Shopsmith Forums

Hi all,
Unusual request for help here. I have a pond filter that needs about 12 cubic feet of pvc shavings as a filter media. I am having trouble finding pvc shavings. A fellow ponder created his from pvc drain pipe on a lathe in a machine shop and suggested I use my Shopsmith. Any suggestions? Thanks.....BB

Have you contacted a PVC manufacturer and see what they do with their shavings and scrap? Here is one in a neighboring state that may be worth contacting. [http://www.genovaproducts.com/]

As far as using the Shopsmith lathe to create shavings, all I can see is an awful lot of mess:eek:. This time of year, plastic shavings are loaded with static electricity and will stick to most anything and everything (bad enough in the Summer). Yes, the lathe can do it but you had better have an extremely efficient dust collection system to catch all of the shavings. You will probably have to thoroughly clean out the headstock as well.

12 Cubic feet, is that loosely or firmly packed? 2'x3'x2' is a lot of shavings, you might see if one of your neighbors has a large wood chipper that will bag its waste and give that a try