How to Clean & Maintain a Metal Lathe
To keep a metal lathe in good shape, adhere to a set of proven procedures. From constant cleaning to preventative maintenance, it is good practice to keep everything clean and clear in a machining environment. By removing metal chips and using sharp tooling, you can be sure that your dimensions will be correct as specified in the print.
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Instructions
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Warm up the lathe before using it to cut any raw material. Turn the main power to the machine on and start the spindle. Increase RPMs to about 1,000 and leave the lathe running for at least 10 minutes. Turn the spindle off just before starting your first cycle. Set up your tooling while the machine is warming up.
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Check the level of oil in each reservoir tank on the machine and fill them to the maximum level before starting the day's work. Use a funnel to make sure you do not spill oil on the ground--this can create a hazardous area where you may slip and fall. These tanks must be kept full; if the machine is run without oil, the damage can be disastrous.
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Keep the chuck jaws free of debris and metal chips by using compressed air to blow it off. Open the chuck using the foot switch on a CNC machine or the chuck key for a manual lathe. Keep the jaws open to clear away all the debris, including any metal chips lodged deep within the jaws.
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Keep the lathe bed or drawer free from long, string-like metal chips by removing them after every part. Use a metal hook or other device to remove these chips. If using a CNC lathe, open the drawer carefully and use a shovel or metal hook to remove all the chips when they start to get too high and approach the spindle. The drawer also serves as the coolant reservoir--this is also a good time to fill it with coolant.
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Inspect each tool tip for wear. If necessary, loosen the retaining screws for the insert and turn the tool tip. Most tool inserts have at least three tips to use; some have up to eight. Inspect the drill tips as well, and remove them from the drill chucks if dull using a chuck key. Replace with a new or resharpened drill, then resharpen the dull drill when you have time.
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