Security camera

[Clockman]

Has anyone installed a camera to watch the CNC while doing a long carve, from the house which is about 10 meters away, like the baby cameras that I have seen advertised? or is this a bad idea

[bravesoul1950]

I put a wifi camera which swivels on top of my control box so I can watch it running or just check on the shop in general. It works on the phone....

[martin54]

Not something I have done myself but there are a lot of people doing something like this, it's really down to personal choice. I simply won't run my machine unless I am in the workshop, I don't sit watching it every minute its running. I get on with other things that need doing but I am always in the workshop. To me it's one of those that "It's a good idea until its not "

Don't know about baby monitors but easy enough to do through a camera & your phone if you have internet or blue tooth coverage. If your broadband doesn't extend far enough to be picked up in your workshop then I think you can by routers that extend the range.

[Adrian]

It's come up a few times on forum this is the most recent - viewtopic.php?f=35&t=34885&p=254976

I use an IP camera with sound as the sound is always the best indication that there is a problem IMO and the feed is always directly in my eye line. I would never use it if I was more than a few seconds run from the machine.

[scottp55]

My shop is connected to the house with a fire door in between, BUT fire door is always open when cutting, as I agree with Adrian that Sound is usually the first thing I notice!!
3 Chem extinguishers 15' from machine, and 2 smoke detectors just inside fire doors at 2 heights...
AND a garden hose, as shop is on a 100A sub-panel I can shut off from mech room.

But STILL always wary...Accidents ARE Accidents...and if predictable, they would Not be.

JUST checked the dry-chem inside shop door.....NEEDS refill/replacement!!
Rarely leave shop during a Roughing cut....often with a long Finishing cut without DC running,
And even lie down on 12+hr cuts,wash dishes,do laundry, hand finish other projects, etc....
but LEVITATE into wheelchair if I even Hear machine pause to reload code:)

LOTS of opinions, but have had TS and DC smoke events....all not normal/unexpected situations.
Kind of amazing how fast things can happen!!
HATE to have fire department cut a hole in the roof and POUR water into mech room and shop!!

Cautious...You Bet!
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showth ... Crispy-Bot

[Clockman]

Thank you all for the replies, I will definitely get a fire extinguisher first after watching what can happen, Adrian I agree that the sound is a good indication that there is a problem, I do not leave the CNC for long without checking, I like to use the computer in the office which is 10 meters from the workshop and I can be there in a few seconds if something goes wrong, Adrian could you give me a link to the IP camera with sound that you have set up

[Adrian]

Adrian could you give me a link to the IP camera with sound that you have set up

Mine is 10 years old now and is a generic "eyeball" type which is no longer made as far as I know - https://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/produ ... ht-Vision/

There are lots of fully integrated security type IP cameras available now which weren't back then though so there's a much bigger choice.

[martin54]

Even if you don't go ahead with the camera then having some kind of first aid fire extinguisher is a sensible idea, so many things in a woodworking shop that are potential risks. Question if you work from home, do you have insurance specific to this & if not have you enquired about it with your home insurance company??

[dealguy11]

I always stay within listening distance of my machine and sometimes it's still not enough. Last week a piece popped off the table and got caught under the spindle. My office is maybe 20 feet from the machine. I heard it "clunk" and immediately raced to see what was happening. In the very few seconds between the clunk and my arriving at the machine the bit had broken and was cherry red, sparks were flying and the spoilboard was starting to char. Hit the big red button, shut down the dust collector and immediately carried the bags outside in case sparks had gone up the pipe.

Don't think I'd have gotten there in time if I'd been relying on a camera.

[Savannahdan]

I'm one of those guys who has had a cnc fire. It happened within less than a minute. I was cutting a job, needed to get something from my desk which is in the house which is connected to the shop, as I walked into the house my wife said "your CNC just made a different sound." Mind you she has hearing issues but I knew better and ran back into the shop to nasty black electrical smoke and a small fire at the control box. I pulled the plug and smothered the fire. In my case sound was very key to detecting the problem. I won't leave my machine on while not in the shop. I have way too many tools, wood and other stuff to let go up in flames not to speak of the damage to my house. I think for some a monitor with sound could help. You could also justify it just on the issue of recording (video and audio) what your cnc is doing while on a job.

[Clockman]

Thank you all for the replies, all very interesting and scary, I have ordered this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
but I will always be close by just in case, I have also ordered a fire extinguisher, Martin I did not think about insurance but I will look into it, it is only a hobby for me at the moment, but if I can make some money it will help pay for upgrades and wood

[GEdward]

In light of all the anecdotal evidence I guess if I wanted to have some degree of freedom to roam, I would devise some sort of remote E-Stop. Radio frequency remote switches are fairly common and wouldn't be very hard to wire in series on the E-Stop circuit. I recently bought a 3 pack of remote control 120V outlet switches with a single control pendant for all three. It has about a 70 foot range with my testing. More sophisticated vibration sensors and even some smoke alarms with outputs for remote alarm notification could also be incorporated into the E-Stop. Although by the time you have smoke it's already kind of late. Just a couple of thoughts to consider.

Ed

[martin54]

Clockman, I only mentioned insurance because it seems Companies will use any excuse not to pay out should something go wrong. I have rented an industrial unit for years, originally working as a Signmaker producing Cad Cut Vinyl & Digitally Printed Signage & had Business insurance covering the unit & on site work. I had to stop working for Health reasons about 18 months ago, my insurance lapsed & even though I should really have renewed it at the time with having a lot of equipment I didn't.
Anyway at the start of this year I was looking to start working part time but this time as a woodworking business making personalised gifts mainly from wood. I managed to get insurance but it was more expensive, they asked a lot more questions & insisted on lots of things being in place that had never been asked before. I asked the Insurance Broker why & he said it was because it was a higher risk business, my Landlord who pays Building insurance also said the premium was higher because of the nature of the Business & what was stored in the unit.
I have never had a home workshop, never had enough space for one but I have had some hobbies where I had expensive equipment & had to list items over a certain value individually & a CNC would certainly have fallen into that catagory.
Might be worth contacting them just to ask & find out about the woodworking & anything you need to do for storage of chemicals etc.

[Clockman]

Clockman, I only mentioned insurance because it seems Companies will use any excuse not to pay out should something go wrong.

Martin, yes I agree, they do not like to pay out, I will get in touch with my house insurance company and see if I could add the workshop, I have a lot of expensive Festool gear, domino/chop saw/cordless drills, as well as other stuff which would be expensive to replace if I had a fire, I hope you do well with your personalised gifts project, I would be interested to see what you make

[Clockman]

. Although by the time you have smoke it's already kind of late. Just a couple of thoughts to consider.

Thank's Ed, yes it is something else to consider