Drastically. Temperature, too. We've got a mantel clock that runs fast or slow depending on the temperature. I'm talking "ten days of warm weather? You're four minutes fast" effects. Pretty sure if you dig deep into that site it'll tell you that if you do it perfectly, you'll be lucky to get them tracking a minute per day. Something to keep in mind: engineers are lazy. Rube Goldberg machines are the maximal effort necessary to accomplish something, usually in an inelegant fashion. They're also characterized by a lack of sturdiness. Neither characteristics are those coveted by engineers. Have I invoked rube goldbergian principles in my work? Mutherfucker, there are 150 Jack In The Box restaurants across Texas and Washington that, at one point, used a thermostat to switch channels on their radios according to schedule. That's only because the guy who sold the systems put in zero dollars for a $1500 dayparting DVD player, though. Am I glad it worked? Yeah. Do I wish I coulda done it right? Oh yeah. So I grew up with a carport full of shit and down at my grandparents' house, a 1500 square foot garage with an A-post lift, a drill press, a metalworking lathe, a cutoff saw, a grease pit and four kinds of welders. Right now, however, I live in a 1200 sqft condo with five flights of stairs between me and my two tandem parking spots. I have an f'ing gas can in my closet because I have nowhere else to put it. Wanna see what I accomplished with my "garden?" Fuck yeah. So. There will come a time when I have room to indulge my hobbies. Until then, I have to put a sheet over the client couch when I dismantle my A-80 because there isn't enough room on the coffee table.I do wonder though, if humidity would affect their precision since they are wooden.
Given your engineering background, have you ever built a Rube Goldberg machine?
if you can envision yourself using a laser cutter as part of your hobby or personal interest stuff and if you could afford one, why wouldn't you get one?