Acrylic questions

[Ray McAlister]

1. Is there any way to kill the smell while cutting????
(i have it vented to my back patio, and could smell it pulling around the block, the smell is also on the cut pieces.)
2. does the paper make a difference during cutting?
3. Best place to buy? (using delvies, just found some local sources, haven't checked price yet)
4. Is one type better to use, I tried cutting one piece 3 times and it never cut through(wasn't labeled)
5. Is there any way to kill the smell????

I likes the results so far with acrylic, my wife has made ornaments and some small boxes, very nice. She has taken over the laser and has it running from morning until i get home from work until 9pm. I might get to use it one day.


Ray


P.s. IS THERE ANY WAY TO KILL THE SMELL????????

[Dave Fifield]

Hi Ray,

I don't think there's any magic catalytic converter or anything for getting the stink out of cutting acrylic. I got myself a 900+ cfm exhaust fan that I leave on full blast when I'm cutting the stuff (usually 1/4" thick for routing templates) and then I leave the exhaust fan on for a good hour after I have finished cutting to make sure it all goes outside. The offcut scraps get thrown outside ASAP too. So far, I have managed not to annoy my neighbors - mainly by cutting the stuff late at night when they're all in bed!

Maybe one of those super-expensive filter units would help?

I'd love to know if there is a simple "cure" too.....anyone?

:Dave F.

[Joe Pelonio]

Ah, the lovely aroma of melting acrylic.

Yes, the expensive filters/air scrubbers will do it. Otherwise if you have
enough fan power run the vent up above the roof and you'll be less likely to smell it down below. Some people have made their own in-line filter systems for a lot less money but you have to be sure it doesn't impede the air flow if your laser is cooled by it. The paper covering does flare up, compared to transfer tape. A lot of extra trouble to peel and apply transfer tape all the time though. As for cutting through, most of the time brand should not make a difference if it really is just acrylic, without other additives in the formula. I have found that clear and translucents cut with less power than opaque colors, black being the hardest to cut but still within the range of recommended power/speed. While cast engraves better, extruded (cheaper) cuts with a smoother edge. I'd guess that the one you had trouble cutting could have some ABS in it, that takes more power to cut.

As for prices, you need to speak to the local suppliers. Large quantities of acrylic are heavy and therefore expensive to ship. I have been able to get a wholesale price from my local guy based on the amount that I buy, considerable less than he charges the public. They also send me customers, sell them the acrylic and I do the engraving/cutting.

Dave,

The offcut scraps of acrylic do not smell, I have a pile now 3' tall here waiting for the recycling guy. The Rowmark stuff after cutting does smell bad. In fact when you cut 1,000 or so small tags and put them in a box in your car to deliver the smell stays in the car for two days.

[Rob Bosworth]

There a re a few things you can do to reduce the smell from laser cutting acrylic. But I don't think you will ever eliminate all of the smell.

Use a multi stage air filtration unit. You can buy an air filtration unit from a number of different suppliers. Basically you have the exhaust go through a spun glass filter like a furnace filter. This takes out the big chunks. Then the exhaust is pulled/ pushed through a HEPA filter which takes out smaller chunks. Then the exhaust runs through either a water tank or a container of activated charcoal. The sticky stuff tends to stick to the activated charcoal, and greatly reducing the smell. I use one on occassion and exhaust the effluents in the same room. It does not eliminate all of the smell, but it is livable.

You could also use a bubbler system to remove the contaminates. Basically a water tank that you run the exhaust through. You run the input side of the exhaust down to the bottom of the water tank, then pull the exhaust from above the water line and out of the building. The heavy particles remain in the water.

You have a few options to obtain an air filtration system. You can buy one from a local company that specializes in the sales and support of new filtration systems. You can buy one from your laser system's manufacture, and they might be a little expensive. You could buy a used one. (I just happen to have one I could make you a smokin' deal on.) Or you could make one your self.

Good luck. If you should have any further questions, please feel free to contact me directly either through a PM or contact me at ACCESS.

[Bruce Volden]

I have 2 small ionizers that I use. It does NOT help while machining the plastics but it absolutely removes the odor after a couple of hours!! Prior to using them I would smell "plastic" for a couple of days:( I think I paid about 70 bucks for the both of them:)


Bruce

[Mike Mackenzie]

I also have a used filter unit that was made to reduce the smells from rubber stamps. Like Rob says it is difficult to remove all the smells but with something like this you can reduce the smell a lot.

[Ray McAlister]

Thanks for the info....I have a living air purifier that helps, but i walked in the house today and the smell just about killed me, wife had stopped cutting acrylic 45 min earlier. Just part of the fun i guess...
Ray

[Joe Pelonio]

Ray,

Is it possible that your exhaust fan is too weak, or perhaps there's a leak
in the duct going out? At times I spend 8 hours a day cutting 1/4" acrylic and never have any trouble with smells inside the shop. My vent goes 3' beyond the outside wall so that the fumes are not sucked back in through the door when people go in and out. Also have enough power to move the air with force as it exits. The ductwork is above the drop ceiling, and when I first installed it I was getting the smell inside and traced it to a leaking joint. After fixing it have been going 2-1/2 years with no odor inside. Maybe even a leaking door seal on the laser?

[Ray McAlister]

I think the fumes are coming in from people going in and out the back door.
We are going to a show this weekend and i hope to be able to push my blower further from the house next week. I was thinking of housing it in a plastic(rubbermaid?) garden shed to minimize the noise...... It's going to be a process to get everything just right. We have product and wood and paint and acrylic and tools stacked all over the place..... We're a 10 ibs family in a 5 lbs house..... Thats one of the reasons for the laser to have a steady(fingers crossed) 2nd income that doesn't take my wife out of the house(2 boys, 8 and 5 at school during the day and a 14 mo girl that stays at home with mommy) we have been lucky enough to keep my wife working from home for the last 9-10 years, but the company she has been free-lanced for just went under.......
R

[Joe Pelonio]

For the long run on mine I used 4" plastic storm drain pipe, the kind that comes with or without holes in it and is black inside, white outside. Keeps the noise from vibration to a minumum. My fan is quiet, but I have mounted it to the wall with a rubber gasket between the mount and wall to damper the vibration. The shed sounds like a good idea, you can then store some of the material in it too.

[Gary Hair]

As long as your blower is at the farthest point away from the laser then a leak won't be the culprit. I have my blower in a different room, about 15' away from the laser and mounted to the wall. The exit tube from the blower points outside. This way it is sucking the fumes out instead of blowing them out. A leak would make it less efficient but won't let the fumes escape.

Gary

[Rony Nemi]

You could also use a bubbler system to remove the contaminates. Basically a water tank that you run the exhaust through. You run the input side of the exhaust down to the bottom of the water tank, then pull the exhaust from above the water line and out of the building. The heavy particles remain in the water.




Hi Rob,

Returning to this old thread, I have an "odor issue" while cutting leather and plastics. I search with local filters vendors (I live in Argentina) and the offer is an HEPA+carbon filters that need an additional blower (and space). They don´t assure 100% odor filtering results. I am trying to avoid anoter electric device working in my little shop...and I just read about the bubbler...do you think it is useful to filter exhaust odors? At this moment I have a 4" exhaust pipe over the roof (and neighbours complaints too).
I will appreciate any advise.
Thank you,

Rony

[Rob Bosworth]

Rony, a bubbler device might be a good solution for removing most of the heavy particulates and smell from your exhaust.

If you need further help, please feel free to contact me through Sawmill Creek forums or feel free to PM me. Good luck.

[James Mooney]

These definitely help http://www.bofa.co.uk/website/laser/1000.htm especially if you don't open the lid until the fumes have had a chance to clear