Machine Location in the House?

[Cgav34]

My storage shed/workshop doesn't have heat or AC; so, living in NC, we get some hot, humid days and the storage building gets HOT (it's bad that when I'm in there working, I'll sometimes step outside into the 110 deg. heat index weather to cool off!).

Because of this, I have my Carvewright set up in a spare bedroom. Not a big fan of this, and hope to one day build a bigger building with power and HVAC.

Just wondering how many other folks have their machines set up inside their house...or am I the only one? :(

[Dale]

I live in North Idaho where it gets cold in the winter and hot (mid 90's) in the summer and also have an unheated/cooled work shop. My work around was to build a small 4'x8' room in the corner of my shop and insulate it very well. I use an electric space heater in the winter and a fan blowing on the machine in the summer when it is really hot.
I would think the main problem with having the machine in the house would be dust. Even with a dust colloctor hooked up there is a small amount of very fine dust that still manages to settle on things.

[cestout]

When I built this house I included a 3 car size garage with 2 car size area partitioned off (6' window in that inside wall). My wife's care is in the smaller area and my shop in the larger. All insulated and paneled - first part of house completed out of necessity. I use a swamp cooler in summer and a portable kerosene heater in winter. Here is Southern California the winters are not extreme and the summers are dry so an evaporative cooler works well (That is also what cools the living area.) and it cools off here almost every night so the cooler has a head start. There are advantages to designing and building your own house. I am a retired Communications Teck. (phone company) but have always been a wood worker, read a lot (like Fine Homebuilding Magazine etc.) and watched TV shows like This Old House and Home Time. Also assembled a library of how to books.
Clint

[Digitalwoodshop]

I second the dust concern in a living space... The cut motor is cooled by sucking air through the fins near the brushes then OUT the muffler. That is really FINE dust.... And a big danger to you and your family. SO the more you do to control the dust the better for everyone. I know some have machines in the basement and this is also a concern.

Spend some time searching dust collecting on the web and the info on the very fine dust that can be a health hazard.

I cut a lot of Fiber Reinforced Plastic Tags for my business and that is some pretty nasty dust... Yet I continue to work with it... Knowing it is pretty bad... I use low pressure air to blow off dust stuck to tags in a box and wear a mask but you can still see the dust in the air.

If you are using a Dust Collector then step up from the bags that let the WORST fine dust escape and go to a canister paper type, the best you can afford. Also a Electro Static Air Cleaner would be good to capture dust as would a box fan with some quality filters on it.

I am luck I have a wood shop to work in so I can walk away from it when it gets dusty.

I use a Ringneck Metal collector on my Machine. I have mixed feelings about venting the cut motor exhaust into a dust collector due to the FIRE Hazard of Sparks and Dust from the Sparking Brushes being sucked through the motor and into your sawdust....

So lets talk Safety... I would get a battery operated Smoke Detector and mount it over the machine to pick up on the start of a FIRE.... Years ago I was working on my deck outside the wood shop and 10 feet away my Flex started to SMOKE.... I "Saved" the Shop by having the Smoke Detector.... Thinking worst case.... A guy posted a few years ago that he returned home after leaving his machine running a project in his METAL workshop. The Fire Department was just finishing up.... Lost his whole shop.... Source of the fire was unknown but likely the CW....

Wireless Intercom.... I have a Wireless Intercom next to my machine. The type that sends signals through the power wires. If I run to the house 1000 yards away I have a Intercom that I turn on while I am in the house to listen to the machine. I make the trips very short....

Wireless Video... I currently have a Wireless Video Camera above my machine and can watch it in the Laser Shop next door. As a Side Note... Got some very STRANGE Measuring problems with the machine not seeing the Board Width.... Turns out the 6 LED's on the camera were flooding the area of the board with IR Light making it very bright and the Board Sensor could not detect the darkness of going off the edge of the board.... Turned the camera ON after it started to carve, Problem solved....

Fire Extinguisher.... At the very least have some of the kitchen spray can extinguishers near the machine.... They are a WET agent and not to be used on electrical... but in an emergency.... Start with something....

Remember a FFC Cable Failure, a Encoder Failure, or a Mechanical Problem could cause your cutting bit to fail to RETRACT and on the next DOWN cycle dig into the board causing a FIRE.....

And lastly.... I have been reading the Engraving and Woodworking Forums since 2007 and in particular about Laser Engravers.... Many posts where a Laser Fire happened and the Home Insurance Company said.... LASER.... It BURNS it's way through stuff.... WE Don't insure a LASER ENGRAVER in a HOME.... Sorry... Your house is NOT covered.... sorry.... You would need a LASER RIDER and pay BIG BUCKS for it....

SO... a CW in the HOME..... IF you asked your Home Insurance they would likely reply in WRITING.... NO We DON't Cover your CW.... If it burns down your HOUSE....

Worst Case...

So lots to think about....

Good Luck,

AL