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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

[knight_toolworks]

never thought about a fire starting from material moving around. me has almost always been dull bit jamming in pdf. or the last one using a downcut in laminated mdf. learned not to push dull bits through mdf.

[Burkhardt]

Ha, that is quite impressive. With a serious dust collector this might have been even worse, sucking the flames and embers into the dust bin. Since my jobs are only one-off pieces with a high human error rate I keep watching them all the time (except some bathroom breaks...). But if I would do series production I might be tempted to let it run unsupervised which is obviously quite a risk.

That said (and as a reminder of other risks) , my own shop fire was not started by the CNC. I was stupid enough to cut some long screws with an angle grinder and the spark shower ignited a tray with 0000 steel wool pads several yards away. I know in theory that such fine thread steel filament can smolder like paper (just try it with a match) but I just did not imagine this could happen in my shop. Fortunately I saw the smoke billowing and took action with the fire extinguisher before the garage burnt down.

[curtiss]

So is there a sensor that can be placed in the dust collector system that would pick up a problem ? How often should one empty the DC bag ???

I would suppose a smoke detector above the table would pick up the major issue.

Seems like whoever set up the “YouTube bot cam” and was ... NOT ASLEEP... would also see the problem.

[Ajcoholic]

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

What exactly caused this? I cant believe it was the loose blank rubbing on the spoilboard. Broken bit?

[Gary Campbell]

Reasons the fire got started are:
1) Insufficient hold down
2) Retract height too high which caused lack of steps on retract causing collet to rub on material

All of that happened in the first 20 seconds. The reason the fire actually burned was that the operator left the machine unattended. Negligence

[myxpykalix]

I keep my video monitor right next to my television so i have the screen in sight while watching tv. I am planning to make some mods that will be even better if/when i get to them.....

I wonder if there is any type of temperature sensor out there that could sense fire, even with the air suction under your dust collector? Maybe smoke detector?

[Ajcoholic]

Reasons the fire got started are:
1) Insufficient hold down
2) Retract height too high which caused lack of steps on retract causing collet to rub on material

All of that happened in the first 20 seconds. The reason the fire actually burned was that the operator left the machine unattended. Negligence

So the actual fire started from the friction between the router collet and the material?

Wild stuff. What was the cut suppose to be? Material? Just curious. I watched it several times but cant figure it out.

Is there vacuum hold down or DC?

[Gary Campbell]

Andrew...
It was a video posted online. Other than what I can observe, there is no more information on it..

No vacuum, no dust, just a couple loose clamps. This happens every day. In most cases the operator is present. No harm, no foul.

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew...
It was a video posted online. Other than what I can observe, there is no more information on it..

No vacuum, no dust, just a couple loose clamps. This happens every day. In most cases the operator is present. No harm, no foul.

Got it. I assumed you knew the guy and situation first hand, sorry.

I never run my router while I am not in the shop. I might not be staring at it, but its in the shop no more than 40 or 50 feet away and visible at all times. I've thought about leaving files run while I have to leave, but my shop & business isnt worth losing so I have never done it.

[Gary Campbell]

but my shop & business isnt worth losing so I have never done it.

Amen to that!