I’m having a great time learning about my new laser, but there are some unwelcome side effects, in that our air conditioning intake is in the same room as my machine. Despite my best efforts with vacuum and ventilation, the smoke is causing some problems. I’d like to buy or build an enclosure to make the problems go away and restore domestic tranquility.
I would like it to have the following features:
Fit my machine, somewhat unique at 43" W, 33" D, 22" H.
Have provisions for an outside vent, ideally with a fan.
Have small doors front and back to allow for Y-axis tiling.
I’ve got a major upgrade planned for next month (come on, batch 5!) when I hope to install it.
So I’m looking for (in order of preference) kits, plans, or ready-made. I’d like to hear the opinions of the gathered multitude. Thanks!
So this may not fit all your needs but in the last high school I was at had a laser cutting machine that had an external filter No exhaust to the outside air and no smoke in the classroom
That’s a good idea, but I need the enclosure as well. There’s a window right behind the machine, so an outiside vent would be ideal. I’ve looked at those filters, including DYIs, and a good one is pricey.
I made my enclosure with extruded aluminum, polycarbonate panels and acrylic sheets. With the polycarbonate and acrylic, the inside is visible from all sides. The top is also polycarbonate, so the ceiling lights shine through. The front are bifold doors, and the sides and back are sliding panels. The back does not have a vertical support in the middle, so you can remove the panels for tiling. I imagine you can setup the dust collection hose with magnetic connectors so you can switch between a dust collector/extractor and an air filter/purifier.
Unfortunately I have no plans for this. I winged it the entire way, and probably finished with revision F. I had to add the canopy on top because the hose kept getting caught when the spindle was near the back. I might redo it one day and make the walls much taller. Then I wouldn’t need those blue bumpers to protect my forehead.
Speaking of aluminum, I bought an aluminum table from a friend who had it custom-designed by these guys: https://faztek.net/our-solutions/project-solutions/diy-solutions/. I then had them further customize it - very easy to work with. The pricing was reasonable. They may be able to help you?
I also seem to remember a DIY enclosure YT by Ben Myers - I can’t find it right now.
One thing to keep in mind is that the odor can hang around a bit after the job completes so you’ll want to have a delay on your exhaust fan shutting down. Any extra cutoffs or pieces that have been lasered will retain the odor as well so you’ll want a scrap bin that’s outside or that burn smell will linger. It’s amazing how we get used to it or think it’s a nice smell but the faintest trace running through the ductwork triggers the family
Keep the shop under negative pressure overall so all the air & smells exit rather than push into the house HVAC. That can be as easy as a high-volume low-pressure fan mounted in front of an exhaust grate.
Thanks to all for responding, there are some good ideas here.
Tommy, that’s a beautiful job. The bifold doors are great! I like that you can see in from everywhere, and that there’s plenty of light.
I like the aluminum structure idea. Lightness would be a feature, as would the ability to take it all apart for maintenance. It looks to me like your aluminum is perhaps made from components meant to go together, extrusions and brackets. If that’s true, I’d like to know where you got them. Are the yellow parts part of the system? The cupola is a nice tweak.
Jim, I go to great lengths to keep the shop negative to the rest of the house, but here in Northern Virginia, the weather has been 90* F and 90% humidity. Because the air intake for our A/C is in the same room as the machine, I’ve got to shut it down when I’m cutting. So far, just a whiff has made its way upstairs, but the old adage is true; “Happy wife, happy life!”
I saw another great idea on YouTube. I might make a sliding hatch for the top panel so I can open the doors and get in from top.
I got the aluminum extrusion and connectors from https://www.tnutz.com/, and some parts/tools from 8020.net. I stuck with end fasteners to keep things simple and clean. You will need to tap the ends of the extrusions for the fasteners, and also drill access holes through the channels to access the screw. Be sure to get the jig for drilling these holes accurately.
Most of the frame uses 1010 extrusion (1"x1"). I used 1020 (1"x2") for the front posts to have more rigidity for the bifold doors. The front-left actually has two 1020s because I mounted an articulating arm for the Masso screen on the left side.
The remaining parts were also 3D printed. I didn’t really keep good track of the files I created. I just kept tweaking things until they fit, and printed as many as I needed. Attached are the latest files I could find on my computer.
One thing to check before settling on where to exhaust - are there any windows nearby your proposed exit point that may be opened? I failed to check that and after routing my exhaust I kept getting “comments ” about it smelling upstairs. I chased leaks in hoses, fans, etc until one day I went upstairs and noticed a bathroom window directly above my exhaust outlet was open
Tommy, thanks a bunch for taking the time to post all of this! I’m definitely investigating further, looks very promising indeed. After all, how can you go wrong with a company called “T-Nutz”? I feel like I’m the only guy on the planet without a 3-D printer, but “Adapt, Adopt, and Improvise”!
Sadly, I’m all to aware of the peril of unknown open windows. After painstaking measures were taken with fans and shrouds, guess what? Live and learn!
