[Stevos758]

Had my tormach for a few weeks now and am building up quite the collection of chips.

I want us to get together and talk about methods for cleaning up chips. Spray hose on coolant pump?, Compressed air? ect....

Tell me how it's done!

[JohnToner]

I used to use a vacuum but now I hose everything down, a method I learned from WOT. First, I use the T-slot cleaning tool to clear out the slots, then with a 3 or 4 inch wide spatula I scrape up the bulk of chips. When I replaced the Tormach coolant system with a sump pump feeding a 1" i.d. tube to a distribution block, the Tormach shower hose was left over. So, I now have that shower hose permanently connected to a brass ball valve on the distribution block. After scraping up the bulk of chips, I just give everything a good hosing. It all takes but a few minutes and leaves everything nice and clean.

[LRF]

All of the ways mentioned here and I also made ramped table covers which significantly limit the chis in table slots. I posted pics awhile back

[Stevos758]

I used to use a vacuum but now I hose everything down, a method I learned from WOT. First, I use the T-slot cleaning tool to clear out the slots, then with a 3 or 4 inch wide spatula I scrape up the bulk of chips. When I replaced the Tormach coolant system with a sump pump feeding a 1" i.d. tube to a distribution block, the Tormach shower hose was left over. So, I now have that shower hose permanently connected to a brass ball valve on the distribution block. After scraping up the bulk of chips, I just give everything a good hosing. It all takes but a few minutes and leaves everything nice and clean.

Awesome! Thanks! That sounds like it works awesome! I would love to see some pics of that setup!

[LRF]

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/tormac...le-covers.html

Table covers thread

[CadRhino]

I have a Tormach way cover which helps.
I was shop vacing everything after a run but it was costing too much in bags so I bought a dust deputy from Oneida. It works great and saves on bags.
Have fun!
Nathan

Had my tormach for a few weeks now and am building up quite the collection of chips.

I want us to get together and talk about methods for cleaning up chips. Spray hose on coolant pump?, Compressed air? ect....

Tell me how it's done!

[JohnToner]

Stevos, I can take a few pics Monday but I have no idea how to post them. I will take them with my cell phone. I forgot to mention it, but the high coolant flow from the Tormach shower hose easily cleans the chips from the those bellows that serve as way covers.

[Stevos758]

Awesome guys! Keep em coming!

Send pics to email at rippscnc@gmailcom or just shoot me a message and I can walk you through it.

[Steve Seebold]

I let the coolant drain out over night then I vacuum the chips out in the morning.

[LRF]

I have a old shop vac that I keep for doing just that job.

[MichaelHenry]

I use a small scoop like this one:

McMaster-Carr

to clean up piles of chips in the chip pan and a Fein shop vac with Dust Deputy cyclone to vacuum out the rest:

Dust Deputy

The Fein crevice tool does a pretty good job of getting into the T-slots and the Dust Deputy traps the swarf and hole before it gets into the Fein.

If I ever go back to flood coolant (I'm using a Fog Buster now) I plan to get a pump with higher flow than the Tormach pump offers and install a coolant manifold with a branch line for a garden hose nozzle.

[mioduz]

What chips? Attachment 265932


But seriously a dust deputy is great investment no doubt

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[adamvs]

I use a combination of an automotive parts brush, compressed air, a thin piece of wood to squeegie under the machine, and a shop vac. Sounds like a lot, but takes about 10 minutes and leaves a clean Tormach.

[Stevos758]

I'll have to snap a pic of mine. Only had it for two weeks but man those ships are everywhere! For those of you soley using a shop vac. I've never sucked up water with mine. how do the wet chips affect it. Just leave the filter in and suck them up?

[JohnToner]

Stevos,

I emailed some pics to you. The email is from niceredvette@gmail,com with no subject or message. I really didn't know how to do it so I took pics with my cell phone, then my step-son emailed them to me and I forwarded them to you. (and, by mistake, also to popspipes)..

[Stevos758]

Got them! Thanks John!

[Don Clement]

I use an Oneida Air Systems Dust Deputy vortex filter in front of my shop vac. The Dust Deputy vortex filter separates out chips and coolant before it gets to the filter in my shop vac so I never have to buy another expensive replaceable filter again.

Don

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NXZKYWpMbE

[JohnToner]

That's a 1" line supplied by a sump pump that feeds the dist. block. I take flooding seriously. Really works great. I plan to fit the end of the shower hose with one of those old, made in the USA, brass nozzles. Still, as it now stands, there's plenty of pressure for cleaning everything. I replaced the Tormach chip shield with clear plastic 36" high and, I believe, 32 or 33" wide to fit the 1/4" channels for the old shield, That makes it easy to remove for tool changes. The sides have 36" panels held with "C" clamps for now. When I find the time, I'll make some 1/4" channels for them as well. Low budget, simple, and very functional. Sorry, forgot to include their photos.

[popspipes]

Stevos,

I emailed some pics to you. The email is from niceredvette@gmail,com with no subject or message. I really didn't know how to do it so I took pics with my cell phone, then my step-son emailed them to me and I forwarded them to you. (and, by mistake, also to popspipes)..

I got them too John Thanks!

I keep all the chips and coolant on the table, not perfect but it works for me.

[RussMachine]

I cut a 32 Oz. plastic Gatorade bottle in half, and use it as a scoop.
I also use the cheap 50 cent chip brushes from Home Depot.
A lot of Machinists and Machine Shop owners frown on using compressed air to clean machines with.
They claim chips will get blown into places they aren't welcome, like under the table, into crannies, and into electrical control panels.
I don't know if it's fact or an old wives tale, but I usually try to avoid using compressed air, and blowing chips around.