Problem Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows


Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    39
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    I was really surprised with the amount of chips piled up under my y-axis billows. I bet in the back area some spots reached 4” high! I do use my mill daily and filled up a few garbage cans with chips in the past few months so I guess that would do it.

    I am thinking of getting some sheet metal and blocking off that little area under the mill on the left and right of the mill. To ensure the coolant can drain on the right I will create another drain like the factory one on the left. I already put a shower drain in the catch basin replacing the Tormach default tiny hole. I am thinking that should work on the right installed directly in the stand with some screen and have a drain pipe connecting the right to the left?

    Even if I kept things really clean with the currents gaps under the mill the flow from right to left is not good at all. So I wanted to do something before seeing all the chip build up under the billows. So now i will get this going.

    Has anybody done anything like this? Suggestions?

    Craig


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    I'll check mine today. At the end of the day I hose mine down with coolant using a garden hose nozzle attached to one end of the shower hose included with the machine. The other end s connected to a coolant manifold fed by a 1" id tube from a 1/4 hp pump that replaced he factory pump(ette). This leaves everything, including the bellows as well as the area between the machine and the sheet metal appearing to be chip free. I'll double check today. Also I removed those strainers from the table's drain holes.



  3. #3
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    Quote Originally Posted by cncbuilt View Post
    I was really surprised with the amount of chips piled up under my y-axis billows. I bet in the back area some spots reached 4” high! I do use my mill daily and filled up a few garbage cans with chips in the past few months so I guess that would do it.

    I am thinking of getting some sheet metal and blocking off that little area under the mill on the left and right of the mill. To ensure the coolant can drain on the right I will create another drain like the factory one on the left. I already put a shower drain in the catch basin replacing the Tormach default tiny hole. I am thinking that should work on the right installed directly in the stand with some screen and have a drain pipe connecting the right to the left?

    Even if I kept things really clean with the currents gaps under the mill the flow from right to left is not good at all. So I wanted to do something before seeing all the chip build up under the billows. So now i will get this going.

    Has anybody done anything like this? Suggestions?

    Craig


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    I make mainly small parts and I keep the chips on the table, I have a backsplash to keep the chips off the Y bellows and contained to the table, all the coolant is piped to the drain screen on the left side of the machine so that there are only a few chips make it to the stand enclosure (face mill puts them everywhere) I use a shield as well so that when cutting the spindle is enclosed, its raised on a drawer slide to access the spindle for tool changes etc.. I also removed the factory strainers on the table drains and made screens to cover the whole coolant trough to keep them from plugging up, works relatively well for me.........

    I thought about spacer blocks to raise the machine a couple inches but I havent gotten to that yet as it really isnt a problem now.

    mike sr


  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    Mike,

    I checked mine today and that area under the mill is pretty darn clean. The blast of coolant from my garden hose nozzle is fairly strong and does a good job of clearing out the chips.I wish I knew how to do videos so I could show it in action. Problem is I have a smart phone and I'm a not so smart guy.



  5. #5
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    John, your smart enough, just takes a bit of practice.........
    I am making wood games and giving them away, what a waste of a good Tormach ha!!
    You still have the warehouse job?
    I now have a used Renishaw probe and love the thing!!
    The way I machine with the table containment I dont get many on the stand, I like it that way as cleanup is a lot easier.
    I would like to see pics of your washdown setup?

    mike sr


  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US
    Posts
    624
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    Checked mine (haven't had the bellows off in years). Clean. A stray chip or two, but essentially nothing.

    There are several threads about building sheet metal bellows- do a search. A couple of them were truly elegant; accordion pleats with scissor linkages, stuff like that.



  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    U.S.
    Posts
    344
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    Mike, I'm interested in the Renishaw, though that will be on the back burner for a while. For now I am having good results with the Wild Horse, not on;y for finding edges, corners, and midpoints, but also for setting the "Z". I'm interested in physical controls for RPM, Feed rate, etc.. The sliders in PP I'm not too fond of, but they are both functional and useful. Yes, I'm still schlepping boxes though I've been off for two months. Seems my Urologist got a hankering for the new Maserati A little surgery on me went a long way to paying for it. Since this was the third time he's cut me open I told him I wanted the car for a weekend. He's still laughing. I expect to return to work next Sunday. Meantime I'm putzing around with a 3D printer I built. Don't ever buy one. They will steal every minute of your otherwise free time I have to blame Nitewatchman for my interest in the things.

    I'l try for a video or at least some stills. My step-kids are Asian and should be able to help. Hard to believe that in another day I programmed IBM 360/370 mainframes. And that was in assembler language (ASMCLG)!

    Last edited by jttoner; 10-21-2017 at 09:30 PM.


  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    39
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GLCarlson View Post
    Checked mine (haven't had the bellows off in years). Clean. A stray chip or two, but essentially nothing.

    There are several threads about building sheet metal bellows- do a search. A couple of them were truly elegant; accordion pleats with scissor linkages, stuff like that.

    What I had in mind for sheet metal was putting a piece on each side of the mill base where they bolt to the stand there is a 1/2in gap. The chips are making there way in there and building up. The factory bellows work well.
    I will take some pics when I figure out what I need. I do have a garden hose setup but I don’t use it much maybe I should



  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US
    Posts
    624
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

    Quote Originally Posted by cncbuilt View Post
    What I had in mind for sheet metal was putting a piece on each side of the mill base where they bolt to the stand there is a 1/2in gap. The chips are making there way in there and building up. The factory bellows work well.
    I will take some pics when I figure out what I need. I do have a garden hose setup but I don’t use it much maybe I should
    Ah. You might consider some pex, some of that is the right diameter, or some of that squishy poly crack filler which comes in fairly big diameters. Try home depot. I just wadded up some bubble wrap. None of these last forever, but for this use, functional, fast and cheap is all you need. For quite a while, I just ran a stick under the base when cleaning up, but that got tiresome.



Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows

Large pile of chips under the y-axis billows