[hackerspaces] Laser Cutter Fires?

[Bob Bownes]

CO2 or Halon is probably the easiest on machinery in terms of residue, will
put out just about anything except a metal fire (though beware re-ignition
of smoldering fires). Generally they are not suitable for Class A fires due
to the re-ignition problem.

That said, I've been considering switching the air assist from compressed
air to CO2, nitrogen, or argon for just this reason. Has anyone tried this?

Bob


On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 2:39 PM, dosman <dosman at packetsniffers.org> wrote:

> I would augment this with, keep the fire extinguisher near the door or
> exit to the room. That way a person can react first by running away from
> the source of a fire. Second, it means your fire fighting gear isn’t
> unreachable should the fire break out while it’s unattended (because
> hackers always follow the rules). Third, it means you are not rushing
> towards a fire unarmed if you roll up and discover the fire in-progress.
>
> And on a tangent, what kind of fire extinguishers are people keeping near
> their lasers? We budgeted to get a Halotron when we got our laser as it’s
> supposed to be the gentlest on the machine, but it’s pricey. Do others have
> a preference?
>
> -dosman
>
>
> On Apr 29, 2015, at 2:19 PM, Mike Outmesguine <mo at transstellar.com> wrote:
>
> Also make sure there is a fire extinguisher right next to the laser just
> in case.
>
>
> I learned this rule from my fire fighter uncle. Good for almost any
> occasion!
>
> -Mike
>
>
> On Apr 29, 2015, at 11:06, Joshua Pritt <ramgarden at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> No fires yet.  But one of the main safety rules with the laser is to never
> leave it unattended.  You should be able to hit the emergency stop button
> the moment you see a flame then extinguish it immediately.  Also make sure
> there is a fire extinguisher right next to the laser just in case.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 1:56 PM, Robert Davidson <
> robert at dallasmakerspace.org> wrote:
>
>> I wanted to know how many out there have had a fire on there CO2 Laser?
>>
>> What was the root cause?
>>
>> I define fire as leaving the confines of the machine.
>> Though if your machine was destroyed by a fire in the tray that would
>> count as well.
>>
>>
>> I can start out with Dallas Makerspace we had the High Voltage line arc
>> to the metal case and caused a fire in the laser tube area. (It was quickly
>> extinguished with a Fire Extinguisher)
>>
>> Artifacture a local company in Dallas; there CO2 laser destroyed a large
>> part of there building from a fire that was not observed.  Root Cause:
>> (Guessing as it was absolute destruction was that the material was left in
>> the tray from acrylic that had fallen through the tray)
>>
>>
>> Robert Davidson
>> Dallas Makerspace
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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