Thhhbbbpptptpt. Any scale modeler worth his salt knows that burning anything produces fumes and shit oh well. Your neighbor probably enjoys his cohibas on his porch so he can fuck right off. Filters? Your Hacker News guy is seriously arguing that you need fuckin' HEPA to clear out some burnt leather? Messy inside: It's a fucking laser cutter. Compared to any other manufacturing process it's goddamn sterile.
They do that so you can use it in a room without venting. The guys at Epilog run theirs all day long in the middle of a trade show floor and I've never once seen them so much as wipe the thing out during the day. It also doesn't smell. That the site with the air filter recommended for the baby Epilog sells the filters recommended for the baby Epilog for $100 for a 6-pack should tell you something - there are economies to be made in this industry segment. Especially considering furnace filters are like $8 for a set of 4.