# Mill cleanup



## Oldmechthings (Jan 20, 2008)

There was a time when cleanup of the milling machine was a real chore, with T slot cleaners and brushes and special little scoops that would fit down in the coolant trough. Then I got a 5 gallon shop vacuum and hung it out of the way on the wall behind the mill. The hose is fitted with a crevasse tool and is hung from a counterbalanced cord from the ceiling. There is an auxiliary on-off switch conveniently located right there above that blue light fixture. Clean up is now a snap. The tool will suck the chips up out of the T slots, and out of the recesses in the vise. In fact it is so easy it is almost an on going process. The workpiece never gets buried in chips and it so much easier to see the progress.


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## Powder keg (Jan 20, 2008)

Great Idea Birk! I just got a Shop vac. I'm sure I'll find numerous uses for it:O)

Wes


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## Brass_Machine (Jan 20, 2008)

I have done almost the same thing. OFC I have a smaller mill, so I use a smaller shopvac. I think it is call the Stinger from home depot. Just a small half gallon vac.

Eric


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## Don Huseman (Mar 1, 2008)

has any one hooked up a shopvack to a bench grinder. Also has anyone hooked up a shopvac to a surface grinder to collect the grit so it won't get in the ways.


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## Don Huseman (Mar 7, 2008)

I have a little vacuum that is for picking up dust around the house. I have it hooked up to a drill grinder and it is about the same as a bench grinder. It has a tube in the back to suck the dust and it does a great job. I would say it sucks up about 90 percent of the dust and grindings. I heard that the grinding dust form a bench grinder is bad to breath.


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## rake60 (Mar 8, 2008)

I have an 8 Gallon Shop Vac in my basement that on an average day weighs about 15 pounds
from grinding dust, small chips and the occasional cheap tooth brush that slips out of my
grasp while cleaning up the machines. 

I use the standard Disposable Collection Filter Bags in it.
I attach to the bench grinder and have never had a spark remaining hot enough to cause a fire
issue. It may well be possibility, but one that I've never thought of...

Rick


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## deere_x475guy (Mar 8, 2008)

Here is my new addition to the shop this year. It takes up little room in the shop and is really quiet. I really like the bag filter the dual filter set up. I always seemed to get dust mixed back out of the exhaust with the old one (it was a 15 year old shopvac).


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## pelallito (Jul 21, 2008)

Perhaps you might take a look at this addition to a shop vac for the shop. It is a cyclone seperator that is home made.
http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm
I made one and it works.
Regards,
Fred


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## BobWarfield (Jul 22, 2008)

I don't think you can have a shop vac that is too big! I use mine constantly, and in some cases, too much!

With that said, I will tell you a humorous story of how not to use a shop vac. I am fortunate in that I have a sink in my shop. It's very handy. The downside is that it gets some chips landing in it. I worry that these can clog it up. So one day I was running the shop vac around and hit on the sink. I started to vac it out and before I knew it I had pulled a vacuum on the drain. Something like a week before I poured an old beer down that same drain. 

What happened is the vacuum sucked a bunch of nasty up past the trap in the sink and then into the shop vac. You wouldn't believe was a nasty smell some rancid beer from a sink trap and whatever else was in there can produce! Now I get that out the exhaust of my shop vac whenever I run it.

I need to tear the durned thing down and clean it thoroughly to get rid of that nasty smell!

Best,

BW


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## kennyd (Jul 22, 2008)

pelallito  said:
			
		

> Perhaps you might take a look at this addition to a shop vac for the shop. It is a cyclone seperator that is home made.
> http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm
> I made one and it works.
> Regards,
> Fred



I use one from Horrible Freight that fits on a 5 gallon bucket. It works very well to collect the chips and keep the vacuum clean.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=9586


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## shred (Jul 22, 2008)

BobWarfield  said:
			
		

> I don't think you can have a shop vac that is too big! I use mine constantly, and in some cases, too much!


I inherited a huge old shop vac with the house and it's too big, at least for my space. It works great, but takes up way too much room.  I'm going to grab one of the little ones next time they put them on sale.


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