Long time lurker, first time poster. I recently received “The Email” and have been trying to figure out how exhaust is going to work once the Glowforge makes it. At our school we have windows that open out and I was hoping some of the people here might have some suggestions from experience.
Right now my only idea is to remove the screen and use the screw holes from the screen to attach some type of wood/acrylic frame. Suggestions?
Make a seal with foam mats and add a hole facing down if you want to leave that window open.
If those are individual window panes, you might try just popping one of them out and replacing them with a piece of plexiglass with a hole cut in it. Someone did that here, and it looked it really good. @Jules, was that you?
Yep! Don’t know how good it looks from the inside, but from the outside you can’t even see it - it’s hidden behind a plant.
(And I’m showing the silicone caulk that keeps leaks from happening with this Quick Connect arrangement.)
I picked up this same quick connect yesterday, since I remember you mentioning. I also have the plastic louvered vent. It doesn’t look like the quick connect attaches well to the louvered vent. Was that the case for you too? I see that you added some screws in there. I would like to not have to put a small piece of flexible hose between the louvered vent and the quick connect and just do it like you have it here. Also, when you disconnect, do you just put a cap on it?
A booster fan can help quite a bit, even with a short run. I find that the GF can be a bit stinky for a while after the cuts are finished as there are smoky bits in the crumb tray (not smoking bits, but bits that smell smoky).
A booster fan can greatly reduce the campfire or nail-salon (acrylic) stench. Just leave it on for a few minutes after a cut is done (and run it during cuts, too).
Yeah, the fit was too loose on that particular end cap, so we made it work. The machine was coming…no time to rethink it and make it pretty. 
It’s worked just fine though. And I’ve only disconnected it during hurricane Harvey, so we didn’t even bother to cap it off. I guess you could.
I bought this on Amazon. It works really well, but because it’s so chilly outside, now it’s chilly inside. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CXSJ4P/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Does that actually work for the smell? We had one of those for an a/c unit and it didn’t work well at all.
There was a smell, so I added a fan booster to the tube and the smell isn’t near as bad. I ordered a more permanent solution for my window since it’s a slider and doesn’t open outward.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. These are heavy duty windows. Although that quick connect sounds like something I can use.
Right now we have a bunch of extra screens that I might try and take one and replace the mesh with a plastic and then use silicon to seal it against the window frame. That way I am not changing anything I cannot change back. Our tech guy was all ready to drill a hole through the brick. I’m more willing to try this first and see what happens. Do you think the plastic will hold up/stop the smell?
Take one of the screens and just add plexi/acrylic/plywood to the side that won’t interfere with fitting back on the window and I wouldn’t even bother removing screen if it’s not needed.
Those screens are meant for bugs so I would add some sort of material to seal against blowback on the frame against the window like thin foam or felt that would make it easily removable. Once you have that working I would then add the exhaust components.
But even with all that and a booster fan you will still have some lingering smells or fumes that although not that harmful could easily offense people with a sensitive olfactory.
Would you recommend that particular booster fan unit? I’m curious about its boost I’ve located it on Amazon and it rates it at 200 CFM (presumably unburdened). Would you say that’s more powerful than the exhaust from the GlowForge? Would you say that it would push the exhaust through a 90 degree bend, straight up 7 ft and through another 90 degree bend to go out the window? If I mount it on the floor as you have that will be my scenario. If that doesn’t work, I’d have to permanently mount it to the wall or in the actual window opening, 6 feet up from the floor at eye level where everyone can see it. What do you think?
I’m not sure recommend would be the right word for it. I picked it because it is basically the same air flow as the GF.
I use it and it works well. Very well for reducing the post cut campfire smell, certainly.
I haven’t tried other fans, though, so I can’t compare.
Given your run, I would consider perm-installing it on the end away from the glowforge so that it is sucking the air through the tube and, yes, it should be sufficient to pull that distance with those bends (I think-- again, I haven’t tried others).
