Old paint brush plus dustpan and brush and kitchen towels. In the drip tray i have a rectangle of steel sheet for moving swarf around the drip tray, and over the edge into a bucket. There's also an old hacksaw blade for moving swarf from awkward places.

I aim to remove swarf and excess oil – not the slightest bit interested in the lathe looking pristine.

Andrew

I'm the same as Andrew except I have a bit of MDF to gather the swarf.

A rag soaked in diluted soluable oil seems quite good for removing built up grime. certainly leaves a clean patch when spilt

There is a member on another forum who covers his machines in clingfilm when working cast iron you may want to try that once you have cleaned it up

Edited By JasonB on 02/09/2021 11:35:00

If I have been turning wood or cast iron I get all the swarf off the lathe. Otherwise I just get most of it off. I then wipe the exposed steel (ways, slides, chuck, etc) with clean kitchen paper and put slideway oil, without wiping, on all exposed metal. I just leave the oil to spread over everything (clean oil will never hurt a lathe). When I come to use the lathe again this oil is not removed from most surface.

The "big" lathe has a large drip tray in which swarf gathers until I get fed up with it. The tray is also a puddle of residual oil (lubricating, slideway and neat cutting oil).

How often does it get a deep clean. Ever Easter?

JA

I clean off every scrap of dirt I can find, then I polish everything to a high finish before wrapping it all up nice and tidy and wishing it sweet dreams. !

Needless to say, I seldom switch it on No-N0-No, that,s not good for it, it,s only there to be looked at, not used !

However, in the real World, I use it to get the job done, then clean off the heavy muck before getting on with something else. I regard it as a machine to be used, not to be looked at. I can buy ornaments cheaper.