Now the chips are all magnetized and it becomes a game getting them off everything that they stick to. Use successively larger drill bits with oil and the chip will come off in one piece or any length that you desire. Easier to pick up or sweep into a bucket.
looks like that plate spent some time outside in the weather. It would be nice to bring it outside and snag grind the surface before mounting to the desk. Then you can use the plate as the ground for welding.
I just use my hand to slowly pull the shavings off, over the trash can, and throw them away.
You are right, my I told my buddy that I was looking for a steel plate about the size of my desk and he walks into his back yard and asks me to help him pull it out of the dirt. He gave it to me even though I tried to pay for it. It is the exact with of my table.
After I took this picture, I took a sander and then spent a lot of time with my hand grinder to clean it up. I put a piece of steel on top of it and with the ground clamp on the plate, I was able to draw a nice bead. I did add a coating of mineral first to slow down future rusting.
Jim