Question of cleaning

[JCSteam]

I'm looking to buy a small Hoover to clear all the chips away from the lathe, does anyone have any recommendations? The paint brush method just ain't working and mores on the floor than in the plastic chip waste box.

I only have a 6x4' shed and limited storage elsewhere, so I was wondering if there was a small hand held unit that might be sufficient? Most machining I'm doing is brass with small chips, but I know these can magnetise to motor systems and wreak a hover in no time. Any ideas what might work?

Thanks in advance

 

[Cogsy]

Can't suggest a brand - I just use a cheap wet/dry vac from a hardware store. I can tell you that brass is non-magnetic and will not stick to the motor though.

 

[deeferdog]

Like Cogsy I use a cheap wet and dry and suck up everything in sight The metal swarf has never affected the motor, it's been going for years and the only problem is that the oil slowly builds up on the inside of the hose and I start to get a lot of blockages. I then go down to the local Op shop and for $3 get a new hose. They have hundreds of them, I imagine it must be the same over there. Cheers, Peter

 

[goldstar31]

As far as I can see, you are a person who is 'strapped for cash' and is presently building up the bits which make up a workshop- with difficulty!

Unless the situation has changed, I would be concentrating on more important tooling.

Whilst it is true that a magnet is useless on non ferrous metals, a lot of iron/steel can be recovered with a magnet of some sort in a poly bag. Again. I use cheap child's modelling clay or office blu-tack. What remains is removed with one or other of the domestic vacuums.

I have rather a LARGE house and use a two stroke leaf blower for an even larger garden if it is too wet to pick up grass and leaves with a sit on mower.

In other words, Stick to the present essentials. You only have modest little outfit. If you ere using a big mill or lathe running in coolant or a wood saw or even a surface grinder or tool and cutter grinder, I would advise differently!

Regards

N

 

[fcheslop]

Have a look at the local tip theres usually crate loads with the brush heads gone but the vac unit is good, Use it when it goes pop get another
I did this for many years then went posh and bought a shop one from Lidil of all place and it turned out to be a re branded fancy German brand .
The free papers often have them for a few quid
Failing that pinch youre lasses and suffer the wrath
cheers

 

[django]

I've just bought a garden Blower/Vacuum for shop cleaning for £30 from Aldi, not tried it out yet but for 30 quid it aint goin to break the bank.

 

[Blogwitch]

One thing I have found invaluable when eventually I clean my machines, no use for non ferrous, but great for getting those tiny bits of steel out of small crevises is a magnetic pickup. I have two, a 3" diameter for getting stuff off the floor and a 1" one for on the machine.
Easily made but being so lazy, I bought mine

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Hand-Tools/Magnetic-Swarf-Pick-up-Rods

The large hand held one I picked up off a street market and ties some string to it so that it could be dragged across the floor.

John

 

[ShopShoe]

I'm writing from the USA, so options may differ. I use the wet-and-dry vacuums. I have had several over the years and currently have three in use throughout the house and shop. Cheap at the hardware store and home center and everyone sells parts and accessories. The "Shop" one I keep a small layer of "oil dry" or kitty litter in the bottom to soak up oil and other liquids that come with the swarf.

Here, there are units down to "one gallon" available and some are sold for wall mounting. We also had various "dust buster" handheld vacs and one of the "pet spot cleaner" things. None of those worked very well or had to be emptied or filters cleaned too often to be really useful.

All that said: I use small dust pans and chip brushes for most of the machine and table-top cleaning.

--ShopShoe

 

[Sansspaceship]

Check out the ‘dust deputy’ Carbatec sell them in Oz, I do mainly alu so create a large volume of chips on the mill but it works just as well with steel, as use it on the lathe as well. I went through a few vac’s until I found this, just buy the basic cyclone and get some pool hose and a 15-20 ltr empty paint tin. It short it separates over 99% of chips out before hitting the vac.

Note the OP wanted compact which this is not but I run a 6’ hose to the cyclone so I can reach my two main mess makers and have another 5’ hose to the vac in another room so I don’t have to listen to it

Just an alternative.

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[Sansspaceship]

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Hand-Tools/Magnetic-Swarf-Pick-up-Rods

John

That looks fantastic John; could use one for the lathe - for the long stringy bits!
:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Blogwitch]

S,
I find it is not strong enough to pull out large strings of swarf, for that, I just use a swarf rake (bit of bent up 6mm steel rod with a handle), like this.

BTW, those magnetic pickup tools are available in your part of the world

http://www.ausee.com.au/shop/category.aspx?catid=6146


John

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

For what its worth I use magnets salvaged from old hard disk drives. There are two very powerful ones in each disk drive. I have a pair that I mounted onto the end of a length of 20mm plastic water pipe with hot melt glue. I then placed that into a 450mm length of 40mm diameter plastic drain pipe with a plastic cap glued to the end, so that the chips couldn't stick directly to the magnets when in use.

This is great for picking up chips from both the mill and the lathe. You do need to put a plastic ring, a few inches up from the end, around the outside of the pipe so that the chips will get knocked off and not follow the magnet up the outside of the pipe. I've had mine for a number of years. You can buy these commercially.

I'll take a picture of mine tomorrow and post it here.

 

[JCSteam]

John that magnetic pickup is pretty useful, if nothing else to retrieve small drill bits that disappear under the work bench lol. I'm sure I've seen smaller head ones for half the price on eBay, but none the less a useful bit of kit.

Norm the tooling situation is improving, so far I've bought a live center, grinder, HSS blanks, knurling tool, set of drills 0.5-13mm HSS, micrometer x2 0-1", dial indicator, and magnetic stand, some tap wrenches and die wrenches, just need to build the collection of taps and dies.
The problem is the more tooling I have the more swarf I make , hence me wanting a small hover of some type.....

Frazer that's not a bad idea, may look into that.

I've heard of the dirt devils, do they do a hand held one with a nossle, may be useful.

I do accept the point on oil build up so I guess go for a generic brand that has a standard size hose.

I should have been more specific in my post with the shed been so small, I was really looking for a small hand held one, two reasons there cheap, and can just be hung from a nail on the back of the door when not needed so won't take up much room.

Thanks for all your input, it's much appreciated.

 

[goldstar31]

Jon

I'm pleased to read that you are now able to extend your tooling. However, you actually have a very useful on off magnetic stand and if you put it into a plastic bag-- well, you know the rest.

Again, I use mine to retrieve stuff that has legs and creeps into hidden spaces.

Kind regards

N

 

[JCSteam]

Yes slow and steady, it's been funded by buying some tooling I need to make some bits then selling the bits, worked out ok at the moment as the tooling has paid for itself straight away. Still a way to go for the lathe to pay for it self but getting there.

 

[mfrick]

So I suggest if your going to use wet/dry vac that you take filter out and put a tin guard around the portion of the filter frame that faces the inlet. The filter will plug rapidly and since it most likely paper it will be useless. I have had one set up for 30 yrs this way and it works great. I use a gallon coffee can cut side out using half of the can and your all set.

*discussion*

 

[goldstar31]

Perhaps some are missing the point and it would be rather nice to have room for - a lathe.

I recall my old tutor who said 'Stop for a moment and read the question-- and then take a step back- then answer the question'

Perhaps he was right and the result and - I haven't had to work at all for the last 34 years!



Norm

 

[mfrick]

Your Right I didn't get the part about a hand held vac. Your could always mount vac outside and run a fitting through wall for the hose to connect, they call it central vac system.

 

[JCSteam]

Hi mfrick,

I only have a 6x4 wooden shed as my "workshop" so not much space for industrial style Hoover's, I was wondering if there was a small vac that would suit my small space available. Hand held I think may be the option, but I could be wrong.......the lathe is setup on a 1000mmx600mm kitchen worktop, on a kitchen base unit. All screwed into the framework of the shed. Small is good on the wallet, if not on the ego

 

[goldstar31]

The price for handheld Dyson V6's could be suitable have dropped to about £120/130.

My daughter has one but whether either is suitable for 'workshop use' is debatable. I have a Henry which my cleaning lady insisted on to clean my bungalow. Yesterday, I was cleaning sawdust, leaves and other detritus like pebbles from my drives and so on. I used one of the large Aldi affairs earlier suggested but the size is vast- but works. My petroil leaf/shredder/sucker is big, heavy and - I've burnt a hole in the bag!!! The thing which was dead cheap and suitable for barbecues- whether to burn or remove the ashes is 'iffy'. I squeezed the nozzle to go inside the tee slots on the mill/drill but frankly I remain unimpressed.

All in all, I would settle for the Aldo one--- and might use it to blow a tuyere:fan:

I have a Hoover hoover which has a venturi thing which I fell over and it's going in the Christmas frefuse collection-- along with a book called The Naked Civil Servant. Quentin Crisp's TV dissertation on the Law of Diminishing Returns on Cleaning was admirable!. My late wife adored his concepts-- and gave up housework

N