I have my cnc in the basement. I want to add a laser, but I’m worried about ventilation. What are my options for ventilating on the cheap. I have a dust collector, and access to Windows, although it would have to be a fairly long run.
I haven’t found a decent option yet, for the smaller diode lasers a good shop vac that you can mount an exhaust hose to would probably be good. For my big laser, no joke, I have a leaf blower hooked up and pump it outside.
At first with my Leo Laser I would just open the garage doors use a box fan and stay out while it worked (but close enough to kill it), but the stank it left behind never seems to go away, so overkill is not possible here.
What is your big laser? What is the maximum size plywood you can cut through with it?
I have an import 40W, at best under the ideal moon phase I can just get through 1/4" MDF at 5.4mm/s. That being said I hoped it would be my ticket to faster Lowrider flat parts…no way. I actually have it on Craigslist now, I dislike it very much. Not any faster, with the blower and air assist it is loud as heck…bahhh humbug on this thing.
A larger usable area, more powerful laser, better optics adjustment are a must! I used the 40W to learn and it served it’s function, I am not pursuing mounting this on the LowRider or MPCNC. That was the main goal. Plain and simple the CNC’s are faster for what I do with them, and actually more accurate. The laser burns a conical hole/edge with pretty odd tolerances.
Plywood maybe a bit more thickness, less depending on the glue used.
I have seen some cheap lasers with filter boxes on them, but I doubt they work well or are cheap. I think evacuating outside is smarter. You can either enclose the whole thing or try to attach the vac hose close to get all the smoke. I am waiting to get some time to attach the band good 2.8W laser to my low rider, and when I do, I hope to run my shop vac with the exhaust out the bottom of the garage door. I am also more worried about MDF and plastic smoke that wood or even engraving on plywood veneer. Wood smoke doesn’t seem as dangerous as the glue smoke or plastic smoke, but what do I know?
One of these guys is what you want. Exhaust it to the outside(preferably not at a neighbor’s kitchen windows). Don’t try the fans that actually look like a fan in a piece of heater duct, they don’t work that well for obstructed enclosures.
Nice I bet that would work very well.
I have one of the little boosters you say not to get…yup, doesn’t do squat. I thought I could use it as a supplemental at the end of my duct, nope.
I’m in the process of creating a ventilation system for the laser. I’m building a wooden box around the machine. I first want to just extract the fumes outside but will eventually want a carbon filter. I’m looking at this fan… https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Inch-Inline-Ventilation-Duct/dp/B01M7S46YZ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512419551&sr=8-5&keywords=inline+fan
Ryan, how many CFM does the crappy booster put out?
I bought this one…waste. I figured it was way over what the laser came with but really this does nothing maybe even gets in the way.
Plus, it’s a real security problem. Double agents or rough and tumble heroes are going to get by that no problem.
Just ordered this one (6")…
It’s a small price to pay for your health. It should arrive in a couple days.
Did you pay the $175 for “expert installation”?
I asked if they would call you up to be the expert but they said I couldn’t afford you
I’ll help as much as I want for free, but the first minute past that is going to cost you.
That is going to have to be my next tattoo…
You just somehow have to get it without letting the tattoo artist read it, or the second half might be pretty expensive.
I heard laser engraved tattoos are the thing to do or it’s time to bust out the MPTM! Mostly printed tattoo machine.
Already have it on thingiverse!