Controlling swarf

[eskimo]

what do others do to control swarf from their mill thereby reducing time spent cleaning...everthing and especially the damn floor

[nadroj]

Bunnings hardware shop had a magnetic broom for $15, good for floor. Don't think they have it any more?

Jordan

[pipeclay]

Get some of that plastic stuff they print signs on and cut it to suit so as to maintain as much swarf as you can on the mill itself.
I wouldnt buy it but look for old forsale signs or similar.

[Tankstand]

A strip of sheet metal 4 inches or so wide, crudely bent into a semi circle and put it in the path of the swarf at it as it comes off of the cutter.

[eskimo]

Bunnings hardware shop had a magnetic broom for $15, good for floor. Don't think they have it any more?

can I get a brass and ally magnet their too?:D

[pipeclay]

To save you time and effort cleaning swarf from your floor,if you are going to be doing serious milling work why not build your self an enclosure and swarf conveyor system.

That way you would only need to clean swarf from the work area and your coolant would be contained as well.

[Dano48]

can I get a brass and ally magnet their too?
Yeah, just ask for a bragnet, or a allgnet,:U

[nadroj]

can I get a brass and ally magnet their too?:D

I'm not sure, but you could ask.

Jordan

[Studley 2436]

Good suggestions above but if you are going to be milling get used to handling the swarf. Even on our CNC, at work, which is fully enclosed we still suffer keeping it cleaned and digging splinters out and so on.

Studley

[eskimo]

we have parquetry flooring and I was after some really good remedies so that I didnt have to take my boots off ...starts to cold this time of the year and gets colder as we go further into winter

but as usual the smart ass replies are always around....cant wait for the next dozen or two....this is a job for an apprentice...devise a method!!!

allgnet and bragnet eh? wonder if the girls at Bunnings are any the wiser...like asking for a can of striped paint....good laugh but
to all those who have replied to date ...even the smart ass's
thanks, but no real solution in sight i think

[jatt]

Workshop wet and dry vac

[pipeclay]

It appears from your response that theres no real solution in sight that you are not very serious in your search to find a means to contain the swarf on,in or as near as possable to your milling machine.

You may have to consider purchaseing a second pair of workshop footwear and erect your self a designated cleaning area/quarantine area.

Maybe make your self up a purpose made boot rubbing area with some expanded mesh to remove the bulk,then you could sit and pick the rest of the swarf from your boots before replaceing them with house footwear.

[eskimo]

It appears from your response that theres no real solution in sight that you are not very serious .

I am serious but out of all the replies how many were really able to ensure I dont have to clean the floor...i dont want to clean the floor if i dont have too....thats a womens work....ssshhhh....i didnt really say that

no seriously I was after ideas and all replies except the humorous ones are ideas . but i thought some one may have had or does have a really brilliant way that WE all could adopt

[Dave J]

I have told my wife, and I look at it this way.
All my kids and grandkids know what the word swarf means, because if they haven't had a piece in their foot:o, they have heard mum/grandma yelling about it after she got a piece in her foot,:~ so it is educational. A lot of there friends didn't know the meaning of the word in kinda garden:?, my kids/grandkids did.:2tsup:

I really don't think there is a way around it, even the pedestal drill is bad enough. I have tried everything, but you cant stop it going on the floor. The needles from side and horizontal milling are the worst. I use an old vacuum cleaner and a $15 magnetic pickup tool from Hare and Forbes.
As said, I think taking your shoes off and is the easiest fix. I wear the elastic side slip on work boots which are a lot easier to get on and off.
Dave

[Studley 2436]

Work is work, you do it and leave your boots there. They get filthy and there is nothing you can do about it.

There are shops that have high end CNC by people like Mori Seiki and Mazak which are fully covered. They air condition those places to be 20ºC year round and the floors are white and spotless. They run pallet loaders and robots load the pallets. Every part is electronically checked. Even in those places they say you have work wear inside and you have to change when you leave, although that is likely to stop dirt being brought in from outside.

Of course that is high end stuff for Aerospace and the like, and costs millions to do. I do know of one place like that, that is paid $20,000 a month for the scrap aluminium from just one machine!

The rest of us well keep it as clean as you can but you will have to keep at it to keep it clean and boots stay in the shed.

Studley

[rusty steel]

I keep a few pieces of cardboard on hand to control the swarf,but I only use motor oil to assist cutting. One piece has a hole cut in it to fit neatly over the vice and it is folded towards the rear to direct most of the shavings back on to the table. Other pieces have a vertical fold which helps them to stand up on the table.
If you are using water based coolant you would have to use something similar to that corrugated plastic sheeting which is called "Coreflute".
Metal could be dangerous unless it was fastened to the table which would be a nuisance unless it was easily removable.
The other thing I have is a rubber floor mat (from Clark Rubber) which has holes in it .What shavings get past the cardboard just fall through and don't get stuck on the soles of my boots.
Regards,
Russell

[eskimo]

I do know of one place like that, that is paid $20,000 a month for the scrap aluminium from just one machine!

The rest of us well keep it as clean as you can but you will have to keep at it to keep it clean and boots stay in the shed.

to answer your last bit first...yep looks like they are going to have to stay outside

and can you give me a hint as to who/which co buys the ally...wouldnt be from plympton area would it?....thats a lot of swarf from one cnc but...20k wow!

[the fabricator]

The needles from side and horizontal milling are the worst.

agreed, i dont think i'd even clean one if i used it, they look deadly.

p.s of course i'd clean it but i'd be very kindful as they dont look fun to pull out of your skin:no:

[bollie7]

Like most of the answers so far I don't think there is anyway to stop at least some of it ending up on the floor. You could also try some movable screens like welding screens to try and contain it to an area around the machine. That might reduce the amount of floor area you have to sweep.You could also use some wooden "duck boards" around the machine to make it a bit more comfortable on your feet. Theres lots of different types of synthetic/rubber mats around. I've used a couple at a couple of different work locations but I like the wooden duckboards better as its seems to be easier to get the swarf out from under your feet.

bollie7

[Studley 2436]

This was in Seattle. The story was can't tell you who I am making it for but well gee gosh it is 7075 aluminium, which is what you have to use when you make 747's and Jet Fighters and so on. Surprise surprise, Boeing is in Seattle isn't it? *LOL*

They needed the machine to do that job in a rush, so phoned up Mazak who fortunately had one close enough to what they wanted. Might have been 7 axis 120 tool magazine. The envelope was huge 3 or 4 metres x 2.5m. They then dropped a cool million on the machine which was put on a ship and in house in only a couple of weeks. This compares to the normal way of getting really big stuff like that of specifying what you want and then they build it and it is ready for testing 2 years after order. If you have money they will build you anything you want within reason.

Studley

[nadroj]

I once complained to a friend that it's unfortunate all the swarf that my lathe made. His reply was "Well you shouldn't have got a lathe then". What he meant was, stop whinging and accept it as unavoidable.
May the swarf be with you!

Jordan

[BobL]

The lathes at work have permanently mounted metal sheeting splash and swarf capture backs that come up to a height about 1.5 m that capture the stuff going backwards.

In terms of forward splash I have seen a very nice curved sheet metal guard about 200 mm wide on a lathe that attached on the underneath of the carriage and slides/rotates out, around in front of the LHS of the carriage and slides back in under the carriage. This seemed to be a good way of reducing lube splash.

[danielhobby]

try eriez magnetics web site and look at magnetic floor sweepers,push type and you may get an idea.I used to make them and they help a good bit,regards danny