Stopping milling chips going everyehere

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Anyone tried blowing chips, which is common on Machine Centres?  The job and cutter are cooled by aimed blasts of gas that also directs the swarf into a collection area.

The blast is often compressed air, usually supplemented with an aerosol cutting fluid, but because air is an Oxidiser, liquid Nitrogen is also widely used – it’s very cold and mostly unreactive.   Argon when Nitrogen is unsuitable, but it’s pricey.  When swarf is produced by the ton, it pays to keep it clean – avoid mixing metals and contaminating coolants.  Blowing is cleaner than other methods.

The “collection area” can also be elaborate.   At least one Machine Centre includes a conveyor belt, needed because the machine produce 1500kg of swarf per shift.  Another loads swarf into cartridges – no mess.

Obviously over the top at home, but manually blowing chips with compressed air might be an alternative to a vacuum.  Needs care: professional blower systems are fully enclosed, making it unlikely the operator will be injured by an accidentally misdirected faceful of hot swarf!

And should out of control swarf be a problem in a home workshop?  Pushed hard with carbide, my 1.5kW-ish lathe and mill are both powerful enough to spray chunky red-hot steel granules.   Metal comes off quickly and finish is excellent.   BUT, because the granules are hot enough to burn skin, fly up to a couple of metres, and might start a fire, I don’t cut that hard.  Instead, I back off enough to produce ribbons of swarf that stay on the machine.  When the heap gets too big, I stop and clear it manually.   I’m not in a tearing hurry, and am mindful that my hobby machines aren’t designed to remove metal at high speed.

Dave

[Dave SParticipant @daves59043]

I’m still finding Swarf from this op miles from the machine:

https://youtube.com/shorts/kbY15HNpIQg?feature=shared

Its not even small swarf:

https://youtube.com/shorts/722Ub2RuWxc?feature=shared

On my big mill I just try and stand out of the way and then clear up later.

Im building an enclosure around the CNC, as the swarf it generates seems to be more needle like.

SWMBO is tolerant, but there are limits…

Dave

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Some retired mills seen on Ebay have an acrylic shield with doors on the table. Some model makers use a ‘cut about’ 4 pint milk carton, scoop shaped to catch swarf, somewhat small for your needs.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Dave I use air on the CNC not really for cooling but to just keep the area around the cutter clear of swarf. I only use a low pressure and not too large a flow rate otherwise it will just increase the problem of spreading the chips downwind.

IPA is the one to add to the air if you want cooling with the bonus it does not leave you with a pile of wet soggy chips which nobody wants.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Inhaling IPA won’t do you any good, and spraying an aerosol sounds like a good way of getting it airborne

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The likes of Datron have extractors on he enclosures so not really a problem particularly as the MQL systems use such a small amount it would not even go above accepted levels, you are looking at a few mls per hour. The liquid is feed into the air supply not sprayed from a can.

My own MQL which I use with a neat fully synthetic cutting fluid delivers about 10 to 30mls per hour and I generally use it on the lowest rate.

[samuel heywoodParticipant @samuelheywood23031]

Maybe i’m running too slow, but i don’t find my milling chips travelling too far.

I do have issue with drilling on the mill, at least with (mild/ish) steel, this gets chucked everywhere, there’s probably some still under the fridge as i write this~ being as i use it in the kitchen!!

Drilling on the lathe is SO much nicer.

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