Well after getting complaints about stinking up the neighborhood with lasered acrylic, this should make my neighbors (and my wife) happy. A Bofa Oracle Base 1 filter got delivered today so I put it to the test by cutting some black acrylic, and afterwards you wouldn’t even guess that there was a laser running in my garage.
Just in time to finish a big project for my buddy’s wedding and a take care of a big wholesale order I picked up, without having to be mindful of what time of day I’m working.
It’s definitely more expensive than the planned GF filter, but the 40# carbon cartridge makes me way more comfortable about having a fume extractor exhausting within my attached garage. (especially with a 9 month old baby in the house)
Don’t mean to be rude, but would you be willing to say how much you paid for that? I imagine when you said more expensive then the GF model you were in the 4 or 5 times the cost.
More like ~3x after shipping & taxes. (shipping weight was listed at 245# but I think that was high, shipped via freight co from IL to CA)). Could have probably got a cheaper one but I don’t have room for a standard filter that sits separately from the unit so the fact that this is a base is perfect for me.
the BOFAs are really nice. we have one on the universal laser at work and it sucks out some serious air and i can’t smell a thing until i lift the lid. and even then, if i’m a little patient (narrator: "he rarely is), it’s the minimal material smell.
Yeah I feel like one of the things I will like best is how unless the laser is actively running, the filter fan is just running at a low speed. My GF stank my garage up most when it was on but not actually running - but not any more! You can’t even smell much when you lift the lid, either.
yeah, being able to run the filter fan on demand is a huge deal. i would say one of the things i would like to see happen with the current GFUI is an option to run the fan for XX time, allowing us to vent fumes as long as needed after a job completes. it doesn’t run nearly long enough now and having an option to kick it in for 60 seconds on demand would help clear up a lot of the residual odor. even just lifting the door, then lifting material for a moment, then closing the door and running the fan for a short period would help, since that would clear out the fumes inside the honeycomb under the material.
Nice, looks good too! I wish I would’ve followed my gut and purchased the Bofa, I got the Purex. works decent at removing the fumes (mostly), but the noise from motor and the beeping from the alarm (from the very beginning) is annoying. no service person has EVER returned my call or email. Can’t wait for my Glowforge air filter!
Ouch. Yeah that would be annoying. No beeping on this one, and the sound volume it adds marginal. In fact, I almost like it better because the deeper throaty sound of the Bofa kinda cancels out the high pitchedness of the GF. So I’m the garage it’s more of a tone shift than anything else, and both outside & in the house there is zero difference.
Plus the Bofa fan speed auto adjusts. Low speed & quiet unless the laser is running. Then it kicks up a few notches. (but again, quieter than the GF)
An additional benefit would be to cool the laser and other bits. I am having the Laser overheat even when not cutting, and running the fan when not cutting would jhelp that.
