yes. that is why the actual vacuum model might be better. I have never seen one of these air filter units in real life.
good idea on the open pass through!!!
I bet it would work just fine.
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I have a blue whale ( giant blue filterfeeder) that maxes out at 500 cm and so does the room in about every 15 minutes or so as it is more like a smoke Half-Life rather than moving all the air form one location to another, but it also takes care of sanding dust and cooking orders as well.
These others are not as powerful but you could buy five of them for the cost of a whale and water is a lot cheaper than the hepa and charcoal balleen, though it sounds like it need changing more often…
I couldn’t agree more Iza. The Glowforge is unusable without a filter and plumbing the fumes and dust out the window is not exactly an EPA approved methodology.
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Perhaps for your use case it’s unusable, but for thousands of us that’s simply not true.
Do you have a source for your EPA statement? I’m responsible for my Makerspace’s laser installation and the “hose out the window” is the method we use there. It’s actually via a hole in the wall to a flapped outlet but if you’re correct about the EPA disapproval then it’s probably equivalent. If we need an in-room filtering system then I’ll need some reference to provide the Board to justify the expense.
TIA
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agreed. there are thousands of laser cutters in business locations who do exactly that. legally. my firm (architecture) wouldn’t design that way if it weren’t safe and legal. but we have multiple locations that do exactly that with their industrial laser cutters (as well as some like mine that use a filter because of the cost/difficulty of running a vent line out of that location).
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Generally speaking, this falls under local jurisdiction. EPA sets criteria for regions and monitors the overall conditions/air quality but it’s up to the states to develop an implementation plan (SIP) to meet the air quality standards. That can be pushed further down the chain to specific counties and locales.
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All that’s running through my head is the logic of trying to avoid the small amount of smoke coming out of a home laser by manufacturing disposable filter media, shipping it, and then having it thrown into a landfill with all of the things you were trying to avoid putting in the environment in the first place. It’s literally compounding the problem.
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i appreciate the sustainable perspective. but it’s not an “EPA” issue as noted above.
honestly, if you can reasonably vent it, then that’s almost always the best answer. it’s better to dissipate than to create more waste, as you mentioned. but that’s just not always a realistic option.
I did a quick search online and could find no reference to CO2 laser emissions control that the OP referred to. Our state environmental agency doesn’t seem to have anything either.
I hate it when I see a definitive statement that I can’t then find supporting information on to stay out of trouble. 
CT actually has air quality issues as a result of air flow patterns from the Midwest. The state has some outstanding lawsuits against various states and the EPA with regards to the responsibility of polluting power plants in places like Ohio for the air that then traverses the country. So considering my responsibilities for the Makerspace laser I need to make sure we’re compliant.
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Thanks. I was largely agreeing with you, but then the absurdity of trying to force someone to filter when they don’t need to just got the better of me. 
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Any further updates on the filters that can or cannot be used with this? My CEO wants it up and running already, but we are in a completely closed environment. 
We purchased the official GlowForge filter but need something in the intern (Not for a heavy amount of cutting, just for some show-n-tell stuff).
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Florida gets its air blowing right across so smoke is not as much a problem, but places that see temperature inversions are a different matter. At the moment folk in California might feel silly complaining about your smoke (It has made amazing sunsets here) under normal conditions it would be considered a problem.
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I’m in CA and I don’t feel the least bit silly. All it takes is one neighbor complaining and we bought a few thousand dollar desk weight.
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During hunting season we have a neighbor about a kilometer away. Luckily, only have to put up with the intrusion one week a year.
I live in an apartment with 17 neighbors very close. So far, no complaints on noise or odors, and I’m more than a year in.
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I’m glad to hear it. I’m also not willing to wager a couple grand on it.
I live in a trailer park now, and had the folk next door thinking the house was on fire once, but otherwise have not had comment or complaint.
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Better hope they don’t fail, if their cloud site goes down all of our forges become useless.
I would expect Glowforge to provide a path to continued use for owners if the company fails. If not, there is also the OpenGlow project.
Repairs and replacement parts are another matter …
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What gives anyone the impression they will fail? True, any company can, but there’s enough momentum right now (and sales) that at the very least, someone would buy out the company. In fact I’m amazed at this point someone hasn’t bought them.
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