Affordable, Compact, Light Duty Shop Vacuum Fume Extractor For Laser Cutting and Engraving!

In this video I will walk you through my fume extractor design for light duty applications like small laser cutters and engravers. I wanted to design something that was very affordable, compact, and efficient. Additionally I wanted it to be as easy as possible to build and implement for the end user.

I found almost everything I needed in a common shop vacuum and some popular air filters used in home air purifiers. I followed the basic principles of fume extraction and the combination of filtration media for laser cutter fume filtration. I only needed some 3D printed adapters and hardware to get it all to fit together.

Other DIY fume extraction systems seen on YouTube use the same basic components but are typically much larger and more expensive. Many of them use very expensive combination filters from BOFA that are over $300 each. That filter alone approaches the cost of the Two Trees Laser cutter that I am using for demonstration in this video. Once you add the fan, fan controller, housing, hose you are going to double the cost of your small laser machine, not to mention the time invested in building it.

To avoid having to user extremely large motors and fans, I figured it would be possible to suck the fumes near the source. This way, I could capture most of the fumes and particulates without having to exchange very large volumes of air. I designed an adapter for the Two Trees TTS-55 machine that uses a small flexible CPAP hose to bring the fumes back to the shop vacuum.

The shop vacuum provides a good balance of pressure to suck everything through the hose, while also providing enough volumetric flow to handle the fumes being produced by a hobby laser cutter and engraver.

This is the limitation of the system that I address in the video. It is intended for use with small laser cutters and engravers. This solution will not be adequate for large machines producing lots of smoke. In those applications you should be investing in a professional filtration system.

Here are the relevant links to what was discussed in this video. First, the safety concerns with vaporizing materials with your laser cutter:

DO NOT CUT THESE MATERIALS:
► https://cloud.wikis.utexas.edu/wiki/s...

Good resources regarding filtration:
► https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/part...
► https://astcanada.ca/industries-appli...
► https://www.sentryair.com/blog/produc...
► https://bofainternational.com/en/our-...

Equipment used in this video. As an Amazon Associate may I earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you):

Two Trees TTS-55
► https://amzn.to/3PXTJTk

TTS-55 CPAP Adapter Kit:
► https://embracemaking.com/products/tw...

CPAP Hose:
► https://amzn.to/3DmcxHF

Stanley SL18301-4B Shop Vacuum:
► https://amzn.to/3BtbbuD

Stanley Air Filter Adapter:
► https://embracemaking.com/products/fu...

HEPA and Carbon Air Filter:
► https://amzn.to/3C3SGvb

Extra Carbon Filter Material:
► https://amzn.to/3JaQbKZ

Speed Controller (Optional For Reducing Flow / Noise)
► https://amzn.to/3vBHVxX

Below are other 4HP vacuum models that my investigation into the float ball cage assembly leads me to believe this listing is very likely compatible with (but not guaranteed). Models within the same brand (ie. Stanley) likely use the same motor assembly. Various other brands sometimes use the same parts from a common manufacturer and are simply rebranded.

Stanley SL18136
► https://amzn.to/3beOZtg

VacMaster VOC508S 1101
► https://amzn.to/3bhyU6c

Porter Cable PCX18301-4B
► https://amzn.to/3BtiodX

Mastervac 054-0245-0 (Canadian version of VacMaster can be found at Canadian Tire)
► https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ma...

0:00 Safety
0:50 Intro
1:43 Evacuation and Relocation
2:31 Filtration and Relocation
3:17 Filtration and Recirculation
4:18 Shop Vacuum and TTS-55 Prototype
5:05 Filtration Basics and Considerations
7:27 Filter Selection and Installation
8:26 Incense Burn Test
8:53 Laser Test
9:15 Add More Carbon Filter
9:38 Vacuum On Vs. Off
10:05 Stanley Vacuum Adapter
11:00 Other Experiments
12:00 Additional Benefits
12:48 Outro

#laser #fume #filter

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