Make an airfilter?(Just need the smell gone)

[she_is_evil]

So, its still not possible to buy just the airfilter, is there anyone who has an idea of if its possible to make something filter-like that would remove the smell of the acrylic?
I have a neighbor that is pissed off so i basically cant use it without them threatening to try and get me kicked out
Would a coal filter work?
Antone have any idea till you can buy the airfilter??

[evansd2]

@shop knows his way around filters… There are commercial alternatives.

Previously discussed:
https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=DIY%20filter

Also previously discussed:

Third Party Air Filter

I have a Pro unit on the way, and with the delay of the Air Filter unit, I’m looking at a third party option so I can get cutting in my office. Another thread says the Glowforge air flow is around 200 CFM. This scrubber claims 250-500 CFM capability: Does this seem like a good filter for a Glowforge? Are there other considerations I should be aware of? Or is there another filter that people recommend?

In fact, just searching for “filter” yields so much discussion. Make some popcorn and sit down and just read it all, you’ll be an expert in no time.

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=filter

Supposedly, venting above roofline really reduces odor problems:

Re-vamped venting setup

For over a year, Trogdor and then Arges were ventilated with the tried-and-true dryer hose out the window method. My workshop is in the basement, so the only way to vent outside was out through a window well… [IMG_1363] For a variety of reasons, I wasn’t 100% satisfied with this setup. Do you know how hard it is to make an egress window air-tight?:tired_face: Over the past few months, I decided that exhausting out and up past our roofline was the way to go. Not only would it keep the exhaus…

[she_is_evil]

Thanks, i would just need the smell out, i could vent outside, is not the toxic fumes per se, just the smell i need gone or at a way smaller level.

[evansd2]

Most things you lase will have pretty heavy smells, unfortunately. Acrylic is one of the worst for most people. Paper tends to be on the less smelly side by virtue of not actually being much material that you’re lasing.

Good luck. And don’t try rubber stamps. Your neighbor would have a cow.

[she_is_evil]

i tried leather, it was horrific enough

[geek2nurse]

Annoying as my neighbors are, one thing I don’t worry about is the smell. At the rate they cloud the whole neighborhood with their pot, they’d better not even THINK about complaining about my 'forge!

[gerlindeowl]

@evansd2

Make some popcorn and sit down and just read it all, you’ll be an expert in no time.

Bwahaha! Seriously though, I am anxiously awaiting the promised filter.

[nathan_burley]

I made my own filter system to try and get rid of the smoke and fumes from cutting wood - it’s reasonably effective but needs more work (and it’s a beast!). Interestingly though, I couldn’t smell anything from the proofgrade acrylic I cut. I’m guessing that the VOCs produced are really easy to scrub out. Try using a booster fan to drive it through a short carbon trap.

I build a tall box with a couple of handles on, cut a 4" hole in the bottom then put a plastic basket over the hole on the inside to stop the charcoal from falling into the hole. I connected the output of the booster fan to the bottom of the box and filled the box with activated carbon. It does a decent job of screening out the fumes to be honest.

[eflyguy]

I have a 2-stage filter with a layer of “activated carbon”, and an inline fan which boosts the airflow to help the GF evacuate the smoke. It works great at reducing the amount of visible smoke, but it doesn’t eliminate the smell, and the nasty ones (acrylic, leather, …) still require placing the vent outdoors.

I’ve done some research into particle size and come to the conclusion that it might be technically possible to filter out irritating and harmful particles, it’s cost prohibitive for the average hobbyist. It’s also why I think the GF filter is being delayed - the idea of a self-contained unit was sound, but VERY difficult(expensive) to implement to OHSA requirements.

[nathan_burley]

Yeh I totally agree on the GF official filter. I can’t see how they’re going to do in a way which the FNL would let them put a stamp on. I vent mine into an outer section of my garage at present and I’m totally not happy with that. It still needs to be vented outside proper imo.

That said, I’m mainly worried about smoke and particulates in it. If I was only cutting acrylic, I think I’d be building a big old carbon bed and a seeing what happened as particulates aren’t as much of an issue there.