Many folks have trouble with the seal between the GF and the vent hose or the vent hose and an external vent. Metal foil tape like that used for hearing and air-conditioning systems at those connections usually fixes any leaks.
There will be a smell when you open the lid but should be none while operating on a properly vented unit.
Some of us have had great luck moving to a rigid hose with a booster fan.
I hot glued the high-temp sealing tape used for a smoker onto the end of the dryer tube. If the GFUI vent port protruded from the back a bit further, it would pressure fit perfectly. As it is, I use gaffer’s tape to make sure it stays put when I roll the cart around.
i hope this is something GF is looking at updating. it really ought to be another inch or so deep. it’s not easy getting a good, clean connection with such a short connection.
Been a while since I received mine and don’t remember the packaging well, but I think an extra inch would actually push it over the max dimensional size allowed by UPS.
maybe that’s true, i don’t remember exactly how that part was boxed up. even .25 or .5 would make a difference. it’s just a really awkward connection.
It is. I know someone posted a 3D printed flange extender a while back.
Actually, a couple:
Could be.
Honestly? I’d like a plate that I can unscrew that has the hose coupling integrated with it and is sealed.
I would really like to be able to remove the honeycomb protecting the fan so I can clean the fan properly.
As well, I suspect that the area behind the clan is going to need cleaning someday or, at least, the potential for replacing the fan would be handy to.
And in my dream world, the fan could be removed and then I could use the “fan on” signal to control an external inline fan booster that blasts the nasty air above the roof line.
And a pony. I would like a pony, too.
That could be easier to accomplish than your other asks. 
I am not a mechanical engineer, or any other kind of engineer. Or seen any of the stress tests, drop tests, modeling tests, etc. I have to wonder what a hole in that area would mean as far as case integrity, manufacturing methods, etc. It’s easy to armchair quarterback manufacturing decisions (and other decisions) - but having sat in a number of decision-making meetings in my lifetime (as everyone here likely has) - I know that there is typically more than meets the eye.
I believe that they do stress test using ponies.
Have you got something else in the window to block the smoke from coming back into the room? (Lots of folks cut a hole in a board or a big sheet of foam and run the hose out of that.)
If you are just running it out of the window, you need to make sure the end extends two or three feet beyond the opening, otherwise a lot of the smoke can blow back in.
One of my problems with the smell is the lid isn’t closing all the way. We have tried leveling it but still the lid isn’t flat all over.
picture? It should close rather well.
Although there should be enough negative pressure that any smoke does go out the exhaust.
Isn’t flat where? They all have a slight ridge/hump/insert adjective where the edge of the glass lid sits higher near the middle of the machine.
The bottom of the lid though sits flush against this rail (pictured on the left)
That is just it, it is not sitting flush against the rail. You can run your hand along the top a feel the difference. That is why we were trying to level it.
So front and back are all that needs to be flush? The middle won’t be? That is what sort of sticks up.
Mine doesn’t sit flat either in the center glass portion. It’s about 1/16th of an inch higher on the right side. That has nothing to do with smells. I get ZERO smell until I open the lid.
If you’re experiencing smells while the laser is running, you have a leaky exhaust setup.
Mine is flush only to the front solid area, from there on back it isn’t. I guess I just need to tape all connections really well to help cut down leaking. Would a short span from the glowforge out the wall be better than a longer span?
That’s what I was saying - but that doesn’t mean it’s not sitting on the rail. In fact, there are two levels of protection here. The glass edge is sitting on the rail and then a piece that comes down into the case next to the rail.
Ok, thank you.
