I’m looking to hook up a Webcam to my MPCNC, so that I can monitor it from my office upstairs. I haven’t been using my MPCNC at all simply to being bogged down by other freelance obligations, and if I could log into something to be able to ensure a raging fire hasn’t started, it’d help me out significantly.
I would like something that ultimately is connected to the house WiFi, and is able to be accessed at any time, without a necessity of having to “pick up” or confirm the connection from the camera’s end.
Anyone have any recommendations?
Once we are moved into a new home in a few months, I think the easiest solution will be to build a dedicated PC for my CNC, and I’ll have software running that allows me to connect to the PC and view the webcam - but if there’s easier solutions, I’d love to hear them.
Tim is totally right. It is much easier to start a fire with the router than with a 3D printer. I strongly advise you not to do this. More than the video, the sound will be the biggest clue, and I don’t think you can easily get the same sense of panic through a speaker.
In my near fire moment, I was installing a smoke detector in the garage, for this very reason. It was on, with the battery installed, and I was on a ladder, installing it in the ceiling. The CNC dug in, and I smelled the smoke first. Then my brain processed the sounds, and I could see it had dug deep into my spoil board and the collet was smoking on the surface of the workpiece. In a few more seconds, the workpiece would have been in flames, then the spoil board, table, it is all unfinished, dry wood. I would not have been able to stop it. But I was there, and I turned off the router and unplugged the machine with my power strip. The smoke alarm never made a peep.
Can you make the area near the CNC more inviting? Make yourself able to work on some projects in the same room?
Unfortunately, my current setup has my CNC in the garage, and my office is in the house on the upstairs. We are renting, so I can hardly do anything that I want to do with the home.
Ideally, we are looking at homes with a detached garage space that I’ll turn into a shop area. I wouldn’t mind framing out an office space in the corner, that is insulated, so that even in the colder winter days, it’s ideal to work in. Also, to keep the dust/debris out of the computer.
Adding another voice to the choir. Too much immediate danger. Things go from “whoopsie daisy” to “sir, hang on, we’re almost to the burn unit” way too quickly…
“Can you make the area near the CNC more inviting? Make yourself able to work on some projects in the same room?”
Pretty much this. I have a LOT of projects I can do in the garage by my machines. Maybe you can find some with some careful planning? I also put an old computer out there to run the cnc, which doubles OK for internet researching, studying, and inkscape work. Microsoft has also made it easier to mirror screens, so if you have a laptop or something you can control your main pc from there, letting the main pc handle all the heavy lifting if it’s the powerhouse or has the only copy of some software you need. My chair isn’t as comfortable, but that’s because I’m cheap. About as far away as I get is the kitchen, which is next to the garage, and even then I leave the door cracked open so I can hear.
I mean, we aren’t telling you what to do, but at least think about this really hard first. Watch some videos of cnc router fires.
I agree with the ‘Not leaving it alone’ group.
However, saying that… I have one of these webcams on my Pro Creator 3d printer and it’s brilliant for the money.
I hard wired into the unit and can monitor (with sound) from anywhere. Up an running in literally 2 minutes. You just enter your internet details and scan the QR code on the camera.
I have a 12v smoke detector in my workshop that has a relay pair that kills the power to my entire workshop (via a contactor). It’s wired into my emergency stop system.
It also then texts me to tell me the power has been killed (that is part of my Risco house alarm system).
Thanks for the input everyone - I decided the best course of action is to push the CNC out in the middle of my yard and run it there! No need to even monitor it anymore.
