So, for those of you lucky enough to already have your forge, I have a question to help me plan. When the air comes out of the hose, does it have visible smoke? I ask because I’m in an apartment – and while I can easily run the hose to the window, I don’t want people to start calling the fire department on me.
Thanks!
Little bit. It only extends a couple of feet past the hose end, but it does smell a bit like a campfire when it’s running. (Or acrylic/leather which is less pleasant.)
Thanks, good to know!
It’s actually more particulates wafting out than smoke. Most of the smoke gets spread out in the unit before it gets out the hose. About like you’d get from a candle.
you could make a cover for the exhaust that looks like the old Camel billboard in times square
Whatever comes out is not “call the fire department” worthy.
It’s really very little.
The level of smoke depends on the material and what’s going on. If I’m doing some heavy engraving, it can be quite a puff of smoke. It’s much less at the outflow out the window, but you notice it. Not billowing really by then.
That is what smoke is.
Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis.
I was really concerned about this same issue before getting my machine, since I also live in an apartment.
At first the smoke was an issue in my room. I have the hose hooked up to a plastic vent, through a piece of tall posterboard that fits into the sliding window. I sealed the window and the end of the tube with metal tape.
The smoke goes out of the tube and goes upward into the air. Also, it gets dispersed really quickly, so you don’t see the smoke unless you are really looking for it.
The machine also is kinda noisy, much like a vacuum cleaner. From the outside, it just sounds like I am running an air conditioner, but maybe has a higher pitched noise with that as well.
Neither the smoke or the noise is an issue with anyone. Nobody has noticed the noise or the smoke.
To cover myself, I made a nice sign for my manager that reads “Manager is out”. I gifted it to him and let him know that I have taken up a wood burning hobby, and to not freak out if he smells smoke. He loves his sign, and doesn’t care, as long as I don’t run it past 10pm.
Well played, sir.
Thank you. Yet another reason I love this community – if I have a question, chances are somebody’s already been there, done that, learned what to do.
The draft board (MDF) produces the most smoke. The wood and plywood not that much. Cardboard in the middle of those two.