Plywood and Acrylic Laser Enclosure With Exhaust Fan and LED Lights

I purchased a Diode Laser Engraver (Aufero Laser 2) about a year ago and was waiting to get a good deal on an enclosure. Unfortunately, the price of enclosures hasn't come down, so I decided to make my own. In the beginning I wasn't too concerned with the open laser engraver platform but as I used it more and more, I felt the need to enclose it. The main reason being safety, but I also very much liked the idea of having a dedicated fume extraction. Also, I can now work in my garage while the laser is running without having to worry about wearing safety glasses. Since the acrylic I use is not rated as laser safety glass I use a piece of cloth to cover the acrylic window when the laser is running, and I still wear my safety glasses when setting up a job or running the laser.

Supplies

1/2-inch sheet of 4 foot by 8-foot plywood

3/4 x 1-1/2-inch-wide x 10-inch-long piece of scrap wood

12-inch piano hinge

12-inch x 16-inch orange acrylic (This acrylic is not rated for use with a laser, if you have the means purchase laser safety glass from a reputable seller)

LED light strip (this is optional)

5 Volt Charging Block (for the LED light strip)

Computer Fan

3/4-inch x 9-inch piece of leather scrap (this could from an old belt or alternatively you could purchase a lid stay support)

Power Strip

Velcro

4-inch duct connectors qty. 2

4-inch flexible ducting 8 feet long

1/2-inch panhead screws

Wood Glue

Masking tape

Primer

Spray Paint

Tools

Table saw

Tape Measure

Pencil

Drill

Drill driver

Drill bits various sizes

Brad Nailer

1 inch - 18-gauge brad nails

Jigsaw

Mini Blow Torch

3/16-inch diameter steel rod or the nail equivalent

Palm Sander with 220 grit sandpaper disc

4-inch Hole Saw

Portable Band Saw

Foam Paint Roller

I had a piece of 1/2 inch plywood leftover from another build and decided to use it for the main body of the laser enclosure. Luckily my table saw can handle the rip capacity, so I broke down the sheet into manageable pieces. Then I cut them to their specific sizes.

Panel Dimensions:

A - 27 inches x 9-1/2 inches (this is the Front of the Door)

B - 26 inches x 10 inches (this is the left side panel which will have the hole for the exhaust)

C - 27 inches x 26 inches (this is the base)

D - 26 inches x 10 inches (this is the right-side panel that will have the ventilation holes)

E - 28 inches x 16 inches (this is the top door panel for the acrylic window the hinge will be attached to one side of this)

F - 28 inches x 10-1/2 inches (this is the fixed top panel that the other side of the hinge will be attached too)

G - 28 inches x 10 inches (this is the back panel that the power strip will attach too)

I did a dry fit just to make sure it all goes together, I did make a mistake on the top rear panel (panel F) and had to add a piece to fix it however, the above cut list has the correct measurement.

Next, it was time to start assembling the box. I started with the side pieces I first added a bead of wood glue and then used my cordless brad nailer to attach side panels (B and D) to the base panel (C). Then I attached the back panel (G) to the base panel (C).

Next, I attached the top rear panel (F) to the sides and base sub assembly again using glue and brad nails. I also test fit the two panels (E and A) that will become the door just to make sure everything is lining up correctly.

In order to cut the opening for the acrylic window I centered the acrylic and measured the 1/2-inch in from the actual dimensions of the acrylic window. My acrylic measures 12x16 inches so I made my hole 11x15 inches. I first drilled a 1/2-inch pilot hole for my jigsaw and then used my jigsaw to cut out the opening. The last picture shows how the window will look once attached.

Now with the window cut out I glued and nailed panels (A and E) together this will become the door of the enclosure.

I decided to attach the hinge before painting to make sure that the door would open correctly. I predrilled the location of all the holes and then screwed the hinge to the door using 1/2 inches screws. Once completed I checked the operation to make sure the door could and open and close easily.

After opening and closing the door several times, I decided it would be a good idea to add a handle. I had a scrap piece of 3/4 inch pine that I cut to length and attached to the front panel (A) using some 1-1/2-inch screws. This made opening and closing the door much easier.

I marked the location of the mounting holes on the acrylic window with a marker and started to drill the holes, but I noticed that the acrylic started to chip and crack. Instead, I decided to use a heated 3/16-inch steel rod to melt holes in the acrylic. I used my mini blowtorch to heat the rod and then pushed it through the acrylic. I repeated the process for all the holes.

Next, I sanded the entire enclosure with 220 grit sandpaper. I also noticed that the door felt like it was racking from side to side whenever I opened it, so I add a couple of triangular reinforcements to the inside corners to increase the strength of the joint using some wood glue and brad nails.

Before priming the enclosure, I also decided to drill the exhaust vent hole. I used a 4-inch hole saw to cut out the hole in the side panel. I also predrilled the mounting holes to check the fitment of the fan and attached the fan with the included hardware. Once everything checked out, I removed the fan and set it aside.

This exhaust fan comes with a variable speed controller which isn't necessary, but it had overall good reviews on Amazon, so I decided to use it for my application.

With everything sanded I painted on a coat of primer to the inside and outside of the enclosure and set it aside to dry. Once dry I drilled a 1/2-inch hole for the USB and power supply cables for the laser.

I looked at several YouTube videos on building laser enclosures and one in particular mentioned adding ventilation holes across from the exhaust fan to aid in fume extraction. So, I used a pencil and some masking tape to mark 18 holes along the side panel that were spaced 1 inch apart. I made sure to make the holes close to the base so that the air would be pulled from the bottom up and out the exhaust fan. I was skeptical about this but after doing a couple of test runs with the laser, I can say that the holes make a big difference in the fume extraction.

While the laser was running, I put a piece of tape over the holes, and I could see that even with the exhaust fan on the smoke would sort of just linger above the laser engraving area. However, once I removed the tape from the vent holes, I could see the smoke fumes being pulled across the work area and into the exhaust fan.

Before painting I removed the hinge. Once the primer dried, I spray painted the outside of the enclosure black.

I thought the black looked kind of boring, so I decided to add some racing stripes to the enclosure. I masked off the black areas and sprayed two coats of orange spray paint. Once the paint dried, I attached the hinge.

I only had self-tapping pan head screws, so I used those to attach the acrylic sheet. I predrilled all the holes and screwed the acrylic to the panel.

Originally, I wasn't going to add a safety strap to the door but after adding the racing stripes I decided I didn't want the finish to get scratched, so I added a scrap piece of leather to act as a safety strap for the door. I used two 1/2-inch screws and attached the strap to the side panel and door. This keeps the lid from having to swing all the way open.

The LED light strip is completely optional. I had purchased his USB powered light strip for another project that didn't work out, so I decided to use it for this project. These lights have an adhesive backing and require a 5v power brick that is connected via USB. I had a spare power brick, so I was able to use these lights. These are fairly easy to install just remove the backing and stick in place just make sure to leave the IR sensor exposed so that the remote control can have a line of sight to it otherwise you will not be able to turn the lights on or off with the remote control. The last picture shows what the lights look like with all the lights in my shop turned off.

I also reinstalled the exhaust fan after painting everything and ran the power cord out of the enclosure. I don't have a picture of it, but I did drill a 1/2-inch hole in the side panel near the top rear corner to run the wire for the lights and exhaust fan.

After attaching the fan, I noticed that the 4-inch duct connectors would not sit flush to the side of the enclosure because of the fan mounting hardware. So, I marked the duct connector and used my Portable Bandsaw table to notch out the mounting flange this allowed the duct connector to sit flush to the wood after mounting it with 1/2 screws. You could also notch out the flange with a Dremel tool and cutoff disc or even a handsaw.

I used the included hose clamps to attach the flexible ducting to the hose connector that is attached to the enclosure. Whenever I run the laser, I open my garage door just enough to run the other side of the ducting under the garage door.

Remember how I mentioned that drill bit was making the acrylic chip when I was drilling the pilot holes for mounting? Well, a piece did end up chipping off, so I used some 5-minute epoxy to reattach that small corner piece. I put some parchment paper underneath the chip so it wouldn't permanently stick to the wood and used the masking tape to hold it in place while the epoxy cured. Once it cured, I predrilled the wood and screwed down that corner of the acrylic.

After trying to run the power cables I decided it would be best to attach a power strip to the back of the enclosure. I used the masking tape trick to make a template for the mounting holes. Then I positioned the tape on the back of the enclosure and pre-drilled the screw holes. Next, I attached the screws and the power strip and plugged everything in. This made for a much tidier setup with less cords running everywhere.

I also used some self-adhesive backed Velcro to attach the variable speed controller to the side of the enclosure.

And finally, this is what the laser looks like inside the enclosure and also with the lid closed. I have a honeycomb laser bed that is slightly raised about 1/4 inch just off the base of the enclosure to allow for some air flow. I could have made this enclosure less tall, but I rather have the space than not have it. I don't know that I will ever get a rotary attachment for it but if I do, I will have plenty of vertical room for engraving cylindrical objects. I am very happy with how this turned out and if anything, have more piece of mind in terms of feeling safer in the shop with the laser running.

Thanks for reading and I hope someone finds this helpful.