Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. The whole common sense thing needs to kick in at one point or another, so, if its easier to "Brush" chips off the machine directly into a dust pan and then into the scrap bin, do it... It makes no sense to blow them onto the floor just to pick them up. I NEVER clear the bulk chips off my machines with air. It's the hard to reach or stubborn chips that get blasted. As for a shop vac, only fiber materials like phenolic, G10 or tufnol get the vac treatment. Steel chips, especially wet steel chips will spoil the vac hose and filter pretty quick.
I probably rely more on my shop vac than I should But... the shop vac I have near my mill and lathes is a Home Depot cheapie, and if it dies, I'll just replace it with another cheapie from HD or HF. Basically, some things are consumable products. We probably have three shop vacs at any given time, including one that never has a filter or bag in it, used for draining and cleaning a water feature near one of the doors.
I think I took the filter out of my 16 gallon shop vac over 20 years ago and it is on it's 3rd hose. I bought it for about $20 over 30 years ago back when Tractor Supply was Town & Country Farm Supply. I looked hard and found reducer fittings and a 3/4 inch thin nozzle for it. I hear you about it someday failing. Yuh maybe, but until then it does a better job than my wife's old Hoover carpet vac. :)
Thanks for doing this video! I'm tired of "experts" berating hobbyists for having an air hose "anywhere near a machine tool". As always, thanks for a great video Joe!
Agree. I always blow off chips from the tools before putting them back in storage. Could add that when you use a pressure washer on your motorcycle, be careful with the wheel bearings. Happy new year.
WELL DONE and very much appreciated. I've been in huge commercial and government shops all my life and watched the old timers use compressed air routinely during and after operations. I figure those old boys know what not to do. I was always puzzled by TH-cam "machinists" who are terrified at the mere suggestion of using compressed air on their machines. It really only takes around 20 PSI to provide plenty of air speed to get rid of the chips. Thanks for restating the obvious. We all need that from time to time.
Richard King is the grand master of machine rebuilding instruction in America, specifically precision way scraping. His Dad learned it in the 40s 50s from an older European and he went into business with his Dad in the 70s (ok I’m guessing a bit on the dates). They rebuilt machines for decades back when America was still the world’s factory. They would cone back to the same shops every 5-10 years and rebuild the same machines so they learned what worked and what didn’t. In his classes he emphasizes that if you blow chips off of slide ways you will embed them between sliding surfaces and you will,promote premature wear. Given the 1000s of machines he saw over 30+ years I have to believe there is something to that.
"Anyone who believes that they have common sense has simply forgotten who taught them what they know.” - Alan Quilley Thank you for sharing. Wish you well.
I have been using compressed air cleaning for any years ( off and on since 1965 and I totally agree with all that you explain. In the past few years as a holiest I have installed a line regulated to 25PSI and short hose to just reach my lathe, mill and bench vice Still gets chips out of the way and in this, my small hobby shop shop it works pretty good. Thanks Joe for all your excellent instructions! I love it!
I've been trained in two different machine shops over my early days... but they universally agreed on: no compressed air for cleaning stuff. As you mentioned: the chips are now stuck in the wall... or your co-workers eyes. And in some cases, maybe even your own. I generally keep a medium sized paint brush next to my own machines now to swipe off chips.
It goes so inline with what my father told me when I started follow him at his shop. When the day is done clean every tool and in the end of the week clean the shop. There is nothing so inpiering as clean tools and bench when you start the next day. Great info and that spray bottle was a great thing, I will take that with me. Thanks for your videos. Happy new year to you and your family.
Common Sense and Judicious Judgment are Needed...As With Anything...Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Joe and His Family...Thanks Again, Stay Safe, Stay Strong...
Great subject. In my high school machine shop, we blew the chips off onto the floor. The teacher would not allow floor sweeping by students saying, "you are machinist trainees, not custodians". When i became a shop teacher, i throttled the shop air down to 15 psi and that worked for cutting down cleanup, and horseplay and yes, my student swept the floors.
The super fine dust from brass is a challenge, sticks to everything when you use WD40 on it .. Great to see you posting Joe.. Thank you for all of your Sagely insight.. Have a Happy New Year and stay safe Sir.. D&Px
I only use cnc mills...but basically I agree with everything you said. I use a broom first...then coolant hose...then air hose. Air hose blowing down....never up!! Worked for me for 30 years!!
I’m glad you brought up the squeeze bulb thing. Those drive me nuts when used for metal chips. Better to get the compressed air in a can if you don’t have a compressor but to try and use that squeeze toy makes me nuts.
I bet a pressure regulator between the supply and the air gun would be a good idea for most people as sometimes you don't need the maximum available but just enough to remove the chips and not to launch them to eye level.
Haha, glad to know I'm not the only guy who calls that area on the lathe, the toilet. I also use a hook fashioned from a short piece of broom handle and 12 gauge wire to manage chips in the tray, but never when the machine is running.
and check out the little battery powered blowers. They put out an amazing blast of air, not as much or as concentrated as an air hose connected to 125lb, but an order of magnitude over a hair dryer. I glued a magnet to mine and can stick it to any convenient bit of steel in my shop where it is handy
Much faster and easier to sweep and vac the floor than the machine itself. As a millwright I fix milling machines everyday. The only area I specifically avoid with compressed air are the lip seals under the glass scales on a DRO. They tear and fall apart and nobody notices. Dirt get's on the scale causing it to misread.
I do everything you do except I leave a tool in the spindle always (also in the tail stock). In the CNC mill I make sure a tool is in the spindle when blowing air around but at end of the day I leave no tool in spindle. Every morning I climb in and wipe inside and use a felt spindle cleaner. I was told to leave the tool out just in case we have a cold night and it shrinks on the toolholder. Im pretty sure the tool changer can pull it out but im not going to argue
fwiw I have always used air - however I added a low pressure circuit in 3/8 nylon with push fit connections with drops by each machine ( 15 psi ). The low pressure is much less likely (imo) to drive chips anywhere where I don't want them. A low pressure reg is like $10.
I used to work on seed, the growers used to clean their machines with a vacuuming attachment operated by their air compressor, They found using compressed air just blew all the stuff they were trying to get out, all over the machinery and not cleaning. Bearings are particularly susceptible to pushing stuff passed the seal.
I use an electric blower in the shop. Originally designed for cleaning computers and such like, it has a variety of nozzles and 2 speeds. Saves charging the compressor for small clean ups.
If you pull those covers back on the Fadal, air or not, especially if you haven't in a while, you may be surprised at what you find. Even if you just vacuum and don't use air, they can get packed with chips and swarf. This happens in every shop that doesn't have a maintenance department that routinely PM's machines. I've seen some machines where the table assy fills with coolant and won't drain, gets rancid and turns into a swamp. Joe is right, air is fine, how you use it makes the difference.
According to Bernoulli's principal the faster the air is moving the lower the pressure so blowing across a small opening should create a suction rather than pushing anything into it.
I am not a professional machinist, but I have been using a small shop vac for years and rarely use compressed air. I often wonder why people still use compressed air since it just moves the chips from here to there. Maybe blowing air is faster in a production shop? Vacs make the chips disappear. They work great on most chips, but not for the long, stringy kind that gets stuck in the hose.
Slightly off topic, but do you ever oil the surfaces of your machines after cleaning them? Here in the UK for a lot of the year condensation will rapidly form. So a coat of slideway oil after cleaning is a must, otherwise one's machines will start to resemble the hull of the Titanic! I use coolant during most of my machining jobs. So cleaning, drying and oiling at the end of the day has to be done.
I do. If I know I'll be on vacation for a while, I'll mist every cast surface with WD-40. Marine supply store also sell fogging oil for the same purpose, but just for boat engines. I bet that would work too.
@@joepie221 I guessed that condensation wouldn't be much of an issue in the Texas climate. So a coat of WD would be all that's required. I've come in this morning to find some 'nice' spots of condensation sitting on top of the oil I applied to my machines. Indeed fogging oil would work, and would probably last longer than WD. I use 68 weight slideway oil, which is the same stuff that goes in the apron. It's cheap enough in 20 litre containers, so one can apply it liberally. I always wipe it off before I start machining, otherwise the coolant gets trashed pretty quickly. Oh. Reading through the comments it looks like you've started the great 'air line or no air line' debate of 2025! When I was an apprentice we had to clean the machines at the end of every day. We were given brushes, and rags to mop up the coolant. We were not allowed to leave a single speck of swarf on the machine, and we were told that air was an absolute no! Since I've had my own machines, I wouldn't be without it. As you say. There are areas that you don't want to use it, and the trick is to be careful. Happy new year.
Joe, Never questioning your expertise, but I hate compressed air blow off, if not necessary for safely reasons. Why not vacuum and brush off the bulk of the junk, and leave the compressed air blow off for the remainder. Thanks for all of your GREAT teaching ! Sincerely, Scott
Hi I been using air as far back as i can remember, all manual machines. And yes I do not blow chips around or near the open spindle, on my mill Plug it or prevent chips from entering it, Now i will make an exception to the rule Once everything is cleaned, I do remove my RM 8 and some times leave it in, without a bit in it, So i can push high velocity air through it, An i will blow that tube clean as everything can come right up out the top end, and if one has a lose or if you have a floating screw with clearance around the top of the lead screw, I been doing it for years, as it cleans the whole thing out. I don't see where i have encountered any problems, I always get a good snug fit when putting a new or clean RM 8 in the spindle. Some times i may try a rag, but it never gets it clean enough, and may leave lint etc, And besides my digital readout, I have also put a cloth over it drape it down quit a way so as to prevent any such chips going there I must be doing something wrong !
I use a vacuum cleaner after the bulk of the chips have been removed. On my mills I use parchment paper instead of the rubber that is common on most Bridgeport and BP clones. I brush the chips off onto the paper and when I am ready to clean up I just take the paper off and put another clean fresh piece of paper on it. I also use the paper in the chip pans on my lathes. Same method just brush the chips onto the paper and then throw the paper with the chips in the trash. Of course before putting the fresh paper on I use the vacuum cleaner to get any fine stuff.
It's good to know that I've been cleaning my little Sherline properly. It's probably even more important because of the materials used in its construction.
I've been vacuuming mine, cranking the recommended SuperLube through the ways, then wiping all steel surfaces with it real thin. I never would have done so when I worked in the shop, I just used compressed air. I notice my Sherline stuff rusts badly if I don't, and I keep them in a cool closet. Love those little machines!
Aye !! Chips Ahoy matey !! Last time i used shop air near my old worn out lathe, the chuck got so crunchy, I could barley work the jaws in or out. It's paint brushes and patience for me. Yeah, my machines are not the highest quality but they are my buddies. I have some very good paint brushes thou !! You know the buy nice or buy twice deal Wish you and yours a Happy New Year Joe, you da man sir!! Thank You !!
AHH- a Mr. Pete oil can! One of the few tips I took from his site-they are great, spill proof. Made a couple with flared end ss tubes. Regarding compressed air I agree with your suggestions but also keep the vacuum close at hand [and a swarf can]. They induce me to clean up more frequently. I like your shelf for the tool holders, will change mine from a tiered one that has more limited capacity. Thanks for this.
It’s not just WHERE to blow and where not to. It’s also WHAT to blow or not: Aluminum chips are fine in most places; cast iron dust is fine in no place. Tool steel is worse than mild steel. Thanks for the video!
I'm not a machinist, so I guess each one has his own best way and that is just fine. But advise from a clean shop is worth a lot. Thank you. and Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025.
Great stuff Joe, happy New Year to you, looking forward to many more captivating and informative videos 😊 give some thought to my challenge of making a part that looks like it was made on one of your miniature machines. No not made with the mini machine but scaled to look like it was.
Compressed air is banned in our shop (with the exception of CNC operators that are allowed to use it). However there are parts that cannot be machined without using it, or parts that take much longer to make (when there are lots of them). We still use it, but we have to make sure there is no safety inspection around.
Pretty much what I would have said regards to air, except for me the air is only a part of the process. Shop Vac, then brush, then air, old rag, and finally a wipe off with a clean rag. No doubt much the same process for most of us. Also remember, you don't need to use the air at 150psi and turn the chips into a "shot blaster" (shop blaster? :D), it has a regulator for a reason... (this I would point out is at home. For commercial premises, blasting chips around with air would most likely be frowned upon.)
Do what makes sense for your situation. You don't want those chips getting into moving parts though. Aluminum and some other metals seem to be worse than others. I do many different types of metals and plastics, so it is a battle. If you are a wire EDM person, don't let the residue dry before jogging the machine around. Clean it with a soft towel! Clean as you go! I've been doing it for almost 30 years. I know how it is after a long day and it sucks! Wipe off the way covers and moving parts . You are all smart people! Someone asked if they oil the machines........On manual lathes and mills I do it all the time! Usually way oil. Anything to keep the moving parts clean and lubed is best.. I like to use a WD40 type spray on manual equipment table and ways .No harm in it! Shop vacs are an easy way to get the big stuff as well. Kurt vises can be a pain!....If you neglect the vise, it will be a bigger pain down the road. As far as the original question......Absolutely use compressed air....Do not do it in an unsafe manner, think about your eyes, skin, & hearing. You should wear hearing protection! Be respectful of other people when using an air gun! Most cnc machines come with a garden hose type sprayer. Always spray downwards, not from the underneath. (I use an old broom to remove the big chips). I understand that not every situation is the same......But I follow the old "clean as you go". Compressed air is fine...Don't overdo it. And Like Joe said.....Use a brush to get the big stuff......If you are a lathe person making tiny parts, an "air blast is normal". Happy machining Chips Ahoy! You get sick of it LOL but part of life Revision...Yes, the shop vac can get clogged easy! :) BTW Clean As You Go! Sorry for the long drawn out shit....Just had to repair too many machines lol
When you work alone do as you will. When working with others,be careful as you can put a piece of metal in someone else's eye, even when they wear safety glasses. Getting that removed in the ER is no fun.
Hi Joe, use air on my lathe and mill all the time, a little common sense goes a long way eh. Thanks for sharing buddy, Happy New Year to you and yours Ralfy England 🎉
Big percentage of the hand wringers and safety police who jump into the comments saying "Don't do this or that..." are keyboard machinists, whose shop time consists of watching _other_ people work in their shops. Even if my welding table has half-finished projects sitting on them, my lathes and mill will be clean at the end of the day.
Wonder what the pencil necks crying about a few chips flying through the air would do in an honest to God large fab shop where there are 15 welding machines running open arcs at 325 amps ,,,,and spraying UV light all over the place that will give you a flash that will put you in the ER with a 5 second exposure if you are nor using the correct PPE. . - The shop is no place for people that should be bank tellers. - GROW A SET!
NOTE< to those that do not use air to blow chips off their machines. - Just how do you keep chips from flying of the tool ? How do you think chips get INTO places you need to blow then out of? (What goes in must come out) Reminds me of guys that won't use water on the band saw because it makes a "mess" I say take the saw out of the dining room put it out it in the shop. - Try swiping the floor before you close down at night. Dose the term pedantic nonsense mean anything to you? Hey, Joe. A late Merry, Merry and a Happy Happy. God Bless You and Yours and don't forget to drain the compressor every friday before you go home.
In a perfect world you would never use air, abrasives or heaven forbid a toolpost grinder or even worse weld on your lathe. If you live in that world great, for the rest of us buy used equipment so you don't feel so bad about these abuses, that and use common sense however uncommon it may be in your neck of the woods.
I worked in a machine shop for a few years until I had to quit for health reasons last year (pre-existing stuff), and the boss hated the idea of using air hoses on the manual Bridgeport mills (which is mainly what i ran). He never gave enough of a explanation other than chips could go into the quill/spindle
It should be fairly obvious, but if you’re going to use compressed air to blow metal chips around, use eye protection!! The small metal chips can be quite sharp and pointy and you don’t want one blowing into your Mk. I. eyeballs - ouch! 😣
After that blowing the chips will sit "else ware", much of them on the floor. What will the next action be? Open the door and use a leaf blower, moving the unwanted debry another step, to where? Using the vacuum cleaner eliminate the multi step process. I've even got an industry grade vacuum! Low cost chinesium but it does a good job. It eliminates the risk of moving chips, dust, into the wrong places. Nice try but this one looks like a "thin" video Joe.
I always use the cleaning up as a way to relax,come down and free my mind.Mostly happens sundays.A light spray of WD40 at the end helps to keep everything in a shiny condition while sitting til the next project.Greetings from germany and lets buckle up for 2025
I use various paint brushes and my Stihl workshop vac in the first instance and then only compressed air when 98% of the swarf is cleared. I wont use compressed air on dust if any kind.
The machine really doesn't need or lucky but if done carefully at 50% or less pressures it's likely ok. Just be carefully careful. Enbiliziems are some kind of painfull like a ear not properly cleared. Doing any diving lately my dear friend ? Now to watch the post, LOL.Have a great week and as you say carefup with skirss and wipes as well. I am the leasurly machinost that isn't on the clock too. Cmon 25 time to make it a 100 % better than 24 eh, chuckle.
Use common sense. Regardless of safety programs, bad machinists clean machines poorly, good ones typically take care of their machines. Smoking, compressed air, and radios don't always make bad shops, just like strict safety programs with white glover policies don't always make good shops. I've been using compressed air for years with no problem. I've also seen no compressed air rules lead to destroyed and never replaced wipers that just allow all sorts of contaminates into bearing/sliding areas and just destroy ways and spindles.
I always believe when you use compressed air to clean a machine, you’re not cleaning the machine you’re just moving the chips into a least convenient place to clean them from. I prefer a shop vac.
Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. The whole common sense thing needs to kick in at one point or another, so, if its easier to "Brush" chips off the machine directly into a dust pan and then into the scrap bin, do it... It makes no sense to blow them onto the floor just to pick them up. I NEVER clear the bulk chips off my machines with air. It's the hard to reach or stubborn chips that get blasted. As for a shop vac, only fiber materials like phenolic, G10 or tufnol get the vac treatment. Steel chips, especially wet steel chips will spoil the vac hose and filter pretty quick.
I probably rely more on my shop vac than I should But... the shop vac I have near my mill and lathes is a Home Depot cheapie, and if it dies, I'll just replace it with another cheapie from HD or HF. Basically, some things are consumable products. We probably have three shop vacs at any given time, including one that never has a filter or bag in it, used for draining and cleaning a water feature near one of the doors.
I think I took the filter out of my 16 gallon shop vac over 20 years ago and it is on it's 3rd hose. I bought it for about $20 over 30 years ago back when Tractor Supply was Town & Country Farm Supply. I looked hard and found reducer fittings and a 3/4 inch thin nozzle for it. I hear you about it someday failing. Yuh maybe, but until then it does a better job than my wife's old Hoover carpet vac. :)
Have you got anymore wolf spiders get tangled?
Thanks for doing this video! I'm tired of "experts" berating hobbyists for having an air hose "anywhere near a machine tool". As always, thanks for a great video Joe!
Agree. I always blow off chips from the tools before putting them back in storage. Could add that when you use a pressure washer on your motorcycle, be careful with the wheel bearings.
Happy new year.
WELL DONE and very much appreciated. I've been in huge commercial and government shops all my life and watched the old timers use compressed air routinely during and after operations. I figure those old boys know what not to do. I was always puzzled by TH-cam "machinists" who are terrified at the mere suggestion of using compressed air on their machines. It really only takes around 20 PSI to provide plenty of air speed to get rid of the chips. Thanks for restating the obvious. We all need that from time to time.
Richard King is the grand master of machine rebuilding instruction in America, specifically precision way scraping. His Dad learned it in the 40s 50s from an older European and he went into business with his Dad in the 70s (ok I’m guessing a bit on the dates). They rebuilt machines for decades back when America was still the world’s factory. They would cone back to the same shops every 5-10 years and rebuild the same machines so they learned what worked and what didn’t. In his classes he emphasizes that if you blow chips off of slide ways you will embed them between sliding surfaces and you will,promote premature wear. Given the 1000s of machines he saw over 30+ years I have to believe there is something to that.
"Anyone who believes that they have common sense has simply forgotten who taught them what they know.” - Alan Quilley
Thank you for sharing. Wish you well.
I have been using compressed air cleaning for any years ( off and on since 1965 and I totally agree with all that you explain. In the past few years as a holiest I have installed a line regulated to 25PSI and short hose to just reach my lathe, mill and bench vice Still gets chips out of the way and in this, my small hobby shop shop it works pretty good. Thanks Joe for all your excellent instructions! I love it!
I don't use air because it throws the chips everywhere. I use a small shop vacuum cleaner.
I've been trained in two different machine shops over my early days... but they universally agreed on: no compressed air for cleaning stuff. As you mentioned: the chips are now stuck in the wall... or your co-workers eyes. And in some cases, maybe even your own. I generally keep a medium sized paint brush next to my own machines now to swipe off chips.
As a garage hobbyist, I use a shop vac, then compressed air. I also have an old Roomba that I let loose when the floor gets "crunchy".
Same here, vac up what I can & then blow the rest out.
I don’t have a roomba though (new or old) 😂
What is a roomba?
@@ellieprice363 th-cam.com/video/xemUtg7DH2M/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUNcm9vbWJhIHZhY3V1bQ%3D%3D
It goes so inline with what my father told me when I started follow him at his shop. When the day is done clean every tool and in the end of the week clean the shop. There is nothing so inpiering as clean tools and bench when you start the next day. Great info and that spray bottle was a great thing, I will take that with me. Thanks for your videos. Happy new year to you and your family.
👍I like to keep something in the tailstock hole as well to prevent contamination. Another important taper and spindle to protect.
Common Sense and Judicious Judgment are Needed...As With Anything...Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Joe and His Family...Thanks Again, Stay Safe, Stay Strong...
Totally agree Joe…. Every machine shop…. I mean everyone I’ve ever seen has an air hose and nozzle at every machine…..
Thanks Joe, sound advice as always.
Great subject. In my high school machine shop, we blew the chips off onto the floor. The teacher would not allow floor sweeping by students saying, "you are machinist trainees, not custodians". When i became a shop teacher, i throttled the shop air down to 15 psi and that worked for cutting down cleanup, and horseplay and yes, my student swept the floors.
I use a brush, a shop vac and compressed air depending on what and where. Yes, I do sweep (and on occasion mop) my shop floor! Good tips Joe.
The super fine dust from brass is a challenge, sticks to everything when you use WD40 on it .. Great to see you posting Joe.. Thank you for all of your Sagely insight.. Have a Happy New Year and stay safe Sir.. D&Px
Hey Del. Great to get a message from you. Happy New Year to you and your family. Thanks for stopping by.
@@joepie221 Always watching every video Joe.. You are an inspiration sir.. !
All makes sense to me - thankyou for the full explanation of the no- go areas with regard to compressed air.
I only use cnc mills...but basically I agree with everything you said. I use a broom first...then coolant hose...then air hose. Air hose blowing down....never up!! Worked for me for 30 years!!
I’m glad you brought up the squeeze bulb thing. Those drive me nuts when used for metal chips. Better to get the compressed air in a can if you don’t have a compressor but to try and use that squeeze toy makes me nuts.
I always thought they were an enema bulb & seriously question anyone who uses one.
I bet a pressure regulator between the supply and the air gun would be a good idea for most people as sometimes you don't need the maximum available but just enough to remove the chips and not to launch them to eye level.
Haha, glad to know I'm not the only guy who calls that area on the lathe, the toilet. I also use a hook fashioned from a short piece of broom handle and 12 gauge wire to manage chips in the tray, but never when the machine is running.
and check out the little battery powered blowers. They put out an amazing blast of air, not as much or as concentrated as an air hose connected to 125lb, but an order of magnitude over a hair dryer. I glued a magnet to mine and can stick it to any convenient bit of steel in my shop where it is handy
Much faster and easier to sweep and vac the floor than the machine itself. As a millwright I fix milling machines everyday. The only area I specifically avoid with compressed air are the lip seals under the glass scales on a DRO. They tear and fall apart and nobody notices. Dirt get's on the scale causing it to misread.
Are the lip seals replaceable?
@@mooreevair I've replaced several Acurite seals. A roll of replacement seal is available from distributers. I've not found them for other brands.
I do everything you do except I leave a tool in the spindle always (also in the tail stock). In the CNC mill I make sure a tool is in the spindle when blowing air around but at end of the day I leave no tool in spindle. Every morning I climb in and wipe inside and use a felt spindle cleaner. I was told to leave the tool out just in case we have a cold night and it shrinks on the toolholder. Im pretty sure the tool changer can pull it out but im not going to argue
fwiw I have always used air - however I added a low pressure circuit in 3/8 nylon with push fit connections with drops by each machine ( 15 psi ). The low pressure is much less likely (imo) to drive chips anywhere where I don't want them. A low pressure reg is like $10.
Happy New Year from Canada.
I’ve heard that all my Time Machine don’t do / do it , good information glad I’ve been doing it right
Thanks for sharing 👍 and Happy New Year to you and your family 😊
I used to work on seed, the growers used to clean their machines with a vacuuming attachment operated by their air compressor, They found using compressed air just blew all the stuff they were trying to get out, all over the machinery and not cleaning. Bearings are particularly susceptible to pushing stuff passed the seal.
9:16 made one very similar back in (trade) school. Loved it!
I use a stream of water from a hose to spray all the mess off my machines. It leaves behind a nice surface for rust to attach and protect my stuff.
My CNC has a dedicated spray nozzle for just that. Its a bighelp.
Nice Longhorn T shirt. I have a grandson who is a senior at UT Austin this year.
I use an electric blower in the shop. Originally designed for cleaning computers and such like, it has a variety of nozzles and 2 speeds. Saves charging the compressor for small clean ups.
Garage hobby guy, I prefer a shop vac to clean up. In the Navy we were forbidden to used compressed air.
I use a shopvav on the bridge port. I use at work. That works pretty good and then blow off what it doesn't get.
Thank you for the cleaning info Joe. Great video.
If you pull those covers back on the Fadal, air or not, especially if you haven't in a while, you may be surprised at what you find. Even if you just vacuum and don't use air, they can get packed with chips and swarf. This happens in every shop that doesn't have a maintenance department that routinely PM's machines. I've seen some machines where the table assy fills with coolant and won't drain, gets rancid and turns into a swamp. Joe is right, air is fine, how you use it makes the difference.
According to Bernoulli's principal the faster the air is moving the lower the pressure so blowing across a small opening should create a suction rather than pushing anything into it.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I am not a professional machinist, but I have been using a small shop vac for years and rarely use compressed air. I often wonder why people still use compressed air since it just moves the chips from here to there. Maybe blowing air is faster in a production shop? Vacs make the chips disappear. They work great on most chips, but not for the long, stringy kind that gets stuck in the hose.
That is very good to know,Joe.What to do and what not to do and at the end I assume you do a lot of vacuum cleaning.Happy new year.Thank you
Been doing exactly what you say for the last 40 years, common sense
100% agree with what you do, I do the same, like anything its not the high pressure air thats the problem its the person using it.😎
Slightly off topic, but do you ever oil the surfaces of your machines after cleaning them? Here in the UK for a lot of the year condensation will rapidly form. So a coat of slideway oil after cleaning is a must, otherwise one's machines will start to resemble the hull of the Titanic!
I use coolant during most of my machining jobs. So cleaning, drying and oiling at the end of the day has to be done.
I do. If I know I'll be on vacation for a while, I'll mist every cast surface with WD-40. Marine supply store also sell fogging oil for the same purpose, but just for boat engines. I bet that would work too.
@@joepie221 I guessed that condensation wouldn't be much of an issue in the Texas climate. So a coat of WD would be all that's required.
I've come in this morning to find some 'nice' spots of condensation sitting on top of the oil I applied to my machines.
Indeed fogging oil would work, and would probably last longer than WD. I use 68 weight slideway oil, which is the same stuff that goes in the apron. It's cheap enough in 20 litre containers, so one can apply it liberally. I always wipe it off before I start machining, otherwise the coolant gets trashed pretty quickly.
Oh. Reading through the comments it looks like you've started the great 'air line or no air line' debate of 2025!
When I was an apprentice we had to clean the machines at the end of every day. We were given brushes, and rags to mop up the coolant. We were not allowed to leave a single speck of swarf on the machine, and we were told that air was an absolute no!
Since I've had my own machines, I wouldn't be without it. As you say. There are areas that you don't want to use it, and the trick is to be careful.
Happy new year.
Joe,
Never questioning your expertise, but I hate compressed air blow off, if not necessary for safely reasons. Why not vacuum and brush off the bulk of the junk, and leave the compressed air blow off for the remainder.
Thanks for all of your GREAT teaching !
Sincerely,
Scott
Always informative. Happy New Year!
Great! Thanks for the walkthrough!
Hi
I been using air as far back as i can remember, all manual machines.
And yes I do not blow chips around or near the open spindle, on my mill
Plug it or prevent chips from entering it,
Now i will make an exception to the rule
Once everything is cleaned, I do remove my RM 8 and some times leave it in, without a bit in it, So i can push high velocity air through it,
An i will blow that tube clean as everything can come right up out the top end, and if one has a lose or if you have a floating screw with clearance around the top of the lead screw, I been doing it for years, as it cleans the whole thing out.
I don't see where i have encountered any problems,
I always get a good snug fit when putting a new or clean RM 8 in the spindle.
Some times i may try a rag, but it never gets it clean enough, and may leave lint etc,
And besides my digital readout, I have also put a cloth over it drape it down quit a way so as to prevent any such chips going there
I must be doing something wrong !
I use a vacuum cleaner after the bulk of the chips have been removed. On my mills I use parchment paper instead of the rubber that is common on most Bridgeport and BP clones. I brush the chips off onto the paper and when I am ready to clean up I just take the paper off and put another clean fresh piece of paper on it. I also use the paper in the chip pans on my lathes. Same method just brush the chips onto the paper and then throw the paper with the chips in the trash. Of course before putting the fresh paper on I use the vacuum cleaner to get any fine stuff.
good video Mr Pie
The only things we used compressed air for on machines was mist coolant and air powered vacuums.
It's good to know that I've been cleaning my little Sherline properly. It's probably even more important because of the materials used in its construction.
I've been vacuuming mine, cranking the recommended SuperLube through the ways, then wiping all steel surfaces with it real thin. I never would have done so when I worked in the shop, I just used compressed air. I notice my Sherline stuff rusts badly if I don't, and I keep them in a cool closet. Love those little machines!
@@modelenginerding6996 I like to keep a vacuuum running while using it, to minimize the spread of debris. This would be easy with a large machine.
Aye !! Chips Ahoy matey !!
Last time i used shop air near my old worn out lathe, the chuck got so crunchy, I could barley work the jaws in or out. It's paint brushes and patience for me.
Yeah, my machines are not the highest quality but they are my buddies. I have some very good paint brushes thou !!
You know the buy nice or buy twice deal
Wish you and yours a Happy New Year Joe, you da man sir!! Thank You !!
I think all the people that cry about the use of compressed air havent worked in a real productive workshop where it is a necessity.
AHH- a Mr. Pete oil can! One of the few tips I took from his site-they are great, spill proof. Made a couple with flared end ss tubes. Regarding compressed air I agree with your suggestions but also keep the vacuum close at hand [and a swarf can]. They induce me to clean up more frequently. I like your shelf for the tool holders, will change mine from a tiered one that has more limited capacity. Thanks for this.
Totally agree 👍
I put a cork in the spindle hole of my old lathe to keep chips out of the change gears
It’s not just WHERE to blow and where not to. It’s also WHAT to blow or not: Aluminum chips are fine in most places; cast iron dust is fine in no place. Tool steel is worse than mild steel. Thanks for the video!
I'm not a machinist, so I guess each one has his own best way and that is just fine. But advise from a clean shop is worth a lot. Thank you. and Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025.
Lookin sharp with the beard, santasyznski! Happy new year joe!
Great stuff Joe, happy New Year to you, looking forward to many more captivating and informative videos 😊 give some thought to my challenge of making a part that looks like it was made on one of your miniature machines. No not made with the mini machine but scaled to look like it was.
happy New Year Mr. Pie
Classes at Brown& Sharpe focused on running the machine to pump oil low pressure, then a soft bristle brush.
Good information thank you for all your knowledge
Compressed air is banned in our shop (with the exception of CNC operators that are allowed to use it). However there are parts that cannot be machined without using it, or parts that take much longer to make (when there are lots of them). We still use it, but we have to make sure there is no safety inspection around.
Pretty much what I would have said regards to air, except for me the air is only a part of the process. Shop Vac, then brush, then air, old rag, and finally a wipe off with a clean rag. No doubt much the same process for most of us. Also remember, you don't need to use the air at 150psi and turn the chips into a "shot blaster" (shop blaster? :D), it has a regulator for a reason...
(this I would point out is at home. For commercial premises, blasting chips around with air would most likely be frowned upon.)
Do what makes sense for your situation. You don't want those chips getting into moving parts though. Aluminum and some other metals seem to be worse than others.
I do many different types of metals and plastics, so it is a battle.
If you are a wire EDM person, don't let the residue dry before jogging the machine around. Clean it with a soft towel!
Clean as you go! I've been doing it for almost 30 years. I know how it is after a long day and it sucks! Wipe off the way covers and moving parts .
You are all smart people!
Someone asked if they oil the machines........On manual lathes and mills I do it all the time! Usually way oil. Anything to keep the moving parts clean and lubed is best.. I like to use a WD40 type spray on manual equipment table and ways .No harm in it!
Shop vacs are an easy way to get the big stuff as well.
Kurt vises can be a pain!....If you neglect the vise, it will be a bigger pain down the road.
As far as the original question......Absolutely use compressed air....Do not do it in an unsafe manner, think about your eyes, skin, & hearing. You should wear hearing protection! Be respectful of other people when using an air gun!
Most cnc machines come with a garden hose type sprayer. Always spray downwards, not from the underneath. (I use an old broom to remove the big chips).
I understand that not every situation is the same......But I follow the old "clean as you go".
Compressed air is fine...Don't overdo it.
And Like Joe said.....Use a brush to get the big stuff......If you are a lathe person making tiny parts, an "air blast is normal".
Happy machining
Chips Ahoy! You get sick of it LOL but part of life
Revision...Yes, the shop vac can get clogged easy! :)
BTW Clean As You Go!
Sorry for the long drawn out shit....Just had to repair too many machines lol
Happy New Year.
I use a shop vac.
Me too. And then I use compressed air to blow the vac’s filter, outside
I use a shop vac with a thin nozzle.
Must take eons to sweep the floor.
When you work alone do as you will. When working with others,be careful as you can put a piece of metal in someone else's eye, even when they wear safety glasses. Getting that removed in the ER is no fun.
I don't use my compressed air around my machines, I keep a vacuum cleaner
Hi Joe, use air on my lathe and mill all the time, a little common sense goes a long way eh. Thanks for sharing buddy, Happy New Year to you and yours Ralfy England 🎉
My dad always said only used air on chuck or vise so I live by that.
I pick up all i can by hand then vacuum then wipe down. When it gets alot of oil I finish with a Acetone wipe down. I do not use air.
Big percentage of the hand wringers and safety police who jump into the comments saying "Don't do this or that..." are keyboard machinists, whose shop time consists of watching _other_ people work in their shops. Even if my welding table has half-finished projects sitting on them, my lathes and mill will be clean at the end of the day.
Wonder what the pencil necks crying about a few chips flying through the air would do in an honest to God large fab shop where there are 15 welding machines running open arcs at 325 amps ,,,,and spraying UV light all over the place that will give you a flash that will put you in the ER with a 5 second exposure if you are nor using the correct PPE. . - The shop is no place for people that should be bank tellers. - GROW A SET!
NOTE< to those that do not use air to blow chips off their machines. - Just how do you keep chips from flying of the tool ? How do you think chips get INTO places you need to blow then out of? (What goes in must come out)
Reminds me of guys that won't use water on the band saw because it makes a "mess" I say take the saw out of the dining room put it out it in the shop. - Try swiping the floor before you close down at night.
Dose the term pedantic nonsense mean anything to you?
Hey, Joe. A late Merry, Merry and a Happy Happy. God Bless You and Yours and don't forget to drain the compressor every friday before you go home.
The air hose by my machines has a regulator on it. I find 30 psi to be more than adequate and reduces the chance of me doing something stupid 😏
Use compressed air to blow things off and out, not in...
Vacume works for me
I have been a machinist for 40 years and I have never had a single issue with using air to clean machines. Electrical motors and stuff is differently.
In a perfect world you would never use air, abrasives or heaven forbid a toolpost grinder or even worse weld on your lathe. If you live in that world great, for the rest of us buy used equipment so you don't feel so bad about these abuses, that and use common sense however uncommon it may be in your neck of the woods.
I worked in a machine shop for a few years until I had to quit for health reasons last year (pre-existing stuff), and the boss hated the idea of using air hoses on the manual Bridgeport mills (which is mainly what i ran). He never gave enough of a explanation other than chips could go into the quill/spindle
When you take apart a Bridgeport you fine chips *everywhere*. And wonder how they got in there.
It should be fairly obvious, but if you’re going to use compressed air to blow metal chips around, use eye protection!! The small metal chips can be quite sharp and pointy and you don’t want one blowing into your Mk. I. eyeballs - ouch! 😣
After that blowing the chips will sit "else ware", much of them on the floor. What will the next action be? Open the door and use a leaf blower, moving the unwanted debry another step, to where?
Using the vacuum cleaner eliminate the multi step process. I've even got an industry grade vacuum! Low cost chinesium but it does a good job. It eliminates the risk of moving chips, dust, into the wrong places.
Nice try but this one looks like a "thin" video Joe.
I don’t care how great you think your vacuum is it will leave chips behind because you can’t get the nozzle into many spaces on your machine.
Vacuum cleaner where you can, air jet where you must.
@@hanelyp1 That's a better tuned approach.
@@37yearsofanythingisenough39 Why would You care at all?
How do You continue after blowing chips and dust all over the place?
@@37yearsofanythingisenough39That was not the matter of my post. Read it again!
I always use the cleaning up as a way to relax,come down and free my mind.Mostly happens sundays.A light spray of WD40 at the end helps to keep everything in a shiny condition while sitting til the next project.Greetings from germany and lets buckle up for 2025
I only use vacuum. Compressed air just makes more work, sweeping etc.
My wood working cnc I use a leaf blower
Believe it or not, its what we used t clean the center floor and the loading dock (Don't knock it until you trieded it.
I use a vac with a homemade cyclone attached.
Brush,rag wipe & sweep on friday;15 min early. Owner looked on saturday 😁
I use various paint brushes and my Stihl workshop vac in the first instance and then only compressed air when 98% of the swarf is cleared. I wont use compressed air on dust if any kind.
I do take my mill vice outside to blow it off.
I figure if I'm using compressed air to blow it off my machine...I'm just making a mess elsewhere ,it's not evaporating.
The machine really doesn't need or lucky but if done carefully at 50% or less pressures it's likely ok. Just be carefully careful. Enbiliziems are some kind of painfull like a ear not properly cleared. Doing any diving lately my dear friend ? Now to watch the post, LOL.Have a great week and as you say carefup with skirss and wipes as well. I am the leasurly machinost that isn't on the clock too. Cmon 25 time to make it a 100 % better than 24 eh, chuckle.
Use common sense. Regardless of safety programs, bad machinists clean machines poorly, good ones typically take care of their machines. Smoking, compressed air, and radios don't always make bad shops, just like strict safety programs with white glover policies don't always make good shops.
I've been using compressed air for years with no problem. I've also seen no compressed air rules lead to destroyed and never replaced wipers that just allow all sorts of contaminates into bearing/sliding areas and just destroy ways and spindles.
I find as they make me lower psi for safety I Get less in my face , you figure it out
I use a vacuum cleaner, low compressed air, and a lot of common sense.
Works for me...!!
Magnet and vacuum are not as messy as compressed air.
I always believe when you use compressed air to clean a machine, you’re not cleaning the machine you’re just moving the chips into a least convenient place to clean them from. I prefer a shop vac.