Fume extractor for soldering

[moody07747]

I have decided to build a fume extractor for soldering.

normally when i solder i go to the shop in the basement but its just uncomfortable down there and if i solder in a finished off room where its nice working the smell and smoke get to everyone...

so my plan is to use a 120V computer type fan, project box, vacuum cleaner hose, and some type of filers....ill need a charcoal filter for the smoke smell but to get rid of the smoke itself will need something else...im thinking of looking into some vacuum filters but if anyone has some suggestions ill take them.

heres the current layout

**broken link removed**

ill take any suggestions that may help the project out

 

[dknguyen]

Filter

I wear a respirator and open up the window I work next to...I have been meaning to stick one of those window fans into the window to suck air out of the room.

Wouldn't a charcoal filter remove the smoke? Its what they seem to use in the store-bought solder fume extractors (not the vacuum ones, the desktop ones)....I mean...how can you remove the smoke smell without removing the smoke? I don't think a vacuum filter will remove smoke. A vacuum filter is a particulate filter, not a chemical one. But I don't see why a charcoal filter would remove the smoke smell and leave the smoke behind.

That sounds to me like removing the beer without removing the alcohol!

 

[stevez]

Fumes from a process like soldering are a combination of particulate, aerosols and gases. If the particulate and aeorsols are large enough and the filter passages small enough, much can be removed by filtration. That still leaves the gases. FYI, the visible part of smoke is particulate - very small but lots of them. Carbon, along with other materials, can be employed to absorb (or otherwise) gases however it has to be replaced or revitalized on a periodic basis.

Computer fans are usually made to move air in a relatively open arrangement and have very little capability in terms of pressure. Your filter box/hose will have some resistance to the flow of air and will require some pressure to overcome that resistance. The filter manufacturer should be able to provide air flow resistance information (clean and dirty, use dirty for design). Fan manufacturer's can provide design data - the rest can be obtained from handbooks.

 

[moody07747]

I wear a respirator and open up the window I work next to...I have been meaning to stick one of those window fans into the window to suck air out of the room.

Wouldn't a charcoal filter remove the smoke? Its what they seem to use in the store-bought solder fume extractors (not the vacuum ones, the desktop ones)....I mean...how can you remove the smoke smell without removing the smoke? I don't think a vacuum filter will remove smoke. A vacuum filter is a particulate filter, not a chemical one. But I don't see why a charcoal filter would remove the smoke smell and leave the smoke behind.

That sounds to me like removing the beer without removing the alcohol!

sorry let me reword that

i want to use a charcoal filter to remove the smell as thats what they do from what i know
but i also need a better filter with that to remove the smoke particles.

 

[dknguyen]

Filter

Maybe a P100 particulate filter? Its the kind used in my respirator, but I dont know how long it will last since its for a respirator rather than for a room.

 

[moody07747]

Maybe a P100 particulate filter? Its the kind used in my respirator, but I dont know how long it will last since its for a respirator rather than for a room.

that was a thought that came to mind..the P100 filter cartridge



anyways I would take the filter material out of the round can and put it in a box type cartridge that will slip into the project box with the can

 

[moody07747]

did a little searching

hers 2 items from home depot.com

1) item # 95112
if that does not work ill see if they have some filters on the side...like the P100

if the dont ill order one of these
2) item # 101150


both are stocked in store so ill go look and buy one tomorrow

 

[dknguyen]

Take

I would have stuck the filter into the tube intake since they are both round.

 

[moody07747]

I got my parts in yesterday and so I went to the shack and found that they dont have project boxes any more....they had a huge one at one time that would have worked great for me with some mods but now I have to get some press board in 1/8" and make a box

it will probably be better to make one as I can construct it around the fan and filter and those items will slip right in as in the photo plan

I will get to work on it later...the scroll saw is a slow cutter and the press board is hard so it will take a while...

other than that I have to get to the home depot to get filters and all

 

[moody07747]

Ill toss some more photos in the link later today.

Last night I got the press board and marked it all out. I will cut it and then glue it all later...I have to fix my hot glue gun first then switch it to wood glue...


edit

I cut all the parts out quickly this morning and just put them together with the glue gun.

The top needs some trimming but other than that it came out really good.

The photo link is updated....there's some pics of the nearly finished case, fan guard installed, and the fan in the case.

I'm waiting on an order from allelectronics so all i can really do is cut the hole on the other side for the pipe and attach it in there then get to work on the filter.

 

[moody07747]

ok i found an old coffee maker switch with lighted red in the middle

from left to right in the pic below the pins are one, two, and three

when switched on, pics one and two have continuity.

so these must be the ones i want to wire to the fan and the hot lead to the wall outlet wire.

now that still leaves one more wire...

whats that for?

I want the switch to light when the fans turned on

here's that pic...as you can see, its still wired to the coffee maker coil and power cord

**broken link removed**

Just did another test with the meter....the black hot wire from the wall went to the single pic (one) and the other was the white neutral which went to the jumped pin three

 

[moody07747]

edit, never mind...I think I just saw the logic of the switch...ill wire it like so

www.photobucket.com/albums/y22/moody07747/Uncompleted%20Projects/Fume%20Extractor/?action=view&current=Lighted_Switch_Painted.jpg[/url]

edit edit lol

I just wired the switch and its working great
**broken link removed**

Just have to put the hose in and install a filter

 

[dknguyen]

Very Pretty. Are you going to use bathroom silicon caulker to make sure its air tight? On second though, I suppose tape works too...hehe

 

[Jack Luminous]

Lookin' good moody. For sealing the box seams on the inside, aluminum duct tape is easy to work with and holds up very well. I used that stuff to seal some damaged parts of my shower wall five years ago and it's still holding strong.

 

[dknguyen]

Glue

On closer inspection it appears he used glue to construct the box. No need for sealant! assuming you didn't skimp on the glue.

 

[audioguru]

Smoke?
Why not use a temperature-controlled soldering iron for perfect solder joints?
The rosin doesn't burn at the correct soldering temperature, but makes a mess when it gets too hot.

 

[moody07747]

yep i went heavy on the wood glue and put it everywhere on the inside to keep it air tight

 

[moody07747]

Smoke?
Why not use a temperature-controlled soldering iron for perfect solder joints?
The rosin doesn't burn at the correct soldering temperature, but makes a mess when it gets too hot.

well I am not sure how much smoke this new soldering station will put out but im sure it will be less than my other irons as the temp is lower

on the other hand, im sure there will still be some smoke to filter from the work area.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

on the other hand, im sure there will still be some smoke to filter from the work area.

Yes there will, assuming you really want to filter it?, it's pretty harmless, I can't say I've ever considered doing so - it's only worth while if you're on a production line.

 

[Jack Luminous]

Flux fumes can cause acute respiratory and eye irritation and possibly worse. Asthmatics are especially affected.

If a substance is an admitted health hazard for people on a production line, why should you want to breathe it at all - when it is simple enough to filter or redirect the fumes? It is still a hazardous substance.
It states right on the spool of solder I'm using that "flux fumes may cause pulmonary irritation or damage."

I've talked to a few people (hobbyists) who complained that after a lengthy soldering session they had a sore throat, cough, and burning nasal passages. Can't say for sure that there isn't any long-term damage being done as well. Why chance it?

I'm sure that just like smoking tobacco, some people can be exposed for decades and be fine and not worry about it. It doesn't have to make you ill, but the potential is there.
Flux fumes may not exactly be the most harmful thing we can be exposed to, but neither are they totally harmless.

I could also see filtering or venting the fumes simply because other people in the house don't want to smell it.

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/custompdfs/2006/05/indg248.pdf