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[Gary Campbell]

Thanks to YouTube user DarwinGarage and Michael for the D/L, I am adding this to my training sessions for new users. Hopefully this can prevent a similar event from happening.

https://youtu.be/D2xoxPlDnW4

[Gary Campbell]

A bit of a follow up on this video.....

There were comments on another forum where the user noted that being able to run unattended was one of the "biggest assets" of the CNC. User was more interested in the "actual cause" of the fire.

Most users that have experience will tell you that most everything that is done, done wrong or even not done can cause a fire. Bits, hold down, router failure improper toolpath parameters and loss of steps are a few of the contributing factors. This is backed up by many personal stories on this and other forums and is shown well in the video where hold down and loss of steps were contributing factors.

Contributing factors aside, the actual cause of the fire was "operator negligence", in that the operator allowed the machine to run unattended. If you don't believe me, you will believe your insurance adjuster when he explains what your insurance company will pay for.

Be safe and have fun!

[de5]

... being able to run unattended was one of the "biggest assets" of the CNC.

True, up to a point.

"Unattended" for me means I am in the next room working on other stuff, always listening and aware of what the machine is doing.

[Ger21]

always listening

Fires can start with no noticeable change in sound. Most often it'll be the smell that you notice first.

[de5]

Good point, and thanks for bringing that to our attention. I should have mentioned that the double doors into my CNC room both have large windows, so I am also keeping an eye on the machine. I was trying to state how nice it is to be productive while the machine is working but didn't say it very well, or completely.

[Mark Johnston]

Being concerned about fire on my CNC has always been in the front of my mind but when running long jobs it’s difficult to keep close attention on the machine. I usually run some 3D in my jobs to give extra appeal so my jobs tend to run longer. Being a hobbyist I want that to really stand out and that’s really why I bought a CNC in the first place.

I’m not trying to add unusable cost to the CNC but if a CNC builder could build in or have as an option some fire detection ability it would be worth it to me. I would think with the technology we have today it would be possible to detect usual heat or smoke and offer a way to shut the machine down or alert us over our smart phones somehow that there is a problem.
Just a thought.

Mark