the coffee filter test

[Ken S]

Inspired by Grinder's courage with the dishwasher and the leather honing wheel, I finally got up enough nerve to try filtering my water trough water through my coffee filter. I used a #2 (brown) Melitta paper filter and the standard Melitta #2 plastic filter. The water flowed through to an old plastic peanut butter jar.

The water was essentially clean in the jar, the filter having caught the grinding grit. The magnet caught the removed steel.

I plan to purchase another #2 Melitta plastic filter reserved for my Tormek. My drain will be cleaner in the future.

The next order of business is to run my plastic filter through the dishwasher!

Ken

[jeffs55]

I through my dirty water into the yard. The grinding stone is stone=dirt and the metal is iron=enriched soil.

[Ken S]

I did the same thing in my garage shop. The used water fit right in with my slag driveway.

My present shop is in the basement and my driceway is  concrete. I am less likely to go up the stairs and outside to dump the water. The coffee filter will work better than just dumping the sludge down the drain. It also feels like the right thing to do. No big deal with the driveway, but more of a deal with the city water.

Some of our forum may live in situations like third floor apartments. In those situatione, I think the coffee filter arrangement is even more logical.

I do not think my Tormek sludge is any more toxic than some of the coffee I have drunk while travelling. 

Ken

[Elden]

   From running a tumbler for deburr in a machine shop, once the water and chemical evaporated, the dried up product could be disposed in the trash. The Tormek uses no added chemical, so I think you are ok, Ken. But, I am not knowledgeable of the current EPA regulations.

[Ken S]

I have now been advised by good sources in both hemispheres that evaporation is the best way to go, and I agree. I will leave the coffee filter method available for those who might need an alternative.

Ken

[Ken S]

I see the practicality of just allowing the sludge water to evaporate and discarding the dried used abrasive when there is enough time and a safe place to leave the bucket.

I still think the coffee filter method is useful when evaporation is not practical.

Ken

[Elden]

Ken,
   In my thinking, removing the solids with the filter should suffice. I believe the water could then be poured into the drain. That statement is not EPA certified, however. I don't know the intricacies of their thinking. The filter and solids would dry in a fairly short time. Personally, I agree with Jeff's method.

[grepper]

I don't think the issue is toxicity, but rather that the slurry particulates are heavy and in a slow moving drain system will collect along the bottom of the pipes and build up over time.  Even sitting in water the goop at the bottom of the trough can become very dense and difficult to remove.  Probably not what you want in the bottom of the drain trap and pipes.  With the particulates filtered out I would not think dumping it in the drain would be a problem.

[Ken S]

I agree, Mark. I am more concerned about clogging my pipes than with the sludge water polluting anything.

Ken