We moved this last week and will need to get a filter to run at home. We are in a townhome/condo now. We run wide open vented to the out doors at the shop but feel it would be respectful and just easier overall if we just get a filter at home.
Even with them not being available to purchase out right yet from GF we are not overly impressed with what we are reading from those that have it. Then with the release of the filter and price it may be a better deal to just drop the money on a more commercial type unit.
GF has no list that we can find of the types of fumes that there 1 little filter can handle. If you look at the major companies that make fume extractors they have several types of filters for different applications and units with a prefilter.
My questions to those that have them are:
What do you normally cut
How long between change of filter/s
How many CFM’s is yours? I though from prev threads that it had to have 290 min but the new compact is only 210???
How is the smell on those that cut leather and acrylic?
I have this Blue-Dri that has a max of 500 cfm and I have been using it for about a year. The intake is 10" on the inside and 12" on the outside so getting from 4" to 12" is an issue. I have been pumping the smoke outside mostly but particularly for a time the Glowforge exhaust was not working so the smoke was coming out of everywhere, During that time I set the Blue Monster on high and just pulled smoke out of the air and managed to keep the smoke in part of the room, and gone completely after 10 min or so.
I have designed a box that can sit on the floor that would be 15" or so tall (the intake is 4" off the floor) and a bit over 4" thick so all the exhaust could be put to use. I have also discovered that V8 bottles are exactly the right size to be set into that 4" hole and make an excellent flange. The box is also a great place for washable prefilters you can find at any grocery store.
I think that system could provide excellent use over a fairly long time with the main filters also readily available when needed. Even now when popcorn is cooked in the kitchen and the blue monster is running a minimium the smell is quickly removed.
While I do not own one of these filter units, I also live in a condo and vent out the window. No one has complained about the smell with wood, acrylic, or leather. My specific situation allows me to vent from a second story window on the side of the building that isn’t occupied with doors, and into an open space with no buildings across from me, so this may have something to do with it. You may be fine venting outside if the air volume you are venting into is either moving consistently enough to disperse the smell or there just isn’t enough traffic in the area.
I personally would rather smell wood and leather than the skunky marijuana that my neighbors seem to prefer.
As I noted it removes every sort of smell. there is an upper limit I’m sure but the meter is showing 9476 hours. Of course, most of that is just running with not much to do, but the HEPA-filter looks to be the larger issue; I have run over it some with the vacuum cleaner to pull off all the big stuff and since have added the washable prefilter that should take the major load, but my impression is that the machine is designed for more major circumstances than I am applying it. As example, it is designed to be stacked in storage that many could be deployed as needed like after a warehouse fire or something, sort of like attaching a firehose where a garden hose would do. The 500 CFM is a clue.
I have a couple questions for you about the filter.
Is the speed adjustable or do you just get full power all the time?
Could you post some pictures of your set up with the filter as well? I am curious to see how you have it set up because here pretty soon I am planning on doing events and I will need a filter set up. I have played with the idea of making my own filter out of all of the parts but I would rather buy one that comes put together. Less error that way lol.
As much as we love your solution we worry about is it enough to filter out the really bad voc elements or is it more of just more to help cut down the smoke and smell? Saving money is great but not at the cost of health. Thanks again for all your input.
As best I can tell it will do a better job as it is designed for harsher service. Activated Charcoal has limits that no tech can improve on and so more will absorb more but any will cease to do the job when the load is exceeded. 500 CFM is a lot more air than 250 CFM though both will fall in volume as the limit is reached.
I do not think that there is a difference in what chemicals Activated Charcoal will absorb. My personal experience is all I can distinguish, and since the amount pulled by the Blue is greater than what is pushed by the Glowforge I am not concerned about leakage.
For now the Blue Whale is stand by capability as I also got the Vivosun 200 CFM in line blower. When the old machine exhaust died I got the Vivosun thinking it would replace the dead exhaust blower. It was in fact insufficient for the job but the Blue Whale easily made up the difference by taking out any excess leakage.
When I got the new machine, I discovered by smell that there was a small leak between the Vivosun and the outside vent but could not find it, so again the Blue Whale running on the lowest setting easily took care of that.
Just yesterday I cut a box with a fair amount of engraving (in maple) but did not run the Whale and it appears the leak is clogged enough to not need the extra help. If I should start cutting oak again that might change but I will for the moment keep running both Vivosun and main Glowforge exhaust together unless I find a reason not to do so.
