Solder Extractor Fan Ideas

[deephaven]

I was thinking that I really ought to get an extractor fan to take the fumes of soldering out of harm's way. Commercial systems seem very expensive so I wondered about making a DIY version.

In my search for suitable items, I came across bathroom extractors http://tinyurl.com/bathroom-extractor so wondered if one of these might be a possibility. The ducting could be routed either out of a window, or maybe into a box fitted with a charcoal filter.

Any thoughts on the suitability of such a scheme?

[un4tural]

I've seen some built with PC case 12V fans, it should work well enough really.

[GreyWoolfe]

there are some you tube videos of DIY bathroom fan extractors that seem to work pretty well.  I would say to give it a try.  As long as you don't modify it in any way, if it doesn't do what you want, return it.

[Jeroen3]

Do you want to extract the fumes from the room, filter the fumes, or assist in displacing the fumes into the well ventilated room? (it is well ventilated right?)
For the occosional solderin job, the last one will suffice. For production soldering you'd want the first one. For occasional production that varies location, a filtered solution should work.

[deephaven]

Probably the last one, I just want to get the fumes away so that I'm not directly breathing them in - I've had enough of holding my breath!

[Ian.M]

A bathroom extractor fan may be too noisy for bench use.  If you are 'stacking' PC case fans to provide a higher pressure differential across the filter, a layer of egg-crate lighting louvre panel in-between the fans 'de-swirls' the air flow and allows the next fan to work more efficiently.   Add variable speed control (by switching regulator or use PWM controlled fans) so you can balance fume removal efficiency against noise level.

[fivefish]

A silent Noctua fan blowing across the desk works wonders moving the smoke away from your face and quickly dissipating. (Also helps if you have one of those big 6" magnifying glass lamp between your work and your face.)

[TinkerFan]

I'm not sure, what you consider as expensive, but you can easily get a small fume extractor for about 30-40$:
http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Benchtop-Solder-Smoke-Absorber/dp/B001RLZGKK/
They work quite well, although you have to get quite close to them if you want them to get the majority out of the air.

[deephaven]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

That Aoyue can be got for a reasonable price in the UK: http://www.pcb-soldering.co.uk/aoyue-486-fume-extractor.html so I might try one of those.

[KD0CAC John]

I've got one of the Weller versions of above and got cheap through craigslist .
Started looking at systems that remove from room or expensive filter systems and figured at the prices I would use what I already have , a wet-dry vacuum placed outside for noise & exhaust with a switch at bench .

[Thorondor]

It's a lot easier to blow smoke away from your face than to suck it away. It might be easier to have a two-part solution - a small fan to blow the fumes from your face and toward a filter or extractor. You won't need anything particularly powerful or noisy.

[Jeroen3]

I have a fan a cheap eBay voltage booster and 4 AA's. If it fitted with a Nexus Beamair which concentrates the air into a parallel column instead of diverging beam.
The grill significantly increases the range, even at low speed, to have the fan a greater distance away blowing from left to right (or the other way) to move the fumes.