LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I am currently running two Lasers, a K40 and a 100W home built one. I used to vent them outside, bit our neighbours have just installed a deck where the vent used to go.

I am looking at a Dust Extractor with 550W (0.75 HP), an Extraction Capacity of 1150m³/h unit which would siy alongside the two lasers. ( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dust-Extrac ... 438.l2649)
Would this work or would I still need to vent externally. Is there any other options that I could use.?

That will not do any good for fumes, you need very good filters or to pipe it outside somewhere.

same as gene, those bags will filter only BIG particles. they are mainly for sawdust in a WOOD shop, not a laser shop.

you will need at leat HEPA filter, and they will be very quickly dirty. also, they remove a lot of the aspiration power of the fan, so you have to count that a filter will remove at least half of the nominal CFM of your fan (if not more)

for my place, i designed a "smoke box" where the air passes through an HEPA car filter (which are not to expensive on aliexpress). there is still fumes coming out, but this protects the fan from the main part of the residue. if you want to reject "clean" air, you will have to go with a combination of cloth (big particles), HEPA filter (small particles), and active coal filter (odors, chemical residues)

Depends on what you're cutting. If all of it is wood and wood products, could you install a chimney so the smoke is exhausted away (above) the neighbors?

For plastics, rubber, leather, etc., you'll need a different solution. I've seen a lot of folks talk about the BOFA fume extractors, but they are definitely not cheap!

Might it be cheaper to route the exhaust to somewhere else?

Thanks guys, it was just a thought. I will go with a 1200m3 extractor and a longish run of 4" pipe to a different area... bit of a pain but thanks for the help.

Neil Palmer wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 Thanks guys, it was just a thought. I will go with a 1200m3 extractor and a longish run of 4" pipe to a different area... bit of a pain but thanks for the help.

Note: bigger pipe is better - for a long run, I'd move up to 6" pipe if possible.