I soldered up a board with the speed indicator LEDs so I could test it and see how much space it took up. I also needed to test resistor values to get an even brightness and then test it with the system.
I started with a section of prototype PCB that I figured would fit what I needed. Each of my 1205 SMD LEDs just fit between the holes on the board. I filled each hole for the LEDs with a bit too much solder. Getting the LEDs on the bumps was really hard and it looked messy too.
We exhaust our XTool M1 laser cutter out a window with the included tube. It's not perfect but works most of the time. When the wind is blowing towards the window, the smoke gets blown back into the house because there are fresh air intake vents on the underside of the laser case. We have avoided cutting on those days and it becomes a slight inconvenience. We've been looking at various ways to install an inline fan with the vent tube to make sure the smoke always blows outside. We've thought of using a computer fan or some other type of system that needs a bit of programming a microcontroller and a power supply. While able to be achieved, the cost may outweigh the benefit and we haven't committed to anything. My husband had some bee in his brain one morning this weekend and ordered this small USB powered fan from Amazon. I'm going to adapt this fan to our use. I don't recommend doing the same and I recommend just buying an inline fan. But, this blog isn't subtitled Humble Electronics for nothing. I like the challenge of using common items and parts in different ways. This is a current project that will take a few posts.
