I just ordered my X-Carve 1000x1000. I’ve got a finished 3rd floor where I keep an Epilog laser cutter/engraver and am considering putting the X-Carve in the same room but I’m worried about the amount of dust/debris it’ll create. The room is carpeted… I plan to use the CNC mostly with wood and metal to create 3D topo maps.
Am I nuts for even considering it?
Alternatively, I can put it in my garage, but it gets hot/cold in there so it’s not an ideal year-round workshop for me.
If you have a good dust collection system (and good dust shoe) with a 1 micron filter you should be fine inside the house.
Maybe consider building an enclosure, I’ve seen photos here of some that folks have made. Would also help keep the noise level down too.
Do you also have a dust collection system? If so, what?
In your case absolutely an enclosure I am looking into going that rout myself soon, noise reduction alone the router running for 4 hours straight while trying to do other shop work shows me how loud it really is. As for dust collection a shop vac is what most use on these I did not think using the harbor freight dust collector on the cnc was needed but there is another noise creator as well. I am going to enclose the vac under the bench for noise reduction there too but vent and baffle so it can breath.
I would not even consider putting it near your laser without a dust collection system and enclosure. Especially if you carve MDF. (It will produce this ultra fine dust that will hang in the air, and you don’t want that getting into your optics, or your lungs)
I recommend a dust deputy in addition to a real dust collector with filter bag. (The fine dust will go right through a normal shop vac)
My advice, set it up in your garage. Get it built, and running where mess and noise is not an issue. And once you get your enclosure and duct collection setup dialed in, then move it upstairs.
Metal shavings and carpet? I don’t think so.
