Ventilation

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Phil
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Ventilation

Post by Phil »

I'm considering buying a K40 laser. Is ventilation necessary for operating a laser?

Phil

garylmast
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Re: Ventilation

Post by garylmast »

Yes, you'll get a lot of smoke. My laser is stand alone, but I vent to the outside.

Gary

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Leo
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Re: Ventilation

Post by Leo »

ABSOLUTELY

I have a blower, similar to my dust collection but smaller, on the back of my laser, to vent to outside.

Cutting or engraving wood makes a LOT of smoke.

Working with plastics makes a LOT of very unpleasant smoke.

Even with all the venting outside the shop still smells of whatever I can working with.

Really GOOD ventilation is a MUST.
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Phil
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Re: Ventilation

Post by Phil »

Thank you, gentlemen.

Phil

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TReischl
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Re: Ventilation

Post by TReischl »

Pay attention to what you toss onto your laser. Some stuff is particularly hazardous, like PVC. You probably already knew that, but I am in a safety kind of mood.
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ZipperHead55
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Re: Ventilation

Post by ZipperHead55 »

Has anybody had any success with the apparatuses that "trap" the fumes? I looked at some of the higher end ones, but they seem like over-kill, and I would prefer to not vent to the outdoors (I don't want to cut a hole in my garage wall or door, and it gets to -40 here in Canada, so having a leaky window insert isn't really optimal (and wouldn't work in my situation (windows that crank open from the side)).

I have seen small systems that are meant for capturing soldering flux fumes, but I wonder if they would work for most purposes (mostly wood, some plastics (acrylics), and paint (from using spray paint on tiles, glass, etc to make them easier to etch (Nortons White Tile technique)). "Work" in the sense that they would be effective AND be safe.

Here is one that I found (at the low end of the spectrum) but the search brings up other more expensive (more effective?) variants: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07HPZ3FF6/ref ... jaz10cnVl

I'm not sure if they'll show up when you click on the link, but at the bottom in the "Related Products" section, I saw a couple different venting systems that might be of interest (can't determine if they need to vent to outside, or can be used inside).

Allan

garylmast
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Re: Ventilation

Post by garylmast »

I tried venting it through my dust Collector, which is the large Grizzly double filter. I still got a lot of smoke in the shop, so I used a dryer vent that has a flapper that closes when not in use and a screen to keep bugs and rodents out. I doubt very much the apparatus you mentioned will work.

Gary
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wilkigr
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Re: Ventilation

Post by wilkigr »

I'm in the Great White North, too, so cutting holes in walls or windows was not on for me, either.

My laser is just a 10w diode unit that I attach to the router mount on my CNC router. I remove the dust shoe when using the laser and simply bungee the 2 1/2" flex hose that would otherwise attach to the shoe so that it is close to the laser. At the other end of the 2 1/2" hose, I have a 4" PVC pipe, which, when routing goes to my dust collector using a 4" flex hose. When using the laser, I have a 4" inline duct fan at the end of the PVC pipe. That blows through about a foot of 4" furnace duct packed with activated charcoal. It seems to work very well. I've gotten my nose up close and personal to the exhaust end of the furnace duct and, while it is not odourless, it is pretty close.

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