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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default What to wear when milling?

    So, I’ve finally got my milling machine sorted and running, did about 4 hours on it today, and now know that they certainly send a lot of swarf around, and coolant, and it goes a long way away, especially off a face cutter. My question is, eye protection, glasses? Goggles? Or full face shield? And would there be any benefit from wearing my leather apron? Thanks.

  2. #2
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by riverbuilder View Post
    So, I’ve finally got my milling machine sorted and running, did about 4 hours on it today, and now know that they certainly send a lot of swarf around, and coolant, and it goes a long way away, especially off a face cutter. My question is, eye protection, glasses? Goggles? Or full face shield? And would there be any benefit from wearing my leather apron? Thanks.
    I depends what I'm doing. Doesn't matter what it is I always wear eye protection, usually safety glasses but as soon as the chips start flying the its a full Armadillo face shield. I also use a mister which means sometimes the swarf is oily so then I wear a leather apron. If I'm using metho lube on Al I will use ventilation.
    I also wear covered footwear as I hate threading on sharp chips through my rather worn Crocks.

    A swarf/chip shield is also handy to restrict the chip scatter.

    Here's some I made using some scrounged pieces of polycarbonate and some Zip Ties.
    Swarf Containment-img_3407-jpg

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    I find it's sometimes useful to wear a hat too.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Athelstone, SA 5076
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    do not wear fleece...the hot swarf and fleece dont like each other

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    Tasmania
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    Nice Hercus mill

    Safety glasses for sure. It really depends on where chips are being thrown. I've worn a faceshield once or twice because when chips were flying up near my face.
    I wear hearing protection if there is something loud due to vibration or a heavy interrupted cut. But I find it is ok without generally

    I adjust my cutting direction if I can, to fling the chips backwards, rather than at me. I find the lathe worse than the mill in terms of chips burning me

    I like your screens. I've been planning forever to do this.
    I've been thinking of tapping holes in the side of the column, and having a pair of deployable wings with bifold sections to contain the chips

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Tasmania
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    There is nothing worse than cutting brass on the lathe for getting absolutely showered with chips and covering the immediate area.

    I keep a strong magnet from an old hard drive at the lathe for the rare occasion a chip gets past my safety glasses, have used it twice on tiny pieces of steel in my eye.

  7. #7
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    If you want to experience a little razor blade swarf shower try cutting Al with a Table saw. Adding a super sucking OH guard to teh saw has minimised this problem but occasionally one or two still end up down the neck of my shirts. BIL the boat builder who does this multiple times a day wears a welding hood to counteract this.

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