Laser Vent Port and AC Mount

thingiverse

This is a 4-inch sliding vent port for the exhaust from our Glowforge laser cutter. We received our Glowforge laser cutter a couple of months ago, and I needed a better solution for the exhaust hose than dangling the hose out the window and "sealing" the gap with an old blanket. I also needed to mount the air conditioner in the same window because we are getting very humid 90-degree temperatures this week. I'm a big fan of PVC boards, as they don't need paint, don't rot, bow or twist. I have made similar risers for other window-mounted AC units, and wanted to raise the AC unit above the height of the laser cutter while providing a method to shut off the airflow back up the exhaust tube when not in use. I picked up a cheap ($9) vent from Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lambro-4-in-Dia-Plastic-Preferred-With-Guard-Dryer-Vent-Hood/3240476 And also grabbed an 8-foot long 3/4-inch thick x 7.25-inch wide PVC board (not so cheap): https://www.lowes.com/pd/Royal-Building-Products-Actual-0-75-in-x-7-25-in-x-8-ft-Common-Board-PVC-Board/50092318 And some galvanized drywall screws. The 3D printed slider: I removed the sheet metal extension from the plastic hood, and copied the diameter and retaining features from the hood into the sliding gate part. I added the word "CLOSED" where it would be visible only when the gate is closed. I had to radius the corners and print this at a 45-degree angle to allow it to fit in one piece on my Ultimaker 2. I installed the sheet metal extension into the new 3D printed part, and snapped the retainers into place. The Framework: I cut the board to the width of my window, 35.5 inches, and added the hole to mount the 4-inch dryer vent. The plastic extension that fits into the board is just under 3/4 inch thick, so it was perfect. I cut a second piece at the same length, and trimmed it to 1.5 inches wide and rabbeted a notch into the back to accept the first board. The remainder of the board was modified as shown in the SW model to allow for the slider to move, but it is an intentional tight fit. I CNC milled these features on my converted CNC Bridgeport mill. The remaining 5 5/8-inch wide by 35.5-inch long board was made into a platform to support the AC unit. I added a dado cut to mimic the windowsill to tightly secure the AC unit. To use: The sliding exhaust port is adjacent to the power switch on the right rear of the Glowforge, so it's easy to switch on the laser and slide the port to the open position. When done, simply slide it closed when powering off the laser. I also make sure I never use "vent" on the AC unit when the laser is cutting to avoid bringing the fumes back into the house.