Tried to use a shop vac to clear chips from a deep pocket and it sounded like a dying robot

I was running a long aluminum part with a 0.25 inch end mill and the chips were packing in, so I figured I'd just hold the vacuum hose right over the cut. The second I turned it on, the suction grabbed the coolant stream and pulled it straight into the motor, making this awful gurgling screech that had the whole shop looking over. What's the weirdest fix you've had to do to get chips out of a tricky spot?

2 comments

2 Comments

paigec1411d ago

Honestly that sounds like a job for an air gun, not a vacuum.

kevin_flores11d ago

So you basically waterboarded your shop vac. Did it survive, or is it now a very expensive paperweight?