Help planning for noob

[John Lewandowski]

I have got the bug for a laser, but have a need for information in my planning. I have read a lot here, but need some real basics.

I plan on starting up as hobby/suplemental income and have the laser as a fallback in case of job loss, or even make it full time later.

Some of the questions I have relate to:

Environment. How "sterile" of an environment is needed? Is it reasonable that I can run this out of my garage? Some, but minimal sawdust etc. I assume it is not adviseable to run this out of a spare room in my house due to smoke, risk of toxic odors, fire, etc.

Can the machine be mobile for storage? If it is in my garage, can I wheel it into a corner for storage and then out again for use? Or is there an impact on settings in doing so?

How about the temperature range of the environment? Can I operate out of a unheated/non air conditioned garage? I live in North Carolina, so summer heat in the garage can get really hot. Winter isn't so bad, but I can always get a heater.

What about temperature of the workpiece? Wood, glass, metal; is there an effect on the process depending on the temp of the workpiece?

Thanks in advance for your help and patience. John

[Joe Pelonio]

I would not want it in a place with sawdust in the air, there are parts that could be affected, including very sensitive optics. Many of us have the laser in a spare room, with venting to the outside there are no issues, any smells or smoke go outside.

Placed on a rolling platform it wouldn't hurt to roll it around as long as there were no bumps.

The temperature of the material when finished being engraved is basically room temperature. After cutting, some items like acrylic will be warm, like clothes out of the dryer, nothing dangerous. The laser running does tend to add heat to the room though, good in the winter, not so much in the summer.

Your real issues is the temperature. You need to keep it within a specific range, with heat and a/c depending on the time of year. A garage would probably need to be insulated and a heat pump, or at least window A/C and space heater added.

[John Lewandowski]

Thanks for the help. You cleared some things up for me.

[Mike Hood]

I run mine in a garage shop and my Explorer II is on wheels. It's heavy enough that I wouldn't dream to consider it "portable", but it can easily be moved around on a smooth shop floor.

(handy for cleaning)

Exhaust venting is definitely something to design up front though. They can make a pretty consistent and usually acrid smoke your neighbors may grow tired of. Sneaky planning is important in this area. :)

[Thad Nickoley]

my shop has some sawdust, if you keep the machine clean on a regular basis it shouldnt be a problem.