have a problem with that:- I find that they just stick to my skin...

Bobw · Sep 1, 2018

Really friendly long haired cat. Roll her across the floor... And then sleep on the
couch for a few weeks. This isn't rocket science.

J_R_Thiele · Sep 6, 2018

Several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil held in place by magnets can be helpful physical barrier. It is inexpensive and fast to set up. It does not get them all, but it helps. I have also used cardboard held together with drywall screws. Again, inexpensive and fast, though not nearly as moldable as the aluminum foil.

If you are going to use a shop vac you need to have a small nozzle positioned where the chips come off. A small nozzle will have a faster intake speed. If the intake air speed is not faster than the speed the chips fly off you are unlikely to suck them up. Because of this the crevice nozzles tend to work better than the round end of an extension tube. The crevice nozzle for a 1-1/4 inch of 1-1/2 inch diameter tube will work better than a 2 or 2-1/2 in diameter tube.

Be wary of shop vac ratings. A 30 inch shop fan will move a LOT of cfm, but make a lousy vacuum.

JRivera · Sep 9, 2018

Thanks for all the helpful ideas !

Orange Vise · Sep 10, 2018

There's no easy solution. We run lights out production 6-7 days per week with chip conveyors and chip showers in all of our machines. We still need to use shop vacs and various gardening tools to control chips.

thermite · Sep 10, 2018

J_R_Thiele said:
If you are going to use a shop vac you need to have a small nozzle positioned where the chips come off. A small nozzle will have a faster intake speed. If the intake air speed is not faster than the speed the chips fly off you are unlikely to suck them up. Because of this the crevice nozzles tend to work better than the round end of an extension tube. The crevice nozzle for a 1-1/4 inch of 1-1/2 inch diameter tube will work better than a 2 or 2-1/2 in diameter tube.

There's a hybrid approach possible as well.

If a shop air nozzle can be "aimed at" the (generally now LARGER, even funnel-shaped..) intake across the path of the chip & coolant exit stream, adjusted per Bernoulli'isms, et al, the two working together may be able to dramatically boost the capture percentage.

Nuisance work to "tune" for onesies. Calls for a better continuous duty class of rig than the average "shop vac".

Get the fluidics and Venturi effects right, no shop vac needed.

"Calypso" lifted a great many antiquities off the seabed by simply injecting compressed air at the mouth of a large tube, seabed level. No suction pump atop at all. The expanding air bubbles and water froth then carried sand and old treasures upward to drop out into a net, Calypso's deck, water through headed for the scuppers, and back overboard.

Might fit the payback of a "lights out" process?

Air can be right effective stuff. See "Dynamite Cruiser, Vesuvius" and the shelling of Cuba.

mountie · Nov 14, 2018

projectnut said:
If you're talking about a milling machine I use something like this. It was built by a member several years ago. I copied it for use on my Bridgeport for use when I was milling a number of cast iron parts. The attachment holds the vacuum intake from a shop vacuum in constant proximity to the cutter. Since it stays with the cutter it leaves both hands free to operate the machine.

Nice solution. Is that EMT tubing? Why the shock?

Illinoyance · Nov 14, 2018

On a lathe make a sheet metal deflector to force the chips to drop into the chip pan. Attach it to the carriage with a cheap mag base. On the mill make baffles of sheet metal, Masonite, or plastic. Set them up with mag bases. Once you have the chips dropping into a confined area pick them up with the shop vac.

Home shop chip removal .. what you guys use ?

Aluminum

Diamond

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Titanium

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Cast Iron

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Plastic

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Stainless

Attachments

Hot Rolled

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Aluminum

Titanium

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Aluminum

Stainless

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