K40 Laser Exhaust Manifolds

thingiverse

Reversible horizontal or vertical manifolds and some connectors that allowed me to hook up to rigid 4" dryer ducting. I was tired of the original exhaust setup for my K40 laser so I made and printed these things, they kick ass! Either will fit into the back of the laser in the factory slots, and can be used in either up/down or right/left orientations. Very low restriction. Fit 4" aluminum dryer ducts, seem airtight enough for me to cut some acrylic with, so not so bad, right? I used the Vertical unit pointing down from the back of the laser to my fan- that all is in negative pressure so you will not have to worry about sealing much there. From the fan to the window section of exhaust I screwed through the flange of the Horizontal unit in 6 places to a piece of 2x6 from which I had cut a slot out of and then cut to the right width to fit the bottom of my double-hung window, which I then closed it over. You can vent it as you see fit, I imagine each situation has its own nuances. The fan-to-window section of exhaust is under positive pressure, so you will want to get that section good and air-tight. I had to make a few couplings to fit my fan and transition the pipe to the horizontal one, maybe you will have to make your own or scale these to fit your application: If scaling just print a half dozen layers and then abort the print, let the ring cool and try it out on your application and if you need to modify, do so (scale again, presumably), print a half dozen or so layers, test, and when good print the entire thing. Re. the actual units, yes they had a lot of support which was a bitch to get out, but it was totally worth the hassle. They work great and look even better! I use it with one of those conical-looking exhaust fans w/ a variable speed control from amazon, the fan itself needed a bunch of sealing but after that it was quiet, powerful and odorless. That said, this is all to be used on your own recognizance, I can't be held responsible for the nasty stuff you cut and poison yourself or the world with. There are some good carbon filters out there, explore them and get a second opinion or so if you have any doubts about the nature of the fumes you are producing. Getting poisoned is no fun and you won't know it until it you are halfway to being dead, so don't screw around.