been using the CNC and creating lots of dust inside the enclosure - i noticed (sensitive nose) there was a small amount of very fine dust escaping over time…
so i started thinking “how can i block the major holes”. (obviously not the doors)
i am also assuming the smell (leaking outside the enclosure) will also be noticeable for the laser and the 3d printer.
i put glad wrap (or cling wrap) over the hole for the touch screen (touch screen still works through the glad wrap) and sticks very well to the enclosure, although need to be careful when swiping - here is a really bad cling wrap photo (really bad so i could show you how well it works)
looking at other holes , i found this on thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4424491 enclosure corner cover (for the front 4 corners, not needed for the back) the maker just made them for aesthetics, but i see another great use
and a vacuum dust shoe (thanks to brdboss for putting me onto it) https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4147717/comments (there are 2 at thingiverse, but this one seems the best)
and the hole for the filament - people have made up something for that too, or just put a piece of sponge in there (yes, i know i am cheap )
i am currently changing to laser module, so i haven’t tried these (except the cling wrap) but when 3d printing, these will be the first things i do, so if anyone tries it before i get back to it - leave feedback
I’ll throw something else in that could help. We printed a 3"->4" adapter, got a 4" inline booster fan that’s variable speed, up to 200cfm nominal, and are plumbing this with 4" dust collection flexible piping out the window, like a dryer vent. My thought is that should be enough to keep negative pressure in the enclosure and not allow fumes and dust out into the room. Maybe when it’s all finished we’ll post pictures in a new topic.
Did the same.
Actually added a dryer vent and put a hole in garage wall to outside.
Works great. I’ve used laser on a couple pieces of cedar and intentionally engraved pretty deep and it did a great job of pulling visible smoke outside and very little odor in my garage.
-S
hey brent and sdj - being an australian, have never heard of “dryer venting”, from what i understand (looked it up on the net), it is just a flexible hose (light weight).
this is the vent hose that came with the enclosure, and there is a fan on the enclosure wall - so i take it that this is what you guys mean? it vents to the garage.
by closing off the big gaps in the enclosure - i hope to stop any leakages. more air flow in via the remaining gaps.
I have noticed there are also gaps between the acrylic and the metal frame of the enclosure (on all sides). I may get some thin foam and line the sides so as to compress the foam against the frame. This should reduce noise and smell/dust escaping further.
Although, when enclosure doors are closed and the fan is on, where is the clean air is coming from? There is a noticeable change in fan pitch when opening a door, and I am concerned that adding extra foam to seal it may render the fan useless as there is no way for air to get in, so I’d just achieve a box of low pressure but no movement
Maybe tape something intended to act as an air filter over the gaps instead? Sections cut from replacement filters for an air purifier? Even vaccuum cleaner bags might work. It wouldn’t be as good a noise baffle as foam, but it would probably do a fair job of letting air in while keeping dust confined.
thanks S (love the home made box), and brett for the post tomorrow
@buzzplop not sure we have the same enclosure - with mine it has a pretty good seal on the back and the side, but there are a lot of gaps where the doors are (no chance of low pressure)
but yes, if there is a noticeable change in the fan pitch when you open the door - i personally wouldn’t seal it any more, as it is probably sealed enough.
ElloryJaye - sounds like an excellent idea, or maybe some sponge (like dish washing sponge) for the same reason
@Nazar, parts came early so @brent113 and I finished the exhaust build tonight.
We built a window mount system that we can remove if we so desire. The board is plywood sealed with polyurethane to reduce the potential for weather damage, in addition we adhered coroplast onto the exterior surface so that the wood was not in direct contact with weather. We then ran high-density foam weatherstrip tape on the edges to help seal it up and prevent wind and water intrusion as we live in Oregon and that means we get rained on a lot
Board before and after weatherstrip is applied (we built the board so that the left side fits into a groove in the window and does not need the extra seal, as a bonus this also centers it in the window frame):
To prevent bugs from getting in there is a piece of screen in the end of the hose at the window and on the exterior we added a louvered cover (like this one).
The inline fan (like this one) has it’s own control that we have on the table top and we have the hose system going under the table and up the back to the window:
Fan pressure pushes the louvers open making it really easy to see the difference the inline fan makes(Left to Right: both fans on, only inline fan, only enclosure fan):
This looks terrific - would you be willing to share the stl for the hose adapters? My enclosure is coming this week and my family is mad at me for the wood burning smell from my first laser experiments!
Thank you!
I hadn’t originally shared the STL because I specifically designed the adapters for the 4" hose that I had at home, so keep on mind you will likely need to adapt them for your materials.
I’ll update this post in the morning when I’m back on my computer and upload.
Thanks - I’ll be using 4" ducting as well - how did you attach to the Snapmaker enclosure? From, what I can see in your 3D printed part, is the tapered adapter just fricton-fitted onto the Snapmaker fan output?
I uploaded the STL for each adapter and the F360 file to thingiverse. I reccomend checking the ID of your hose to ensure the adpater will fit before printing.
We printed the items as oriented in the picture and were able to avoid the use of supports due to the gradual slope but YMMV.
it may have been different previously - but the enclosure i bought had A tube and a fitting to the enclosure (came with the enclosure) - hang on, will take a photo.
as you can see - the tubing is now has all the attachments to the enclosure - the other end is something you will have to work out
i started this thread because my SM is inside my house - i have been through thingiverse and have got links of everything i think i will need to close off most of the big gaps ect - haven’t gotten around to printing it yet - i was still getting a small amount of smell and dust into the house (hence the thread) - the laser is really bad for smell and i have my tube going out a cat flap i put into the window (with a towel) into the garage (so the garage smells really bad (burnt wood smell).
with the big gaps closed, the fan sucking air out should be enough of a vacuum to stop smells and dust
if you want a list of things i plan to 3d print (off thingiverse) - just @Nazar and ask
EDIT : if it is inside with other people, there is some debate about eye safety on this forum with laser (it is really interesting)
@Jesi15 Thanks so much for this - I hope to see my enclosure tomorrow. I already ordered some 4" vent piping and a fan so I hope to get this set up soon - thanks for the files.
@Nazar - it’s be great to hear about how well your setup works for dust and fumes if you get a chance, pictures and a list of files you used would be terrific!
I have also read the section on laser safety so I’ll still plan to wear goggles. I was using foam floor tiles as a temporary laser blocker to protect my family if they went into the garage when the laser is on!
That’s not how air flow works. A fan can’t blow air out of a closed box for very long. It will establish a pressure differential, but air flow stops quickly. It can blow air along a tube open each end. If you don’t have a way for air to flow into the fan, it won’t move air. The enclosure as shipped is not air tight, which is fine for providing an air source. Better to have had a sealed enclosure with an intake filter to keep the machine clean, but that would have cost more money.
@eh9 not sure we are on the same page ? - i don’t want to make the enclosure air tight (which would be impossible with the doors anyway) but i noticed slight smell and dust still escaping - so closing the big air gaps would cause more air to be sucked in via the gaps in the doors
having a air intake filter to keep the machine clean? have you tried CnC? might want to try the “vacuum dust shoe” below to keep it clean
@ConsummatePro - i haven’t printed it yet (so haven’t verified all these work) but here is my list. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4424491 enclosure corner cover (for the front 4 corners, not needed for the back) the maker just made them for aesthetics, but would also be great for blocking gaps
and a vacuum dust shoe (thanks to brdboss for putting me onto it) https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4147717/comments vacuum dust shoe
and the hole for the filament in the side (round hole) - people have made up something for that too, or just put a piece of sponge in there (yes, i know i am cheap :grinning : )
