💡
24
c/cnc-operators•hollyl25hollyl25•11d ago

Pro tip: I stopped using the 'right' tool for cleaning chips and it's been a game changer

Everyone at my shop says you have to use a chip hook and a brush for cleaning out the machine bed. I was dealing with a stubborn nest of stringy aluminum chips on a Haas VF2 last Thursday. Out of frustration, I grabbed a cheap plastic putty knife from the hardware store, the kind for drywall. I gently slid it under the chip mass and lifted the whole thing out in one piece in about 30 seconds. It didn't mar the bed and was way faster than picking. Has anyone else tried a simple tool swap that goes against the usual advice?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
ellis.faith
Reminds me of using a credit card to clean my keyboard.
10
holly_reed55
Isn't that plastic knife a bit risky for the way covers? I'd worry about a piece breaking off and getting somewhere bad. A dulled metal scraper might be safer for that kind of lift.
9
blair_taylor32
But what about really sticky chips, like steel?
1