OK.. it's a given that with a bit of time and effort, making neutrons in a garage scale operation is possible.
Say you wanted to make a (trans)portable demo fusor (running on D). Perhaps you are going to visit your potential funding angel or their lawyer's? Maybe the angel wants to show off the fusion machine he/she's funding at a party... (rather than taking folks out to see the new polo pony or the new Lamborghini Diablo you're pissing the money away on, you take them into the "laboratory" to show off your "tame fusion scientist" and his atom smasher...)
Leaving aside the legalities (i.e. various NRC regs, certificates, etc.), what would be needed? Clearly you can put all the gear in a cart that can be rolled into the back of a van. You'd want some sort of unequivocal (and preferably visually impressive) indication of neutron production. You'd transport the thing under vacuum, so you don't have to have a long pumpdown (you might need to purge the D out of the chamber, though). The neutron rates are pretty low, so you probably don't need shielding for that(although, some might be useful, just in case). You'd almost certainly want to make sure you aren't radiating a lot of X-rays.
I would think that if you have a standard neutron survey meter, since it displays/counts directly in REM (or mSv), and if it's calibrated (might be $$), you have a direct indication that the levels are safe.
Same sort of things apply for the ambitious science fair project. At the science fairs I was in, you could demonstrate the device to the judges (i.e. they provided power, and you were standing there to operate it). (I'd think that unattended public operation might be a bit of a reach).
Created on Friday, March 16, 2001 3:24 PM EDT by James Lux