Smell control and Tupperware

Day two with Pro: I’ve been venting out a window and that is working fine to control the smoke and smell from the smoke, but initially the cut pieces seem to have a fairly strong odor. I’ve started to put them in Tupperware to let them “cool down”. For the leftovers I’ve been doing the same – rather than putting them in the trash. So far it seems to help. Although, this is only day two for me, so I really don’t have any data to work from. My day two projects are still in Tupperware and no complaints so far. :wink: Was wondering what other do?

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I’ve gotten used to campfire smells in my apartment.

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I only notice the residual odor when I am weeding the masking from my cut pieces. The stinky residue gets on my fingers and hands, but once I wash them the smell mostly disappears.

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I make them in my backyard so it’s all good here.

I have have a really serious smell issue with a piece, I wash it with rubbing alcohol, and that cleans up most smells and sticky residues. I’ve not tried Acrylic, yet, and I’m hesitant to wash leather.

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One of my day two projects was the Acrylic windows for the Votive Candle Holder – they are still in the Tupperware as I type this. :wink: I need to work up to leather!

So my machine is slated into a 12 x 12 room and will be vented out the window and plan to keep the door closed (door has glass so I can monitor from the outside.) I didn’t think the smell would travel so far in the house from what some owners are saying. I understand when you open the Glowforge door there will be some smell but wafting out a fair distance?

Should I be concerned of fowl smells? It’s making me reconsider the location. I though 80% would vent outside

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Not unless you plan to engrave a chicken! :wink:

But seriously… my primary medium is leather. The stories about the smell of leather are true, however I don’t have a huge problem with it (and I am very sensitive to smell). I avoid doing prolonged periods of leather cutting, instead spacing my work out over time. Anything longer than 2 hrs and I start to get a headache, but you can cut/engrave quite a bit in 2 hrs.

The smell does linger, but it’s not too bad if you don’t leave the room closed up. After I’m done cutting, I typically open the window and run the overhead fan for a bit and it’s fine. Personally, I’ve had stronger/worse reactions to acrylic - but I suspect that may be an individual thing.

In any case, the majority of the odor does vent outside and lingering smells are generally manageable. Obviously, YMMV, but I’m one of those hypersensitive folks who gets migraines from everyday scents like dryer sheets, and I have not had any major issues with GF odors in the house.

Edited to add: leather and bone are the only odors that I’ve noticed really lingering in the room after you’re done. Taking the cut material outside to air out helps to offset that some as well (both for the room and the material).

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After a while unless it’s burning you eyes, it won’t bother you as much. Our sensitivities vary from person to person, but like @jason.fuller0 said - you get used to the lingering smell of vaporized wood. If it is burning your eyes - you have an exhaust problem. :laughing:

@cindyhodesigns, if your exhaust is configured properly with no leaks, a 99% is removed (with the exception of lingering scent in the machine). I personally would advise to wait until you have experience with your setup to rethink the location.

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Heat my home with wood. It’s currently 32F outside. What smell?

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Ugh, I totally missed using the wrong word. :joy:

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I do keep a couple odor eaters near it and such, but if I hit something that had a really bad lingering smell, I would lock it in tupperware with activated charcoal or bamboo charcoal for a short time.

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Oh that’s great to hear! I’m new to this and maybe I’m over thinking it.

No worries, hope you didn’t mind me teasing about it. It was meant in good fun :slight_smile:

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Hehe, no I thought it hilarious! I’m usually good on using the correct vocabulary.

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I’m venting through a screen door, with my glass slider open. The end of the hose is 6 ft straight out, off the edge of my deck. I almost never get much smell in the apartment other than what comes directly off the material and a little lingering (maybe 5%) inside the machine.

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I’ve been doing this for the past 6 months. I add activated charcoal baggies or these pearl packets – they kill the odor overnight.

A quick wipe with rubbing alcohol or even a 50/50 vinegar & water mix is pretty effective, too.

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Are the pearl packets heavily scented? The description says that they’re not, but I’m more apt to believe a user review than advertising copy.

Not scented, per se, but they have a fairly strong deodorant/disinfectant smell to them (esp. in the sealed box). I prefer that to the char smell, but your nose may vary (YNMV). The lasered items don’t seem to pick it up, though.

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Don’t worry, it’ll probably take several years to definitively say laser cutter residual smells are carcinogenic :wink:

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