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Thread: Input?

  1. #16
    Steve

    Think of a dryer vent hooked to an internal or external blower sucking out the smoke and fumes from your machine and blowing them outside. You may want to use larger diameter vent pipe but that is the general idea. Dust collector is a misnomer. What you need is a blower; it could be from a dust collector or for any other purpose.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
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    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
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  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    Iowa USA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Middleton View Post
    So the exhaust on the laser is not sufficient for the task? Would the dust collector need to be plumbed directly to the laser? With no experience to draw from all I have are questions Have to laugh at myself!
    Steve a lot of people are just using just the HF blower hooked up to the machine and vented outside. Do a quick Search on here for more info. My blower is just one off Amazon and vented directly outside. Its a very short run but I have a small machine.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  3. #18
    I tend to forget the Harbor Freight 'blowers' are actually "dust collectors"- just use it without the bag--

    The reason you want ANY blower outside, is because the vent piping and the blower itself WILL leak air-- if the blower is in the room with you, then smoke from the leaks will also be in the room with you. If the blower is outside, then all the air moving thru the piping in the room is under vacuum, not pressure, and any piping leaks will just suck air from the room and move it outside-
    ========================================
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  4. #19
    I bought an Amazon blower last year for my small laser. Not sure how it'll hold up when the 1390 arrives but it's been great and extremely quiet. I originally made a window insert using 3 layers of Coroplast (corrugated sign material) with a 4 inch hole in it and cut 6 inches wide and the length of the window opening. That worked but I got a some return odor back in room which I discovered mostly came from the break in the window seal where the sliding window slid back over the fixed window.

    I was going to mount the blower outside, but here in the desert I think it would've been short lived. I decided to drill through the wall and add an outdoor dryer vent with pest shield. I cut the vent at the inside wall and added a secondary one way flap for double insurance against pests (scorpions). Since the blower I'm using is a 6" I used a 4 to 6 reducer on each side and was able to mount the blower basically right at the wall. I've done acrylic, leather, powder coating since the re do on the vent and haven't smelled a thing except residual on the material when it's pulled from the laser.

    The blower I have has a variable speed controller so it's nice being able to dial it down when laser'n paper and less odorous materials. It doesn't suffer from the jet engine noise I see other talking about. There's a stretchable boot or sock around the whole thing and I pulled it off and sealed everything up with foil duct tape used for air conditioning and heating systems (HVAC).


    Amazon... VenTech VT IF-6-B Inline Exhaust Blower Fan with Variable Speed Controller, 440 CFM, 6"
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  5. #20
    Jeff
    That sounds much like my installation except mine is not variable speed.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  6. #21
    In the FWIW category,
    I have the green harbor freight blower, 11 years now.
    Most of the time outside in the southern AZ afternoon sunshine, and yes even a little rain. No issues with the blower or motor. Motor is a sealed outdoor rated motor.
    (Knock wood here)
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  7. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
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    14,760
    The primary reason for never using shop vacs for dust collection is that they are not designed to run for long periods of time. Performance is another issue that may or may not be relevant but shop vacs have a tendency to catch fire when operated for long periods of time. Its not uncommon to run a Laser Engraver or a CNC Router all day long and in some cases continually over several shifts in a commercial shop. There are plenty of pictures of shop vacs that have caused homes with shops attached to catch on fire.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
    Posts
    214
    I should be more specific. I plan to purchase the Rabbit Laser which has vacuum/exhaust fan, air-exhaust pipe, and air assist pump. Carol says it takes a 6 inch(external) vent fitting which Ray will install when doing the set up. The dust collector question has to do with sanding dust, etc. I assumed the Rabbit system would be sufficient for the laser itself? Thanks again for the input!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
    Posts
    214
    So........The new shop is up, metal building, and electrical should be finished this week. Mini split scheduled for installation next week and will send Rabbit Lasers a check this week so I can get on their schedule. That should give me time to finish covering the upper side walls and a good cleaning. The next thing I can see is I'll need some work/prep space. What sort of benches are you using? How wide/long? I definitely want them on casters. Will also need some storage for materials and an area for paint, fill, sanding, etc. Any suggestions will be appreciated!

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    NW Arkansas
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    Yes, the Rabbit laser exhaust fan is sufficient. Do put outside and pull into it. Next, Benches. It really depends on your work. I've got a 16" x60" Bench with one lower shelf about 6" off floor. It was a table we used for a while (cutting board top) that was covered by acrylic sheet over some beer mats I'd saved over the years. Had been relegated to storage. It works fine to do small assembly, cleaning and packing. As it is narrow, it doesn't lend itself for casters. If I ever need more, I'll make one I guess. I DO have two HF Workbenches. The Cheap ($129 on sale) version. Your really can't beat the price, but it is cheaply built. I'd probably buy one and put casters that can be retracted on it to try. And eliminate the end vise. As far as the holes, I'd be lasering some plugs out of ply and gluing them in. Another option is the metal tables they and now the big orange and big blue stores have. (lowes now is offering Craftsman brand at decent prices) Guess they are Chinese too.
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  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
    Posts
    214
    Ray at Rabbit Lasers tells me to have a 6 inch vent and the laser will then vent outside the building. He prefers to install said vent himself. I'm fine will all of that. I also realize the a 24x40 building will fill up VERY quickly and I'm somewhat land locked. Dang the luck! Not sure anyone can offer long distance solutions, just venting. Thanks for listening!

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    NW Arkansas
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    All depends on what you are doing. My basement laser room is only 14x22 with a bathroom (6x8) in one corner. I've got small desk, Fiber on a 24x24 table in one corner and my 1300x900 CO2 on one side, my 24" HF Shear, Gun cabinet and prior mentioned table and I store my sheet goods under the Shear and some plywood (24x24") in here also. I do have plenty of room in basement for more sheet goods and BOXES/packaging. (this takes up a decent amount of room) And exit door and interior basement door. I don't feel cramped, but I can expand into about another 600 square feet that's empty easy. Get creative with shelving if you need to. Any you do have a Bedroom right? Stack stuff in the corner if your wife will let you.
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
    Posts
    214
    Thanks for all the input! Ray rec'd my check Friday and I'm thinking delivery is 3-4 weeks out. The shop is coming along well and will have power/lights Tue or Wed and mini split install scheduled for Wed also. And now it's time to look at all these lists I made over the past months and begin the next phase of negative cash flow LOL.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
    Posts
    214
    So....Ray will be delivering and setting up my laser 8/16. I believe the building will be ready as I'm down to the finishing touches relatively speaking. Have been reading about DC and that seems to be a complicated topic. I HOPE to house my table saw and miter saw in the adjacent garage but still need to deal with router table, belt sander, and drill press. I built a 36x48 moveable work station which will help but still studying and looking for the right solution.

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