We have aa hoover with a HEPA filter.
Should look at it, see what condition it’s in.
Get some spare filters.
MDF "Forbidden"
Nearly out of FPP3 masks.
We need to make sure these are available to members.
If MDF is being used we also need to know exactly what it is. A quick Google shows E1 grade to have insignificant levels of formaldehyde.
Should that be a requirement on top of dust masks and HEPA hoover?
I have just ordered 10 FPP3 masks
Whitten timber in peckham sell an eco kind of mdf with m"zero added formaldehyde", whatever that means!
http://www.whittentimber.co.uk/products/product/medite-ecologique-fsc.html
There’s natural formaldehyde in all wood, so there can never be ‘zero formaldehyde’
Maintenance as in more frequent replacement of filters? Maybe, but is it worth the hassle of accounting/policing? I don’t think thinner MDF (up to 6mm) will be a problem, given a moderate servicing schedule. It is a dream for cutting 4 and 3mm!
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The issues are the fumes which block the filter very rapidly, the engineer advised against using MDF or other woods with lots of sap.
This is an old thread, but we (edgeqld.org) are having the same discussion - so far with the same result - MDF is cheap, adaptable but dirty.
Just a suggestion about the filter clogging - Australian plywoods are made form pine with lots of resin, and our filters were clogging very fast. This has been reduced dramatically by adding a 3-5cm layer of rockwool (ie: glass fibre) insulation material on top of the filttration unit. (Our machine is a Trotec, and this is easily accessable). This pre-filter captures all the sticky stuff that previously killed the HEPA (which is also made from glass fibre), but can be discarded on a monthly basis at minimal cost. The rockwool insulation is readily availble from hardware stores in big bundles.
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We now use pan scrubbers for the same thing before we extract the outside
Pan scrubbers? Do you mean nylon scourer pads?
I suspect he means like a stainless steel scourer ball.
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Yes but me and my spelling check could not get close to stainless
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Thanks for the explanation - I think they might be more expensive that the insulation, though, but worth a try.
Has there been any resolution to this MDF debate? I find some that do and some that don’t, and some that grit their teeth and pay extra for laser friendly material (that might not be so friendly after all). We are restricting ourselves to plywood with laser friendly glues, but the cost is a constant irritation to our users.
All advice gratefully received.
From China in bulk. And washable.
Now we are extracting to atmosphere we have relaxed the rules. But vans keep hitting our stack .
There’s a thread somewhere that has pictures of our extract and prefilleter .
You might look at speaking with local LEV companies who might be able to sell you a replacement LEV system that has cheaper replacements, but basically MDF, Ply, and really any kind of wood will have resins in it that cause the blockages.
I wonder if having a distillery type of approach might work, a section of pipe dipped into cold running water that could solidify the majority of the resin in the pipe, which could then be pressure washed regularly.
Watter fall filter if you have space
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Is that more like a mister or an actual water fall?
What about circut boards? Are them ok to cut/etching now? I would like to try to laser engrave a circuit…
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You certainly can’t cut them - the glass fibres are too strong. Etching is likely to be poor, but some ccautious experimentation should let you know soon enough.
What are the “cautious experimentation” boundaries ? cover the copper to avoid reflection and don’t be on fire?