Getting smoke when cutting - solution needed.

[Bill Stearns]

Hi All -
I have been noticing lately, when I am cutting - my Epilog 35W is putting off quite 'bit of smoke 'round the area being cut. i.e. LaserMax or Flexibrass even still smoking 'little after the lenses return to "home". Lenses & mirrors are clean enough, I believe - would this be caused by a dirty honeycomb table? Reading the past post "Cleaning Cutter Table", I'm going to try the suggested Krud Kutter; should I? (A dirty honey comb my problem, you think?) Or any other ideas on the cause?

Bill

[Dan Hintz]

First you need to nail down what is actually smoking... the substrate or the support structure.

[Martin Boekers]

Check to make sure air assist is on and pushing air. (no kinks in the line) and that the air assist tube
is aimed at the cutting area.

If the air assist isn't functioning properly not only will it cause smoke, but will increase the probability of a fire.

[Bill Stearns]

Hey again -
I have had my Epilog going on 8-1/2 years - embarrassed to tell you, I didn't even know 'bout "air assist" 'till the Epilog salesman stopped to visit me not long ago. (guess I thought my blower was considered air-assist - DUH!) Still, I've never had this excessive smoking problem 'till fairly recently. (seemed to start happening after I tried cleaning the honeycomb; think I used Dawn 'n vinegar at the time.) DAN - it appears to be the Flexibrass or LaserMax that's smoking. Is it safe to vector the honeycomb by itself? - to determine if that's the culprit? I'll check, but is "air assist" something I can order from Epilog? - or, find locally you think?

Thanks guys,
Bill

[Dan Hintz]

If it's the substrate itself, check your focus... if it is unfocused, you could be melting/burning your material more than before rather than vaporizing it, leading to extra smoke.

[Martin Boekers]

Check with Epilog not sure if it was an option or not for your machine. This is what it looks like on mine.
I wouldn't cut anything with out it. You can turn it on or off on the control panel on your machine. If the
material has adhesive backing that may add to the smoke. Does it flare up when cutting?

[Bert Kemp]

It wouldn't hurt to clean the honey comb also. Even if thats not your problem you want to keep the honey comb clean. People here say krud cutter works. I use super clean from wal mart in a spray bottle. Just spray it on and rinse of in sink if your honey combs not to big. I take mine outside and spray it with the hose. Easy peasy

[Mike Null]

Bill

Air assist is provided by a small compressor, either internal or external. Gast makes a very good one but a little pricey.

Virtually all items you cut will generate some smoke. That you are noticing more than usual make be the result of a leak or poor connection in your exhaust system, your grid could be covered with residue or possibly other things could cause it. (focus, settings)

Cleaning the grid would be my first thought and Krud Kutter is pretty good stuff.

[Ed Maloney]

Take apart your in-take and out-take pipes going into your blower. The grids in your blower are clogged. Had the same problem last year with smoke lingering in the laser.

[Bill Stearns]

Hey all - reporting back -
Thanks for all your advice. I did clean my honeycomb grid with Krud Kutter; cleaned it up nice. Tomorrow, gonna pull apart my blower; clean it and replace the vent ducts. Talked to Epilog tech - their air-assist compressor is $300! Suddenly remembered I have a $700 air-brush compressor stored away - friend is gonna put some sort of regulator on it. If I understand things, I need to keep at or below 30 psi. Also, talked to Epilog 'bout ordering two new mirrors ($33.44 ea.) and a new lenses. ($108). My son is betting that the blower 'n vents are the culprit -causing the excessive smoke while cutting - so will try that first. We'll see ...

Bill

[Mayo Pardo]

I agree with Ed. If you've been using your machine for 8+ years, and never checked the exhaust tubes and blower grids, my guess is you have a restricted exhaust flow. I'm not really qualified to answer from experience though - so I'm just adding to general consensus.
That would be the easiest and least costly fix it that's the issue.

Just to put the cost of that air assist compressor in perspective, I recently got a quote for the one that goes in the Trotec Speedy 300. $1,164.13 They call it a pump for air assist. Maybe it's built for continuous duty?
Until I run the laser for more than an hour or two a day, I will use my air compressor with a moisture trap/filter installed.

[Mark Ross]

We cut tones of styrene on our two Epilog 36 ext's to the point where we clean them out twice a year and the ports get damned near clogged. In the 6 years I have been working for the great company I am at, if this isn't done on time, well, ol' flahy turns into ol burny and the fire suppression device comes out. If you have gone 8 years + without a good cleaning, clean everything first. However, do it outside. You don't want to inhale what will come out of that thing.

[Steven Gray]

I have found that using distilled water mixed with white vinegar works very well to clean the residue left behind from smoke and creosote. I mix it 50-50 for cleaning.

[Keith Colson]

Dan's comment on being out of focus makes a lot of sense. If your lens or mirrors are dirty it will not focus properly, this will make your beam much wider. A wide beam will make much more smoke. I purposely defocus the beam when I want to get more of a burnt finish on a wood engrave.

Cheers
Keith