Pesky rules... will save you

Laser
#1

Why can’t I walk away? Why can’t I leave a job unattended? Why do you shut down and do those maintenance days right when I NEED to use the laser? Why should I care about how to use fire extinguishers? Who cares about the CO2 gun?

This person walked away to go to the restroom… The laser switched from raster to cutting some thick acrylic and a fire broke out…

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Laptop is damaged. 50W Laser cutter is toast. Extinguisher was used and saved the house.

Luckily Op had the laser pulled away from the wall or it could’ve been far worse.

9 Likes
#2

This is one of the biggest pieces of advice we give when new maker spaces call us for help getting started. Lasers are great but they will burn your place down If you aren’t careful.

3 Likes
#3

For those that don’t know, a laser has caught fire at DMS before. Like flames coming out of the machine. This is a very real threat. If you see a machine running and nobody right next to it watching it then stop the job (or simply hit the emergency stop).

9 Likes
#4

Acrylic can make some scary flames. It scares me more than wood does.

#5

Thanks for the reminder. In the USAF we had reminders EVERY DAY. It is an essential part of being able to use tools correctly and be aware of the safety risks in a work environment around dangerous equipment. I’ve heard it a million times, “OH it will never happen to me!” Then it, of course does. We had a young man, who was a collegiate baseball player, lose the use of his right, batting hand, because he ignored the Technical Manuals safety precautions and didn’t lock the jack stand correctly. The load shifted while he was working below it and it crushed his right hand. The surgeons were able to save most of his hand, but his baseball career was over. The aircraft was badly damaged, too.

A promising baseball career ended because he ignored the safety precautions. It can, and frequently, does happen to those who ignore the rules/regulations.

3 Likes
#6

A few years ago, a new 3D Printer started a fire in the Texas Tech Library overnight. The smoke detectors alerted the campus cops and LFD. They were lucky, the ball of plastic did not do more damage. No more unattended jobs.

#7

A project that I never finished on the laser if someone wants to take up was to install a fire suppression system.

The commercial system is something like Fire Suppression Systems & Solutions | Firetrace

DIY something as simple as a regulator and 1/4 inch tubing around the laser connected to the CO2 tank. (Idea is the 1/4 inch tubing breaks and dumps the CO2 out the line) I ultimately held off with the DIY solution as there is a lot of regulation around fire detection/suppression as it’s applied to insurance and fire code.

But I still think it’s a worthwhile safety net that is very simple/reliable. I just will not be the one to bring it to completion.

1 Like