Sourcing flexible tubing for SMD vacuum

[lensdigital]

Hi!
I'm trying to modify my Aoyue SMD workstation, and add hose spliter and extension so I can use both SMD pickup tool and fume extractor.  Does anyone knows where I can find similar hose like they use? It's super flexible, I'm guessing 6mm ID 8mm OD and wall thickness about 2 mm... So far all I can find are very stiff hoses... Preferably in USA or China

[GreyWoolfe]

I've never measured it but how about aquarium air line tubing?

[lensdigital]

I've never measured it but how about aquarium air line tubing?

Yup, I checked it, it's usually 1/16" (about 1.5mm)   Unless I use adapter it won't fit...

[Cubdriver]

Silicone Rubber tubing from McMaster-Carr perhaps?  (This /might/ get you to the page; if not go to McMaster.com and search on 'tubing' to find possible solutions.):

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-and-rubber-tubing/=zr449j

-Pat

[stmdude]

6mm ID sounds quite large..

I'd try something like this:
http://www.amainhobbies.com/rc-cars-trucks/du-bro-extra-large-silicone-fuel-tubing-blue-762cm-dub897/p27681

4mm ID, super flexible, and very, very cheap compared to the alternatives.

If you have a well-stocked hobby-shop in your area, they can probably give you an inch or two for free for you to test with.
You're looking for "Extra large" or "High flow" fuel line/tubing.

[georges80]

Since the OP is in the US, www.usplastic.com is a great company that stocks a LOT of different plastics/tubing etc etc.

The shipping is the costly part...

cheers,
george.

[lensdigital]

Wow, thank you guys! Fantastic info! I even found tubing clamps on USPlastics! I'll probalby order tubing from McMaster, since it's very descriptive
P.S. It seems what I was looking for is "latex rubber" type tubing and not silicone   That's the most flexible kind I'm guessing.

[Evil Lurker]

Sorry but it likely will not work for fume extraction. Why? I'm assuming that the vacuum pump used for pickup and the tubing will not be sufficiently sized/rated to handle enough CFM's to get the fume extraction part done.

[lensdigital]

It works just fine for fume extraction :-) Built in pump too strong for smd vacuum tho

[Cubdriver]

Yeah, McMaster Carr has just about anything you could want hardware and raw material-wise.  I've been slowly building up my screw stash as I place orders there - I'd much prefer to pay $5 or $6 for a box of a hundred screws than drive to Home Depot and pay $1.25 for 7 of them.  And it always seems to be some weird number, so you almost invariably need two packages of them and are left with some odd number of extras.   

-Pat

[3roomlab]

Hi!
I'm trying to modify my Aoyue SMD workstation, and add hose spliter and extension so I can use both SMD pickup tool and fume extractor.  Does anyone knows where I can find similar hose like they use? It's super flexible, I'm guessing 6mm ID 8mm OD and wall thickness about 2 mm... So far all I can find are very stiff hoses... Preferably in USA or China

i use a ghetto method. washing machine water exhaust flexi pipe (or the aluminium version if you fancy) + a centrfugal DC fan in a double box assembly, one of the sides stick to my window and does exhaust. so the pipe is like a DC vac you can stick onto gassing areas.

if you have seen chemical labs, they have those glass boxes for mixing dangerous fuming chemicals, i got the inspiration from that.

i have also bought a mini pump which i could mod for smd sucking. imo, if the pressure is too great, use a smaller needle tip, http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB16Df4IFXXXXbJaXXXq6xXFXXXW/12pcs-Blunt-Stainless-Steel-Dispensing-Adhesive-Glue-Syringe-font-b-Needle-b-font-Tip-12-font.jpg. i have yet to do suction placement, so my info here could be way way off

but on the other hand, i have a mechanical arm that position this sucking head. so it is hands free. you will need to think of a way to fixate the suction pipe on your end. or just freestand the centrifugal fan and blow it into a cloth bag of cotton wool 

[lensdigital]

i use a ghetto method. washing machine water exhaust flexi pipe (or the aluminium version if you fancy) + a centrfugal DC fan in a double box assembly, one of the sides stick to my window and does exhaust. so the pipe is like a DC vac you can stick onto gassing areas.

if you have seen chemical labs, they have those glass boxes for mixing dangerous fuming chemicals, i got the inspiration from that.

i have also bought a mini pump which i could mod for smd sucking. imo, if the pressure is too great, use a smaller needle tip, http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB16Df4IFXXXXbJaXXXq6xXFXXXW/12pcs-Blunt-Stainless-Steel-Dispensing-Adhesive-Glue-Syringe-font-b-Needle-b-font-Tip-12-font.jpg. i have yet to do suction placement, so my info here could be way way off

but on the other hand, i have a mechanical arm that position this sucking head. so it is hands free. you will need to think of a way to fixate the suction pipe on your end. or just freestand the centrifugal fan and blow it into a cloth bag of cotton wool 

Yup, smaller needle tip (22 gauge) helped, as well as T-spliter and larger release hole in the SMD wand
I can now drop 0603 components without any issues.
Now I need to figure out how to attach it to some kind of foot pedal
Your extraction system sounds great BTW!