My filter is almost full. Just tried to cut thick draftboard and got a nice flame without laser cutting all the way through. Have new filter on way. Just put a new air assist fan on so its clean. Is this a filter issue?
Yes, it certainly could be. Are you also getting smoke build up in the Glowforge case?
No but smelly. Could tell it was not filtering the smell like normal. It cut through medium draftboard 2 minutes before but cant go through thick. I did a full alignment recently. The flame is going away from laser, about 1" long, and the cut looks awful.
Just as a side note, draftboard is the worst material in terms of clogging the filter. If you cut a lot of it, you need to be venting outside.
That would now make sense cuz this is my second filter this year.
It is documented -
“For example, MDF products (including Proofgrade Draftboard) will dramatically lower your filter cartridge life.”
While it 100% can be your filter - how long has it been since you cleaned out the fan at the back of your carriage plate? If the air assist fan is not blowing enough it can also lead to too much flame.
This is about as big as it should get if everything is working correctly:
