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Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
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Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
The stuff is all over all the plastic and metal parts, including my vac attachment. I really don’t want to wipe everything with a fabric softener sheet. Any alternatives that are not destructive to the lathe and mill? I can vacuum it off, and can blow it off me with shop air, but doesn’t it look disgusting?
It also affects how much stuff gets sucked into the shop vac - this doesn’t happen with aluminum! I think it looks a lot like ants….
Thanks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
That's just nasty! Maybe a ground wire?
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Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes is rapidly becoming a reality (11/2023). Para Bellum.
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
I contacted Sherline customer service to see if they can explain this. I was expecting lots of curlies, but not this very odd organic looking buildup. However I was taking light cuts, no more than 0.030”, usually 0.010”.
John Davies
Spokane WA
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
“ What you are experiencing with the static electric Acetal chips and dust is common. The same thing happens on our full size machines in our shop. Your best bet would be to buy a small (quieter) shop vac and make an adjustable mount for the suction end that you can place near the cutting area. Then the shop vac will suck up most of the chips as they are coming off of the cutter.”
so sayith Sherline, and the word was good.
John Davies
Spokane WA
so sayith Sherline, and the word was good.
John Davies
Spokane WA
0 x
Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
Just guessing here, but it looks like you have a regular shop size dust collector with 4" ducting to various tools. If that's the case why not just run a smaller hose (say 2") from that as (Sherline suggested) to a suction head instead of buying a small roll around shop vac to do the job? I also think that a small vac filter would clog up very quickly and stop sucking.John E Davies wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2023 9:16 pm“ What you are experiencing with the static electric Acetal chips and dust is common. The same thing happens on our full size machines in our shop. Your best bet would be to buy a small (quieter) shop vac and make an adjustable mount for the suction end that you can place near the cutting area. Then the shop vac will suck up most of the chips as they are coming off of the cutter.”
so sayith Sherline, and the word was good.
John Davies
Spokane WA
I have a full size dust collector 2hp motor (about 1350cfm) that is ducted via a home made manifold to various shop tools, with blast gates to direct the airflow as needed, and a couple ports with smaller hoses for the kind of thing you are dealing with. My setup exhausts outside the shop so I don't need to worry about filter clogging and subsequent drop in airflow at all.
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Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes is rapidly becoming a reality (11/2023). Para Bellum.
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
This is a new setup, but expensive and I hope I can get it working well. I like the portability, for example I can use it inside the house when drilling or cutting sheet rock. For lathe turnings the smooth pipes should be less prone to clogging than a small shop vac flex hose..
And you can hang the small hose vertically.
https://mullettools.com/
John Davies
Spokane WA
Last edited by John E Davies on Tue Nov 07, 2023 1:55 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
Here is a followup, from Sherline. I am still in the middle of a steep learning curve. The tool came installed in the fly cutter, I am not sure why a thread cutting tool came on it….
It sure is nice having a VERY responsive Customer Service department in California rather than China…. From the VP, no less!
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I apologize, I was reading your email from my cell phone and I didn’t see the link to your Henry Rifle Forum. A couple things.
1. All plastics, nylons, etc. have this problem.
2. Fly cutting any of these materials is the worst scenario. If you were doing any other machine operation the static chip problem will not be so overwhelming and your shop vac will be capable of removing the chips easier.
3. You may try using Polypropylene instead of acetal and see is the static problem is less intense.
4. After looking at your forum post, it look like you are using a 60 degree brazed carbide tool in your fly cutter.
A. The 60 degree tool is the wrong tool to use. The 60 degree tool is for cutting threads.
B. The 60 degree tool is also in the wrong orientation. The carbide cutting surface should be facing to the left as you look at the picture (turn it 90 degrees). Read the fly cutter instructions (3052inst.pdf (sherline.com)). Note that the cutter in the instructions is a left hand brazed carbide cutter and it is also being used to cut metal, not plastic.
C. For acetal and other plastics High Speed Steel cutter work better and give a better finish.
D. Try using one of our P/N 11960 Left-Hand High Speed Steel Cutting Tool. You will need to hand grind the cutting corner so it has a radius instead of a sharp point as shown below. The blue radius shown below is the cutting edge which should be facing down when it is in the fly cutter.
If you use a tool like this, the cutting edge will scoop the material off of the part like an ice cream scoop does on ice cream. Your chips will be bigger and the static effect should be less.
Using the cutter that you have (in the wrong orientation), you are rubbing the material off of the part instead of cutting the material off. Rubbing increases the static effect.
Please do me a favor. If you follow my instructions and you achieve better results and a better part finish. Please post this information on your forum so others can benefit. J
Have a great day,
Karl Rohlin
Sherline Products Inc.
3235 Executive Ridge
Vista, Ca. 92081
Vice President of Manufacturing
Pho (760) 727-5857
Or (800) 541-0735
Cell# (951) 553-8912
Fax (760)-727-7857
karl@sherline.com
Made in America
It sure is nice having a VERY responsive Customer Service department in California rather than China…. From the VP, no less!
John Davies
Spokane WA
_____________________________
I apologize, I was reading your email from my cell phone and I didn’t see the link to your Henry Rifle Forum. A couple things.
1. All plastics, nylons, etc. have this problem.
2. Fly cutting any of these materials is the worst scenario. If you were doing any other machine operation the static chip problem will not be so overwhelming and your shop vac will be capable of removing the chips easier.
3. You may try using Polypropylene instead of acetal and see is the static problem is less intense.
4. After looking at your forum post, it look like you are using a 60 degree brazed carbide tool in your fly cutter.
A. The 60 degree tool is the wrong tool to use. The 60 degree tool is for cutting threads.
B. The 60 degree tool is also in the wrong orientation. The carbide cutting surface should be facing to the left as you look at the picture (turn it 90 degrees). Read the fly cutter instructions (3052inst.pdf (sherline.com)). Note that the cutter in the instructions is a left hand brazed carbide cutter and it is also being used to cut metal, not plastic.
C. For acetal and other plastics High Speed Steel cutter work better and give a better finish.
D. Try using one of our P/N 11960 Left-Hand High Speed Steel Cutting Tool. You will need to hand grind the cutting corner so it has a radius instead of a sharp point as shown below. The blue radius shown below is the cutting edge which should be facing down when it is in the fly cutter.
If you use a tool like this, the cutting edge will scoop the material off of the part like an ice cream scoop does on ice cream. Your chips will be bigger and the static effect should be less.
Using the cutter that you have (in the wrong orientation), you are rubbing the material off of the part instead of cutting the material off. Rubbing increases the static effect.
Please do me a favor. If you follow my instructions and you achieve better results and a better part finish. Please post this information on your forum so others can benefit. J
Have a great day,
Karl Rohlin
Sherline Products Inc.
3235 Executive Ridge
Vista, Ca. 92081
Vice President of Manufacturing
Pho (760) 727-5857
Or (800) 541-0735
Cell# (951) 553-8912
Fax (760)-727-7857
karl@sherline.com
Made in America
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
That’s some pretty good customer service.
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- Handloader
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
You can purchase anti-static plastics or just an anti-static spray.
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Semper Paratus (Always Ready) Semper Gumby (Always Flexible)
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Re: Any lathe experts? How can I stop “static cling” when milling plastics?
Do you mean, apply a spray directly onto the equipment? Something like this?Handloader wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 7:02 amYou can purchase anti-static plastics or just an anti-static spray.
https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Static-Spra ... B075BV7XM7
I am not sure that it would be safe for or compatible with the lathe/ mill hardware precision moving parts. Those are liberally lubed with synthetic oil and grease. Please clarify.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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