Metal Working

#ffffff;" />One thing that new machinists often neglect to think
If you are a new machinist or if you are one who isabout is making sure that their machines are properly
more experiences than most, then safety is still anwarmed up before they start working on them. I
important factor to consider when you begin towould recommend allowing your machine to warm up
work on your latest job. There are several otherfor around 10 minutes before you begin working on
areas that also need to be taken into considerationit. The warm up for a machine can be set to a
when you are working with this type of mediummoderate speed so not to cause any problems
– metal. You need to be in a safebefore you start applying pressure to them, very
environment and by following a few of thesemuch in the same way that you would not apply too
procedures, you can ensure you have a safe workingmuch pressure to a cars accelerator before it is
area for yourself and your co-workers.warmed up.
1) SafetySlowly starting the machine process in the beginning
Make sure that you are wearing gloves with metal asof your shift is the best way to warm up the
obviously there will be sharp corners involved whenmachine. If you decide to use the machine without a
you are working with metal. Many machinist havewarm up, then it may be possible if you just start
decided to not bother wearing gloves and haveyour first job of on a slow cycle to make sure things
ended up with missing fingers or worse. It isare running smoothly.
recommended that a new machinist wears gloves3) Cleaning you machine.
even when picking up any type of metal and not justIt is advisable to be able to clean your machine and
wearing them when on the actual CNC machine.also to make sure that the chips and other debris are
Another massive part of the safety routine whencleaned away after every cycle. The small chips can
working with metals is to use the correct safetyget caught up on the various spindles of a machine
goggles. Eye protection when working around activeand cause great problems when they are not
machines is paramount. Although CNC machines doremoved. You also need to make sure that the chips
have a plastic guard as standard, a lot of bits ofare removed from the chuck jaws and also the vices.
metal or other types of debris could still end up inMaking sure that the work area directly below the
your eyes. If you are using compressed air to trymachine is good practice. By this, I am talking about
and clean machines then be extra careful as an eyethe floor and surface area where you have been
could get damaged from flying chips as there isworking. Sweep, mop and polish any floor near the
usually small slivers that are easily capable of enteringmachine once you have finished your job. You may
your eye.slip and fall if the area is not completely cleaned after
2) Starting up your machinesworking on metal.