Air filter pointless? Exhaust & air filter combo?

So probably some sort of custom electrical interconnect that would be hard to extend to a window?

I am pretty sure it was said that the air leaves the filter out of many openings in the bottom. Mounting the whole thing in a window like @fan-of-glowforge mentioned is an intriguing idea, but you would need a pretty big window to mount it into. The filter dimensions are larger than an entire average 1970s era basement window, for example (based on my examination of said windows in my basement :-))
My thought is that it might be easier to place the Glowforge/filter combo onto a custom-built vacuum table that would suck the majority of the filtered air down and then out of the room through a pipe. Even if it got only most of it, that would still go a long way towards ensuring the canaries live another day when you want to raster a detailed photograph onto a 12x20 sheet of something that releases Formaldehyde.

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Oh yes, I now remember seeing how big the Forge is. So my drawing is way out of scale! That window would have to be sliding-glass-door sized! Thanks for putting things in perspective. BTW, I like the vacuum table ideaā€¦

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Agreed. I think a vacuum box will be the first thing my GF makes. At least the first useful thingā€¦

Hello, I just got my GF plus and I am using it on a daily basis to create placards. The constant cutting of acrylic is a rather pain full smell to live with. Has anyone purchased the air filter and used it in an office environment? If so have you used it with acrylic? Does it get rid of the smell?

Acrylic does stink! I donā€™t notice any strong odor until I open the lid of the Glowforge as there is always a bit of smoke trapped under the material. I changed the hose that came with the Glowforge for a sturdier one and had less odor. I also have securely taped the exhaust joints and made sure the area around the window vent is sealed securely.

The airfilter has received mixed reviews in that the filters are expensive and need to be replaced. If you cut/engrave draftboard or plywood the filters fill up quickly and that is costly. You might read some of the comments here in the forum about using an inline fan and how it makes the operation of the Glowforge quieter and some say less stinky. Others discuss using a room air purifier.

Before buying the filter, I suggest trying a few other things and see if you can diminish the smell.

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If youā€™re OK with replacing the $250 cartridge every few weeks, it might help. Check the posted filter estimated longevity specs to see what you might expect from it. One person got 10hrs or so.

Otherwise, as above, I suggest you check your vent arrangement. Coming up on 4 years here and never had any issue with smell, despite my vent being about 30ā€™ā€¦

WOW, o-o I had no idea that the filters were 250 a piece. or that they were so frequent in changes. Dklgood I really appreciate the response with this information I will look into a better ventilating option.

Filter longevity is really dependent on what materials you cut. Draftboard /MDF being the worst and acrylic and leather being almost the best. Iā€™ve used mine for several months on Baltic birch ply before needing a change. Venting outside is the least expensive and a good in-line can at the end of the exhaust run can do wonders but for acrylic as you state you should get quite some time out each filter cartridge.

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