Disclaimer<\/b><\/p>\n
This is not legal advice or opinion on the rules and regulations for installing or using a laser cutter. These are notes on what I’ve learned and a guide for people interested in having a laser cutter.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been working with, near, or in toxic fumes since I was a teenager. I\u2019ve wrenched, welded, soldered, used metal working machines, worked on motorcycles and cars, and built CNC equipment, including several 3d printers and a couple of Lasersaurs. I\u2019ve taken and taught safety classes and I\u2019ve still made some stupid mistakes.<\/p>\n
It’s easy and inexpensive to get home\/shop level digifab equipment like laser cutters but not much out there on what it means to own and operate one.<\/p>\n
I wrote this short introduction to laser cutters and fume extraction based on what I’ve learned in work spaces and my studio. I hope that sharing what I\u2019ve learned helps other people interested in setting up a laser cutter.<\/p>\n
Let’s start by defining what “fume extraction” actually is — removing fumes and particles suspended infumes from an area. Many processes we use create annoying, hazardous, or lethal fumes and fume extraction gets them out of the work area.<\/p>\n
Some examples of fume extraction:<\/p>\n
For laser cutters, there are two specific reasons to do fume extraction:<\/p>\n
Anyone generating fumes that are bad for people to breathe, harmful to the environment, or that can damage the tools they are using. That\u2019s a sweeping statement, but there\u2019s a wide scale of materials that can be used as media in a laser cutter. On one end are people who have a business making models but of plywood or cardboard and never cut plastic or etch powder coating off of metal. On the other end is a hacker space, college studio, or Techshop where there\u2019s a \u201cDANGER: do not cut\u201d list and temporarily illiterate laser cutter operators.<\/p>\n
Note that we\u2019re saying \u201cextraction\u201d not \u201cremoval\u201d or \u201cfiltration\u201d. Fume extraction means moving the fumes from one area (inside a laser cutter) another area (outside the laser cutter). If you\u2019re laser cutting something that generates toxic fumes and you have wonderful extraction, you’re just moving the toxic fumes to another location. Extracted fumes don\u2019t disappear and an important part of fume extraction is deciding what to do with the fumes. (Saturday Night Live\u2019s \u201cYardapult\u201d<\/a> is a funny but real example of what some sites consider fume extraction.)<\/p>\n Did your laser cutter come with a manual that explains restrictions on what media you can cut and fume ventilation requirements? Start by reading the manuals and FAQs, there might be limitations on what you can cut or etch because of the materials used to build your laser cutter. One example is what your mirrors are made of \u2014 are they backed glass or polished metal? Some mirrors need routine cleaning if you\u2019re cutting smoky materials, even if you have the best fume extraction possible.<\/p>\n Everything, starting with the person using the equipment and nearby people, then to the equipment (see below), or people near where the fumes are sent as exhaust. If you\u2019re only cutting paper and cardboard and sending the exhaust up a legal fireplace chimney, there\u2019s not much more risk from the fumes than having a fire in the fireplace. If you\u2019re cutting and etching acrylic in volume and dumping the unfiltered exhaust out your garage window, don\u2019t be surprised if the neighbors dial 911 to complain about the smell of burning plastic.<\/p>\n You could also be working with something you think is safe but isn\u2019t. I no longer cut hardboard in my Lasersaur because the heat from cutting the wood also does something to the glue and makes the wood sticky. Not sticky in a good, ice cream sort of way, but a sticky burnt glue that sticks to the moving parts and is hard to remove, even with solvent.<\/p>\n Did you read the Material Safety Data Sheet (aka “MSDS”) for the media you’re cutting and does it cover burning the material or fumes? What happens if you laser cut kevlar or styrene? (That\u2019s your cue to go find the MSDS documents for these materials.) Depending on where the laser cutter is installed, there might be requirements from the FDA, EPA, OSHA, local business codes, labor codes, safety codes, etc. (Reminder: I\u2019m in the US and not a lawyer, so I\u2019m mostly going to make vague references to US legal systems and ignore the rest of the world.)<\/p>\nLaser cutter restrictions<\/h3>\n
What can the fumes damage?<\/h3>\n
How bad are the fumes, really?<\/h4>\n