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Air & Filtration

Two different airflows get confused constantly: air assist (the jet at the nozzle that cleans the cut) and extraction (the system that removes smoke from the room). You need both, sized separately.
Air & safety picks →For apartment makers →

Duct outside when you can — a 4-inch inline fan beats most desktop filters. When you cannot, buy filtration by CFM against your enclosure, and replace carbon on a schedule, not on smell.

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Materials You Should Never Laser Cut (and the Safe Swaps)

Never PVC (chlorine). Faux leather, ABS, foams, fiberglass and PTFE also appear on university and maker no-go lists. Here is each material, the stated hazard, who said it, and a safe swap.

Mara Vance· Oct 20, 2026· 9 min

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