Help with engraving without air assist

Hi all
Ive recently started engraving without air assist and im amazed at how much of an improvement im getting, except… im using a compound lens setup and the tip of the nozzle is only 7mm away from the workpiece when its focused. The amount of crap build up on my lower lens means i have to pause and clean every couple minutes. I have excellent airflow/extraction so thats not the issue, Im all ears for ideas.

All my machines are Sculpfun.

My SF-A9 runs the air pump at low speed all the time. If I enable air assist, the pump runs at full speed. The low speed is to keep gunk from traveling up into the nozzle.

My S-30 did not have this feature. I keep air assist enabled at all times. To get the low pressure feature, I open a ball valve that is T’d off the air hose to the nozzle.

Bottom line: I always have some air flow in the nozzle.

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