My shop

[Steamchick]

Every time I open the garage door (twice daily, except on sunny warm days when it is open while I am it there, or when doing hot-stuff, or running any gas of fuelled appliance (boiler, blowlamp), or....
So leaves, dust, and other crap simply blows-in. Driving a wet car or motorcycle in generates more crap... and I have detected brass swarf 15 feet from the lathe after a busy session. - That gets everywhere! (even in the shower from my hair/beard).
And most times I am interrupted by food/bed/too tired to concentrate so easier to NOT tidy-up/clean everything... as when I come back (sometimes days later for other jobs - always things have to be done to interrupt the modelling) I can at least remember from the job and tools on the bench where I was at. That's just how I find I live, not the text book way but it is life. Not to be fretted-over when I forget what I was doing, or why I had that particular tool on the bench! - It will be used or put away as required next time...
I'm with you guys. Doing stuff becomes first priority, and the ideal "clean and tidy" second... if I ever get past first!
K2

 

[paulrayner]

Steamchick-and I have detected brass swarf 15 feet from the lathe after a busy session. - That gets everywhere! (even in the shower from my hair/beard).
Learned recently from Max at swan valley machine shop. When turning brass etc If you are able to run your lathe backwards ie. no screwed chuck turn your tool upside down and all the chips fly downwards. check him out.
https://www.youtube.com/@swanvalleymachineshop/videos
regards
Paul

 

[Toymaker]

I'm quite jealous of those builders that are able to keep their shop immaculately clean; it can be months before I manage to clean all the swarf from the bottom of my lathe. I just took the pic below which shows a mix of several weeks worth of brass and aluminum chips. Thankfully my lathe is slant-bed with the tool post located on the far-side of the chuck and the cutting tool mounted upside down, which forces nearly all the chips to fall directly into the bed,...otherwise I'ld be knee deep in swarf most of the time.

 

[stanstocker]

As I get older I find a bit cleaner and more organized shop helps me get things done. Seldom get very far towards some "editor who never set foot in a working shop" idea of the perfect shop as seen in some woodworking magazine photos though. Perhaps it's the clock and watch maker background or all the time working in labs, but reality is more often a square foot of clear to near sterile work area surrounded by a train wreck. It appears the train was all gondolas carrying scrap metal, was moving at high speed at the derail, and all flipped when leaving the tracks

A chip shield on a lathe can be very nice when cutting a lot of brass, a small one stuck to the tool bit or a hinged one rigged up, either way just knock the nasty little flying all edge bits down into the chip pan as early in their flight as possible!

 

[Steamchick]

Stan, I use a variety of bits of card and paper folded to catch the crap and re-direct it into a swarf tray. I use paper so if anything touches the chuck it simply moves away - white so I can see the job and cut better with the white behind it . But some tools, at high speed on brass, simply produce a spray of fine swarf and it really does get everywhere.
K2