Two Glowforge Set Up - Exhaust Fans

[jackiedausend]

Hi all-

I currently have a Glowforge Pro and love it of course. I am moving soon and am looking to add another Glowforge to the collection with a two unit set up in my home office.

As of right now, I vent out the window, but in my new place that won’t be an option, so I am curious on what’s the best way to go with a two GlowForge Pro’s set up with a filter. I ideally don’t want to have to buy two Glowforge fans to have one for each.

Are there any solutions others have done you could recommend?

Thanks in advance (and please direct me to another forum if this has been asked already).

• Jackie

[evansd2]

Hmm this was discussed before, let’s see…

This isn’t quite right… But may be interesting.

My switched dual-exhaust filter setup, with pre-filter

I have the Glowforge Air Filter, mostly for the acrylic I cut, but I wanted the option to vent out a nearby window for less harmful materials and stuff that’ll clog the filter quickly, like draftboard. I think I’ve created a pretty solid setup for selecting between the window and the filter and thought I would share—and solicit feedback if you think I’m making a grave aerodynamic error! Shopping list: More clamps, y-fittings, and blast gates than I needed (but cheaper than buying sep…

Here’s one:

Dual GF Setup

I finally got around to installing an external fan to both of my GFs and making a semi-permanent venting system. We have casement windows (the type that hinge outward, when you crank the little crank thing), so I replaced the screen with a piece of 1/4 inch plexiglass and cut a 4 inch hole for the hose to vent through (using the passthrough slot for the first time). Now, all we have to do is open the window and it’s ready to go (no more awkwardly throwing the hose out the window). [IMG_4899]

And this doesn’t have much:

Photos of multi-machine setups?

Will be purchasing my second machine shortly (and possibly a third in a few more months) and would love to see photos of how folks have multiple machines set up in their workspace (especially when it comes to venting).

Some venting theory:

Venting question

Hi all, we got our GF set up and printed the founder’s ruler with the hose hooked up to our dryer vent. Yay! However we noticed some smoke seeping from the lid during the cutting part, and I’m wondering if our dryer vent needs to be cleaned out, or if it’s just not set up correctly to properly vent the laser exhaust. The dryer vent does not immediately go to the outside, as it’s located on an interior wall and vents to the water heater closet. I believe it then vents up through the roof. My qu…

I feel like there were a few more discussions on this but can’t find them. Maybe someone else will come along with the goods.

[ekla]

If you only run one GF at a time you there are lots of various solutions for switching between the two as @evansd2 has searched out for you. (I like the Rockler quick connect system myself)

However, if you want to run both at the SAME time you’ll need a separate GF filter for each as a single filter doesn’t pull enough airflow to clear out two GFs.

[jackiedausend]

The plan is to definitely be running both simultaneously, so ideally it would be a single fume extraction set up, rather than two GlowForge exhaust fans which is the worst case scenario, but I would ideally want to keep it simple with one.

Here are two options I found that has dual fume extraction units, but I have nothing to gauge by pervious customer experience with laser cutters. Both are from the company PUREX which seem legit, especially seeing it on BossLaser.

PureX: https://www.tequipment.net/Purex/Fume-Cube-Dual-Light-Arm/Fume-Extraction-Units-&-Kits/

Boss Laser: Laser Fume Extraction System

If you have any thoughts or concerns, let me know!

[ekla]

Well the description on the first unit says that unit pulls 135 CFM which isn’t enough for even one GF so I doubt it would be able to manage two.
You need about 195-200 CFM per Glowforge. Can’t tell what the CFM on the second one is.

[cynd11]

I think you should be mentally prepared for the replacement filter cost of running two Glowforges through filters. Be sure to do the research on expected throughput before replacement. If there were any possible way to continue venting out a window, I’d be looking into it.

[jackiedausend]

After hearing @ekla mention the power needed and reading more on how often you have to change filters (and the cost), I’m reevaluating to make it work through the window.

I’ll read more into the articles @evansd2 mentioned, but if you have any other knowledge on a dual exhaust set up through the window, please send my way