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Thread: Best exhaust system

  1. #1

    Best exhaust system

    Looking at an exhaust system for a Speedy 300 80w. Anybody have set up ideas that you could share? Thought about 4" hole through the wall with a 650 cfm blower attached to the outside wall, direct vent. Thanks, Mike

  2. #2
    Read this here, it has a ton of good info, http://www.sawmillcreek.org/entry.ph...nit-for-lt-200

  3. #3
    Thanks Bryan, Read the article on the trash can/extraction system. Is that great or what? Mike

  4. #4
    Its pretty good there are a couple of other ones out there. I have to upgrade mine to a 6" but that is very doable.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
    Posts
    195
    Hey Mike

    Your best bet is to stick with your original idea of venting your machine outside and above your roof line if possible.
    Google "Laser Exhaust Fans" - Tons of options - Several Are on amazon, so if it doesn't work returns are simple.
    We currently use a vacuum pump and blast gates to vent all our lasers with one Vacuum (Kinda Expense But Works Amazing )

    Home made filters are not very effective and not designed for constant use - Commercial Filters are expensive and have a high upkeep cost.

    Below is a Cheaper option that was included when we purchased our laser machines - They worked well but are kinda noise.
    http://www.lightobject.com/Exhaust-F...ine-P1070.aspx
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
    Zcorp 450 3d Printer
    Laguna Smartshop 2 - 4x8 ATC

  6. #6
    There have been dozens of threads on this subject. A search will turn up some very good options.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Bonenfant View Post

    Home made filters are not very effective and not designed for constant use
    Really?! I didn't get that memo; what's the basis for that assertion? Are you saying that the home made filter system I have been using for the last several years doesn't actually remove virtually all of the odor of cutting acrylic, nor remove the smoke and dust from engraving wood and powder coated steel, and doesn't really work on a daily basis for hours on end? Hmmmm, then this PM2.5/PM10 meter I have must be faulty...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,438
    I doubt if your particle meter can measure toxic gases, and not all have odors. Vent outside if you can, even after filtering.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
    Posts
    195
    Best Advice to OP Vent Outside
    Last edited by Robert Bonenfant; 11-25-2017 at 11:43 AM.
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
    Zcorp 450 3d Printer
    Laguna Smartshop 2 - 4x8 ATC

  10. #10
    As far as "toxic gases", that one only meters HCHO and TVOCs and I have a couple of other meters for other gases but the particulates was my main concern. The closest thing to toxic gases I create is the noxious vapor from cutting acrylic, but that isn't a big part of what I do (with the filter, the acrylic odor only becomes noticeable if cutting for maybe 20-30 minutes, so I usually don't cut acrylic for more than about 15 minutes at a time). Engraving powder coated steel, cutting and engraving wood, all create a fair bit of smoke and dust which I definitely don't want to breathe.

    I started out venting outside but began investigating filtration/recycling air when the winter fuel bills skyrocketed, and now my studio is in the basement of a building with no easy ducting access to the exterior without a run to an exterior wall, boring through concrete, digging up to the surface,and then running a stack up the side of the building. So I use a self-built filtration system with multiple prefilters for larger particulates, 8" bed of activated charcoal for odors, and a big HEPA filter for the fine particulates.

    Depending on what I'm doing, how often and quickly I pop the lid open after a job stops, and whether I continue running the filtration unit between jobs, the meter sometimes indicates that the air gets cleaner than it was before I started engraving, but it never gets significantly worse. I've seen PM2.5 and 10 levels up to about 25 when not running the filter but normally they run in the 2-4 range and, when filtering, 1-6 seems pretty typical (a bit higher sometimes when I cut smokey wood and pop the lid open too fast after the job ends).

    I agree that venting outside sidesteps the potential health problems, but wantonly polluting the great outdoors and overtaxing your HVAC system to deal with high turnover of make-up air isn't your only feasible alternative to expensive commercial filtration systems.

  11. #11
    Glen, did you buy or build your filtration unit, if you built it, do did you follow Dan Hintz's design?

  12. #12
    I built mine with my own basic design. Functionally similar to Dan's but totally different implementation and types of filters.
    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...06#post2204306
    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...09#post2542909

  13. #13
    I have considered something close to your design. How often have you had to change out your activated carbon?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
    Posts
    195
    Glen,

    We had a commercial Filter on our first laser and the cost for filters and replacement elements for one machine was insane (We Currently run 4 lasers full time). If your engraving you might be ok but we cut none stop, mostly MDF, plywood and acrylic.
    If you cant cut acrylic constantly for 30 minutes than I wouldn't call a home built filter effective - Maybe they work for a few applications but that's not efficient in my book. I know first hand MDF is one the most widely used wood product on the market and it kills filters. Most of our filters wouldn't even last a day without cleaning or replacing them. Trying cutting MDF for a full shift of 8 hours and check your air quality then.
    Last edited by Robert Bonenfant; 11-28-2017 at 6:21 PM.
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
    Zcorp 450 3d Printer
    Laguna Smartshop 2 - 4x8 ATC

  15. #15
    Robert,

    You only need to satisfy your own requirements, not every possibility that exists. I can cut acrylic for the amount of time I need, whereas without the filter, I can't do that without exhausting outside, so I would definitely call that effective. Don't overbuild and make overly expensive if you don't have to! Likewise, I know first hand that I never cut MDF although I do cut batches of baltic birch at times. I can (and do) cut that 6-8 hours at a time without a trace of smokiness in the room and only the faintest lasered wood smells (likely due in large part to popping open the lid the moment a panel finishes cutting rather than letting the filter finish clearing the machine). Some of the ply cuts very cleanly while some creates a LOT of smoke and resins. The latter stuff does take a noticeable toll on the prefilters, but they are inexpensive and not onerous to change frequently. Best to do that, too, because the charcoal gets clogged when the prefilters get overloaded. I could really use a more sensitive manometer or other means to help keep track of the prefilter condition and let me know when it's time to change.

    You can't expect commercial duty solutions to work for industrial problems. Your situation may dictate direct venting outside because you didn't come up with an affordable, effective filtration system. My situation makes outside venting difficult, and my filtration system works quite well for the engraving and cutting that I do, without insane or even unreasonable expense.

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