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Milling machine chip tray: install or not?

T

ThorstenD

Member
Hi all,

My long awaited MD-45 mill finally arrived at the Edmonton Modern Tool location! Yesterday I picked up the base and chip tray (working on getting the actual beast home). Trying to decide now whether to install the chip tray or not? Pros/cons based on members' experiences? I do not intend to use any coolant system.

Look forward to your wisdom!

Cheers,
Thorsten
 
ThorstenD said:
Hi all,

My long awaited MD-45 mill finally arrived at the Edmonton Modern Tool location! Yesterday I picked up the base and chip tray (working on getting the actual beast home). Trying to decide now whether to install the chip tray or not? Pros/cons based on members' experiences? I do not intend to use any coolant system.

Look forward to your wisdom!

Cheers,
Thorsten
Click to expand...
My vote is for yes...... Anything to help contain the mess is a plus, and your table travels will occupy the same space when in use, so no real space saving reason that I can see.
 
I did not install mine...it would just get in the way, less room for hands around some of the components and in general I'm space limited so I crank the axis out of the way when not in use to make for more clearance.
 
My tray seems to collect more tools than mill swarf:p

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But Ya, I'd install it.
 
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In my um, experience... One of the advantages of a chip tray that I hope you never have to take advantage of is that, say for example you need to move your mill, and despite your best efforts to properly secure your mill, it ends up falling over in transport, you might just get lucky and the chip tray will take the brunt of the impact and not harm the mill at all!
 
Six O Two said:
In my um, experience... One of the advantages of a chip tray that I hope you never have to take advantage of is that, say for example you need to move your mill, and despite your best efforts to properly secure your mill, it ends up falling over in transport, you might just get lucky and the chip tray will take the brunt of the impact and not harm the mill at all!
Click to expand...

That sounded like the voice of experience! They say that experience is the toughest teacher of all because she gives the test BEFORE the lesson!
 
Ah chip tray....YES! Initially I was happy with the little tray on the machine, expanded the tray recently and now considering full enclosure.

The more you do, the further the shavings fly.
 
ThorstenD said:
Hi all,

My long awaited MD-45 mill finally arrived at the Edmonton Modern Tool location! Yesterday I picked up the base and chip tray (working on getting the actual beast home). Trying to decide now whether to install the chip tray or not? Pros/cons based on members' experiences? I do not intend to use any coolant system.

Look forward to your wisdom!

Cheers,
Thorsten
Click to expand...
I would put it on and give it a try. If it not big enough or in the way then you can modify it. As Craig points out it is a good place to put tools while you are working.
 
I dont have a "chip tray" under my mill but I do have the "tool collector" that Craig speaks of. My mill stand isnt "store bought" and is just an aray of angle iron legs and frame welded together that has a sheet of expanded metal welded to the top that the mill sits on. Chips fall through the expanded metal holes and congregate on the floor for an easy broom clean up. The tools for cutter change & other odds & ends are never laying in a pool of cuttings....I like the set-up and if forced to ever build another mill stand I would do the same thing.
 
ThorstenD said:
Hi all,

My long awaited MD-45 mill finally arrived at the Edmonton Modern Tool location! Yesterday I picked up the base and chip tray (working on getting the actual beast home). Trying to decide now whether to install the chip tray or not? Pros/cons based on members' experiences? I do not intend to use any coolant system.

Look forward to your wisdom!

Cheers,
Thorsten
Click to expand...

I don't have a chip tray on my big knee mill. I did have one on my Rf30/40 type mill/drill. I miss the chip tray on the big knee mill, but I doubt one would actually help. That thing throws chips for 10km in every direction. It's a down side of lots of horsepower. Torque cuts chips. HP determines how fast you make them. I use a dedicated shop vac to clean up as best as possible.

Bottom line is that your own usage will probably determine how useful a chip tray is to you.

But regardless of how well it works for you, I don't think it will hurt. So my advice is to use it.
 
Susquatch said:
I don't have a chip tray on my big knee mill. I did have one on my Rf30/40 type mill/drill. I miss the chip tray on the big knee mill, but I doubt one would actually help. That thing throws chips for 10km in every direction. It's a down side of lots of horsepower. Torque cuts chips. HP determines how fast you make them. I use a dedicated shop vac to clean up as best as possible.

Bottom line is that your own usage will probably determine how useful a chip tray is to you.

But regardless of how well it works for you, I don't think it will hurt. So my advice is to use it.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean with chips flying all over the place, I put mine in a corner to help contain them.
 
Hacker said:
I know what you mean with chips flying all over the place, I put mine in a corner to help contain them.
Click to expand...

That would have been smart, but I only have one corner and it's miles from my machining area. I don't think it's worth building a corner inside the shop for that.

My thoughts are to make a shield or shields. I'll prolly die first though.....
 
I made a room in my shop for the machines so that I could keep the temperature at 15C in the winter and keep the rest at 5C. The problem is that it also slings a bit of oil and this gets on the walls. I have been thinking about getting some of that puck board or fibreglass panelling to help with cleanup, but that is as far as it has got. As you have pointed out " I'll prolly die first" :D
 
I started with chip catchers, shields, semi enclosures when the chips started migrating into the house mysteriously. The second reason was flood cooling, good for machining bad for anything within spray range.
 
Would a shower curtain(or similar) around the back and sides of a milling machine be worth a damn at keeping most of the chips in the area?
My shop is not large so I have things packed in pretty tight so cleaning up after a milling project is a pretty big task because I have to move so much stuff.
 
DPittman said:
Would a shower curtain(or similar) around the back and sides of a milling machine be worth a damn at keeping most of the chips in the area?
My shop is not large so I have things packed in pretty tight so cleaning up after a milling project is a pretty big task because I have to move so much stuff.
Click to expand...
I use curtains and it helps greatly.

Couple of mats (the larger version) something like this help greatly as it traps the chips where they fall and greatly reduces pickup on you shoes. Just lift and sweep or vacuum.

 
DPittman said:
Would a shower curtain(or similar) around the back and sides of a milling machine be worth a damn at keeping most of the chips in the area?
My shop is not large so I have things packed in pretty tight so cleaning up after a milling project is a pretty big task because I have to move so much stuff.
Click to expand...
I suspect that a shower curtain would catch all those nice hot chips and look like netting in a couple jobs.
 
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