Cleaning tools

[Luckbox]

How do you all clean your tools when done. Blower attachment on the compressor, shop vac, or simply wipe down the tool when done. I seem to be fighting a never ending battle with dust that seems to just reappear when I am done cleaning up.

[sweensdv]

Depending on the tool, I use all three of the methods you mentioned.

Dust in the shop? Never heard of such a thing!

[RodKirby]

All of the above +

* Cordless vac
* Tooth brush on router/drill bits.
* Feather duster on work surfaces (that'll get the guys going!)

Don't worry - it never ends [8]

[WEG]

Hi Eric;
Don't believe that Rod Kirby...he has some special talent that when he cuts something, sands something, it doesn't make dust or it's because he's "down under" and all his dust rises instead of falls! He never does show us his ceiling, ever notice that??

I think the answer to the dust after cleaning is not waiting for the real small dust in the air (I know, buy a dc with .3 micon filter) to settle. I have the same problem... I just get the place really clean and my LOML finds another project for me to make more dust! But I love it!!
WEG

[maxparot]

If its a shop there is dust! Controlling it is a multi front assault. I use a 2 HP HF dust collector with cartridge filter, an built into the ceiling filter vent with filtrete filters, compressed air,broom and dust pan and lets not forget the shop vac. My shop is never dust free it just looks that way for about 10 minutes after a good cleaning. But living in Arizona that's about as good as you can do in most of the homes.

[monte]

shop vac
dust collector
compressed air
broom and dust pan

I try to clean the shop after finishing for the day.

[Stick]

quote:Originally posted by Luckbox

How do you all clean your tools when done. Blower attachment on the compressor, shop vac, or simply wipe down the tool when done. I seem to be fighting a never ending battle with dust that seems to just reappear when I am done cleaning up.

Bench brush & shop vac only. The millwright part of me refuses to allow cleaning with compressed air. Never ever ever! Old habits die hard. Metal chips and swarf can get blown into the ways and inner workings of machines large and small and cause major grief. I've seen one tiny piece of drill tailing trip a 133 megawatt generator. I've also seen the damage swarf can do to the ways of lathes and milling machines and such.

With sawdust probably the worst that could happen is to get some in your eyes, but I just got in the habit of never using air to clean with.

[LarryG]

I'm closest to Stick, I guess. I use a bench brush to get the clingy stuff out of the nooks and crannies, and the shop vac to gather up the bulk of the mess. The only time I used compressed air is when I need to get into a REALLY tight spot, such as when I need to blow the sawdust off the laser lenses on my CMS. They're recessed into the blade guard's upper half, in a spot that's difficult to reach any other way.

Like Monte, I generally clean up every day, although if I've not made much of a mess I'll sometimes let it go for a day or two. And I'm not super-anal about trying to get it all. As long as I get 95 to 98 percent of it, I'm happy.