Which sensor to determine whether woodworking machine is running?

Other Hardware Sensors
1

Hello

I would like to build some automatic blast gates for my woodworking shop.
Arduino should

  • detect when a machine has been started (planer, band saw, table saw...)
  • open the corresponding blast gate
  • close a circuit which turns on the dust extractor.

First, I thought I would use a current sensor to detect that a machine has been turned on. But I am a bit too squamish to mess with high voltage, even when I use a current transformer there seem to be some risks involved :frowning: .

I am currently evaluating other possibilities, perhaps this would be even more elegant: All these machines vibrate slightly when they are running. You can feel it with your fingertips. When you put your ear to the machines housing, they are all quite loud.

  • Are these vibrations too soft to be picked up by a vibration sensor?
  • Would a sound sensor make more "sense"?

Best Regards
Mat

2

Mathess:
Hello

I would like to build some automatic blast gates for my woodworking shop.
Arduino should

  • detect when a machine has been started (planer, band saw, table saw...)
  • open the corresponding blast gate
  • close a circuit which turns on the dust extractor.

First, I thought I would use a current sensor to detect that a machine has been turned on. But I am a bit too squamish to mess with high voltage, even when I use a current transformer there seem to be some risks involved :frowning: .

I am currently evaluating other possibilities, perhaps this would be even more elegant: All these machines vibrate slightly when they are running. You can feel it with your fingertips. When you put your ear to the machines housing, they are all quite loud.

  • Are these vibrations too soft to be picked up by a vibration sensor?
  • Would a sound sensor make more "sense"?

Best Regards
Mat

The most pressing problem with the scheme is determining if the machine the sensor is attached to is running, or the one next to it. Perhaps you don't care.

Paul

4

I recall a VERY similar project, may have even been a woodworking shop, has been discussed recently. Also about starting a vacuum system whenever a machine is started. Do a search on the forum, I'm sure you can find it quite quickly.