nasty metal "splinters"

I suppose others have run into this before-- a month or so ago I installed a quick change tool post on my 10x22 lathe. It required that the steel T-nut be machined to fit the lathe, so I milled it off on three sides to the width and thickness required.

Works great, couldn't be happier (wedge style) and I just picked up a few extra tool holders.

Problem-- the swarf was all tiny long slivers of steel that seem to find themselves stuck in my fingers every time I touch anything. They're very, very thin and sharp, and maybe 1/8" or a bit longer.

How to avoid this? It's very annoying, and the oil I used has made them stick everywhere, into the T-slots etc.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany
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Grab a couple of good STRONG magnets. Now take a couple of cheap sandwich bags and turn them inside out. Put the magnets inside and wipe the magnets over the areas with the swarf. When you think you have all of them picked up, turn the bags right side out and close them up. Now let the magnets out onto a thin piece of steel (just in case a couple of the slivers made it through the bags) What you should end up with is a double walled bag with the slivers inside it and ready to be tossed away.

Reply to
Steve W.

I turn a plastic bag inside out and put a neodymium magnet inside it. Swab the area and re-invert the bag. I now have a bag full of splinters.

Rinse, lather, repeat. :)

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

Different cutter, or change your feed speed or pressure? Make the chips different size.

I have similar problem with a key cutting machine, that throws brass slivers. I havn't found out how to change the feed speed or pressure, yet. I should rig a vacuum cleaner to operate during the cutting.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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I suppose others have run into this before-- a month or so ago I installed a quick change tool post on my 10x22 lathe. It required that the steel T-nut be machined to fit the lathe, so I milled it off on three sides to the width and thickness required.

Works great, couldn't be happier (wedge style) and I just picked up a few extra tool holders.

Problem-- the swarf was all tiny long slivers of steel that seem to find themselves stuck in my fingers every time I touch anything. They're very, very thin and sharp, and maybe 1/8" or a bit longer.

How to avoid this? It's very annoying, and the oil I used has made them stick everywhere, into the T-slots etc.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Some alloys/tempers of brass are really nasty to work that way. Had one rod of it that no matter what I did, swarf was little slivers when i turned it. Nasty stuff to clean up after. Was picking invisible slivers out of the fingers for several days. Best way was using tape to do it, just like cactus needles.

Stan

Reply to
Stanley Schaefer

Usually, for me the sliver turns dark, and then I can see it. Dig a bit with tip of exacto knife, or similar. Brings the splinter (and my pain level) up.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Some alloys/tempers of brass are really nasty to work that way. Had one rod of it that no matter what I did, swarf was little slivers when i turned it. Nasty stuff to clean up after. Was picking invisible slivers out of the fingers for several days. Best way was using tape to do it, just like cactus needles.

Stan

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Razor blades work good, so do the machinist surfacing stones (not sure of the proper terminology). The ones that have the rough and fine side, rub your finger around in circles on it and it tends to grab those nasty splinters right out.

Reply to
tnik

Yup, for deep ones with nothing sticking out, a brand new X-acto blade can be used to pick at the dead skin layer and expose the sliver. Then, using the sharp side of the blade, you can catch the surface roughness of the sliver and drag it right out. This only works with an absolutely new blade, those things are insanely sharp, and the edge of the blade will catch on the slightest surface roughness.

I've used this trick many times, it beats having to dig the whole damn splinter out. it works a lot better under a stereo zoom microscope (Not typical gear in the average home shop, I know.)

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

It is in my shop, but an Optivisor headband magnifier is more convenient.

Iodine may darken the sliver quickly. It stains wood splinters too.

jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Yes, they work nicely, as do new single-edged razor blades, if you can still find them. :-)

It's *not*? My home shop must not be typical, then. :-) A nice old AO stereozoom microscope on a boom stand.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

A Leica bino scope makes short work of the ones in fingers and palms, but the ones that get into a foot are not so easy. Maybe a cheapie USB microscope would help.

With the microscope I found a couple short ones embedded in thick skin that had rusted.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Harbor Freight puts a box of 100 on sale for $2.99 fairly often. I have about three boxes, right now.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

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