Stopping milling chips going everyehere

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

So looking for ideas, sick on the workshop being covered in milling chips.  Have you devised some DIY solution

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

A) try and cut so they get flicked towards the back

B) even a fairly small perspex/acrylic screen on a mag-base & arm can help contain them.

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

What material?

A magnet in a plastic bag can help.

A hoover directed in the appropriate direction can work.

[petro1headParticipant @petro1head]

Aluminium

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

I’ve been milling some aluminium and spent about 3 hours this PM cleaning up. The problem is high cutter speed and low mass of the chips, flings them off and they fly well. I’ve got plastic screens and sometimes the chips just bounce off them.

Martin C

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Be very cautious using magnets! If your quill gets magnetised ferrous chips will stick to the cutter and not get cleared from its edges, reducing life and possibly causing breakage.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Even with full all round screens some still gets over the top as shown in the pics.

Emgee

 

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It’s life, live with it.

The large facemills seem to throw it about the most

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I worked at BAC Chadderton one summer. The spar milling machines had engineered screens all round, when they were running full tilt it sounded as like you were in WW1 machine gun fire with chips hitting the walls

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

broom and/or vacuum cleaner

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

I use an old vacuum cleaner.  Catches most of the aluminium chips. It’s a bag type Miele and has a secondary HEPA filter (Dog & Cat model) so no chance of fine dust getting into the motor. A big old magnetic DTI stand holds the hose in place and is easilly moved.

Robert.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

Made this the other day, for exactly the same reason.

[martin haysom]

On martin haysom Said:

broom and/or vacuum cleaner

That’s what I currently use 🤣

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

A lot depends on the type of cut, while a small vacuum nozzle, bit of perspex or even the trough that my CNC has around the table will catch what smaller cutters throw out as it does not go that far and is usually in one direction.

Once you start to use say a flycutter or face mill that is when you spread it further particularly if cutting in both directions where you would have to move the vac/perspex at the end of every cut. So unless you go for a full enclosure you will always be spreading it about the workshop as it will miss the vac or just bounce off the perspex.

Even taking a decent vertical depth of cut with the aluminium specific cutters can make a lot of swarf in a short space of time and the fact they can be run fast particularly if cabide will throw the shards around the workshop. Job like this scoop then straight up with a dustpan no need for a brush or broom when you have that amount an dtheir length can block a vac’s tube.

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi JasonB, you might be able to enter that in the Tate Modern, must be at least as good as Tracy Emin’s Messy Bed. 😀

Regards Nick.

[Neville ChaseParticipant @nevillechase52412]

Please delete.

 

[Robert Atkinson 2]

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

I use an old vacuum cleaner.  Catches most of the aluminium chips. It’s a bag type Miele and has a secondary HEPA filter (Dog & Cat model) so no chance of fine dust getting into the motor. A big old magnetic DTI stand holds the hose in place and is easilly moved.

Robert.

I am sure the HEPA filter is after the motor.

[halfnutParticipant @halfnut]

Proper wet and dry shop vacs are cheap and very effective. If not for initial chip control with large flycutters,  then at least for quick clean up afterwards.

[Andrew CrowParticipant @andrewcrow91475]

Use a perspex screen as several others have mentioned, the main thing is to stop the chips hitting you, and as halfnut states above there are some good vacuum cleaners that clean up the mess afterwards.

Andy.

[halfnutParticipant @halfnut]

And if you angle the perspex screens inwards at the top, ricochets angle downwards toward the table.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

I’ve seen some of the wood routing machines on Youtube have a brush skirt around the cutting head, might be an idea? But this will keep the swarf/chips local, whereas, I suppose the idea is to get them away.

Also, there are downward cutting milling cutters which have anti-clockwise arranged flutes, like some reamers. These might help deflect chips downward. Never used one, so can’t claim how effective they might be.

Ed.

[Neville Chase]

On Neville Chase Said:

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

I use an old vacuum cleaner.  Catches most of the aluminium chips. It’s a bag type Miele and has a secondary HEPA filter (Dog & Cat model) so no chance of fine dust getting into the motor. A big old magnetic DTI stand holds the hose in place and is easilly moved.

Robert.

I am sure the HEPA filter is after the motor.

Not on the Miele. Its a flat panel the fits in the wall of the chamber the bag sits in. It will even save the cleaner if you forget to put a bag in………….

[Robert Atkinson 2]

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

On Neville Chase Said:

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

I use an old vacuum cleaner.  Catches most of the aluminium chips. It’s a bag type Miele and has a secondary HEPA filter (Dog & Cat model) so no chance of fine dust getting into the motor. A big old magnetic DTI stand holds the hose in place and is easilly moved.

Robert.

I am sure the HEPA filter is after the motor.

Not on the Miele. Its a flat panel the fits in the wall of the chamber the bag sits in. It will even save the cleaner if you forget to put a bag in………….

That’s not a HEPA filter. HEPA filter is after the motor on top of vacuum.  Some Miele’s have them, some not. The Cat and Dog does.

 

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Appologies Neville,

You are correct. It’s been a while since I changed it and mixed up the filter positions.

Robert.

[Robert Atkinson 2]

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

Appologies Neville,

You are correct. It’s been a while since I changed it and mixed up the filter positions.

Robert.

No worries. I might add that some Miele’s will not allow the lid to close if a bag is not installed. Not sure which models that applies to. Always good to have a motor filter there just in case you forget to replace the bag anyway. Also heard that some can have the bag disconnect, but which model that was I don’t remember. Never had this issue with the Dog and Cat and the current C3 Family Allrounder I am using now.

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