Enclosure - ventilation questions

Filament 3D Printer Technical Help Creality Ender 6
#1

Hello all.
Thanks for the answers ahead of time. Relatively new to 3D printing (or will be new soon) and looking for advice.

Looking to buy the Ender 6 as it was recommended as a beginning printer but concerned about ventilation issues in my workspace. Currently don’t have any!!! :slight_smile: No windows in my basement room.

Is there a top enclosure for the Ender 6 that can be used to filter the fumes? Or should I be looking at another printer that you would suggest for filtering air? I have also been looking at the Kora Enclosure as a solution. Anyone experienced with this unit?

Thanks.
Adam

#2

Hello Adam, welcome.

Lets start with not all filaments require ventilation. PLA generally doesn’t petg usually doesn’t either ABS, ASA and so on do. The simple answer is avoid them. Petg likes an enclosure but filtration or advanced filtration isn’t needed.

If you are seriously looking at real filtration (very costly) I’d strongly suggest a better printer. The general consensus of the Crealities whole line and all the subsidiaries need mods to make them work well. So you buy a new thing and need to redesign it and rebuild it to make it work well.

Prusa MK3+ is one of the best and they have actual support (24/7) and are leading the pack for innovation. Prusa also has a print yourself designed parts kit for an enclosure. It works really well.

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#3

I second everything @kitedemon said.

Unless you already have a specific use case where you will need to be regularly printing things like ASA, ABS, or nylon then you can accomplish quite a bit with PLA and PETG.

If your plan is to print those more demanding materials a better printer than a creality is probably a good idea to avoid some of the inevitable headaches from a basic machine.

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#4

I’d strongly suggest putting the printer somewhere with at least a little ventilation.

I find that even with PLA I need a vent fan in the window (which means a space heater, too, these days – yay -40!) and I put on a Covid mask if I go into that room while the printer’s running.

Now, I’ve got pretty screwed up lungs so I notice any little impediment pretty quickly, but I don’t have breathing problems unless there’s something in the air. The fumes and volatiles coming off of PLA might not bother most people… but just because you don’t notice it doesn’t mean it’s healthy to breathe it. Letting that material build up in a completely unventilated room is really just asking your heating system to redistribute it through the whole house, and while I’m certainly no doctor that just feels unwise to me.

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#5

That is a really good point. I usually point people to SDS many plas are considered safe and no ventilation needed but not all. Some additives completely change that. Glow, wood and metal fills being the most obvious. However you should check the SDS for the brand and the colour/ type you are using both for PLA and PETg. ASA ABS you should too but they will require ventilation. (I have never seen one that doesn’t)

I have not seen a Kora. We have Aeroex at work. Remember the filters need changing so they add to the cost.

Again if you are seriously looking at this type of gear the ender seems an odd choice to me, if there is budget for the extractors you might as well buy a better printer. Have you looked at the makerbot sketch line? they have extractors build in and might end up less costly that a ender with an legit fume filter. We have a few at my work but not in my area sadly…

#6

Ender 6 owner here.
If you really want an Ender 6, I’ll sell you mine for 5 bucks.

Scratch that. I wouldn’t give this chunk of instant landfill to my worst enemy, which is the bird that lives in the tree outside my window. (Always watching, and very loud)

Also, PETG is certified ticketyboo for indoor blah blah without ventilation. I can’t even smell it when I’m smoking.

#7

That bird is always yelling at me.
He says, why are you making so many bird nests with that crummy printer but you just throw them out without even thinking of my feelz. I live in a tree and eat bugs. I’m watching you, man.

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#8

Thanks group!!!
I think I’ve been persuaded to look at other printers to suit my needs.
Yikes: not a huge endorsement for the Ender 6. I’ll avoid.

Adam

#9

Sounds to me like you are neighbours with a mocking bird.

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#10

He thinks he’s smart but he doesn’t understand what windows are.