jason_lewis3•11d agoProlific Poster

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say 'a clean machine is a happy machine' about his lawnmower

It hit me that I've been slacking on wiping down my mill's ways at the end of the day, which is probably why my last finish pass had some chatter. How often do you guys do a full clean versus just clearing chips?

4 comments

4 Comments

william_garcia11d ago

That "clean machine" stuff is for showroom floors. My mill's ways have a nice protective coat of chips and oil by Friday. Chatter comes from a dull tool or a loose vise, not a bit of honest grime. I clear the big piles so things don't jam, but a full wipe down every day just wastes good cutting time. That machine gets paid to make chips, not look pretty.

spencer_park2611d ago

Okay, but that "protective coat" of chips is grinding grit into the ways every time you move the table. It's not about looking pretty, it's about not wrecking the machine's accuracy. A quick wipe-down at the end of the shift takes five minutes and stops that grit from acting like sandpaper. Letting chips pile up just lets coolant evaporate and leave everything sticky and gross. I'd rather lose five minutes of cutting time than pay for a re-scrape.

vera_robinson3611d ago

My machine's ways are a sticky mess too, but maybe Spencer has a point about the grit?

paige33111d ago

My old shop had a Bridgeport that ran on pure chip pack. The table still moved smooth after twenty years. Some guys just like to clean more than they like to cut.