Man that acrylic STINKS !

New to the forum. Looks like a lot of GREAT information here. Looks like I am going to have to become a member !

Anyway I just got my Epilog Helix 45 watt system and have been getting used to it doing mostly aluminium and cermarking stainless steel. Results have been very good.

But I got some acrylic and was making templates for some pens and tags. Well all I can say is DANG ! That is one bad odor. I am not too worried about the smell but more if its toxic and how you go about keeping the smell out. Should I be wearing a mask ?

If your exhaust system is working properly, you shouldn't smell the by-products hardly at all. For particularly smelly materials, I run my exhaust an additional 30-60 seconds after the job is finished to insure I'm not breathing any of the nasty stuff.

You want your exhaust 'blower' at the exhaust end of your run.

Laser---------------------------blower--outside

and not this way

Laser--blower------------------------outside

that way any leaks draw fresh air in, and don't blow exhaust out.

You should really obtain a MSDS (material safety data sheet) for the materials you are using. Having on hand is essential should govt. types come knocking on your door.
The acrylic I use has a distinctive smell to it and has no health hazards associated with it. I use a mask when I'm working with lacquer...

This comes up at times, and I really can't understand the smell being that bad. I'll spend 8 hours a day just cutting acrylic and very little smell remains if I wait 5-10 seconds before opening the laser door. I'd check that you have enough power on the fan, and check for leaks in the ducting. If anything the smell from Rowmark/IPI engraving plastic is much worse because the smell stays with the cut products. With acrylic there's hardly any smell to the cut pieces.

I think some acrylic smells way stronger and stays with the plastic for much longer. Lately I have been cutting plastics and some of the plastic leftover stinks for days and others dissipate almost immediately. I am not sure if the cast vs extruded makes the difference. I do get a headache with the smelly acrylic so I throw away the cut leftovers the same day.

Kim

Try cutting ABS. I did some a couple of months ago and the scraps I have left over still smell! I had to put them in the garage just to get the smell out of the house.
Acrylic, on the other hand, does stink to cut but the smell dissipates pretty quickly and doesn't seem to stay with the parts quite as long.

Gary

Kim's right, the extruded plastic smells about twice as bad as cast.

Acrylic smell will dissapate quickly and is less if you are cutting through cleanly. ABS does stink but you can cut the smell with a vinegar and water solution sprayed on the edges. I am cutting ABS about 3 hours a day and have gotten the smell under control that way.:eek:

Yes I agree it stinks. We must be using the same type. When I finish cutting the acrylic I run the blower for at least 5 minutes to clear out the smell.

Well I found most of the smell comming through the window I have my vent running through. I sealed the plywood where it fits into the window with some silicon sealer. And I put some around the hole for the duct.

That really dropped the smell down. But I am just waiting for the neighbors to complain............HEPA filter here I come ! Can you build one of those ?

Just using a HEPPA filter will not eliminate the smell. It cuts down some of the larger particles, which will hold some smell, but the rest of the smaller particles in the effluents will still stink. You will have to run the exhaust through activated charcoal or through a water filter to minimize the smell of cut acrylic.