After moving the GF outside to clean the built-in exhaust fan, I’m now getting terrible leakage out of the back. Many hours of messing with flex duct and aluminum tape later, I finally saw the smoke from cutting Proofgrade draftboard wafting out from under the lid while the fan was running happily, and I could see smoke also ejecting from the other end of the connected exhaust duct. Tentatively conclude that the gap is the source of my air quality monitors freaking out.
There’s clearly a gap between the sealing strip attached to the glass lid and the metal flange I assume it’s supposed to contact when the lid is closed, because you can see the interior LED light through the gap!
I have a ticket into Support but I’m hoping that a fellow Glowforger has had to mess with this. Can I add another strip on top of the existing strip to close the gap? What dimensions and what material? I’m guessing 1/2" solid neoprene?
There is supposed to be enough air going out the exhaust fan that no matter the holes, the air is only pulled in through those holes. If you have a filter, then the clogged filter will keep air from moving down the exhaust and it will pour out everywhere else. If you are using draftboard, the filter will clog extremely fast.
If you are exhausting out the window, you can add a pass-through fan and move the extra air, the more volume the better, but 250 CFM is minimal.
If the Glowforge is working correctly there is a negetive pressure. There are plenty of places much bigger that a lot more smoke would be coming out such as the front of the lid if the pressure is positive.
Update: this is probably a problem with net airflow. Note that the GF is raised on both sides, which may be causing it to flex. Don’t do that! Still working the problem.
