My Deluxe Solder Smoke "Removal" Fan

[Paul Marossy]

Well, I finally decided to make a solder fume fan to keep the solder fumes out of my face. It takes care of about 90% of the fumes that used to go directly up and into my face. Since I am building anywhere from 60-100 or more pedals a month, I get exposed to a lot of solder smoke. Here's some details:


It's mounted on a plywood base which also serves as something heavy enough to keep my wire spools from moving when I pull wire. The drawer handles make it easy to move around.



The plywood base was a scrap left over from a previous project. It actually was just the right shape and size to work with how I do things. I just had to trim off two corners and it was perfect.



The fan is from a dead computer power supply which I cannibalized a few years ago. It's a 12VDC brushless type.



I am powering it via one of several 12V switching power supplies that were given to me years ago. I also have a push button power switch and a 25 ohm rheostat which serves as a speed control - works great.



The fan is mounted to a swingarm & base assembly from an old table lamp which was no longer functional in any way. It's cool because I can also swivel it around as desired. I used rubber o-rings to lessen the vibration/noise transferred from the fan to the bracket and plywood. The power supply is strapped to the base so it doesn't move around.


I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!  
Total out of pocket expense: $2.00 (for the drawer handles)

[John Lyons]

So do you have it pulling air away from you or blowing the away before it gets to you?

[Paul Marossy]

Pulling it away. That way the air isn't  blowing in my face and drying my eyes out.

[KazooMan]

After reading a recent thread about the issue of breathing solder fumes I realized that the smoke wasn't doing my chronic sinus problems any good.  I am an organic chemist and have been working in laboratory fume hoods for many years so I decided to make a scaled down version for soldering.  All of the wood, plexiglass, and electrical components were leftovers from woodworking projects.  I bought a bathroom exhaust fan for $13 and cobbled the box together with an old light dimmer to control the fan speed.  I also put a 24" fluorescent under counter light in it.  The exhaust goes out a basement window.  It works great.  The open work area is two feet wide and is plenty large enough for my purposes.  Any larger opening would need a beefier exhaust fan.  FYI, not recommended as a spray paint booth unless you want to start a fire 

Here are two pics:

[Paul Marossy]

Ooo, I've been one-upped! 

That's pretty cool, KazooMan. It would hamper me a lot to try and work with a DIY fume hood like that, though. 

[KazooMan]

I haven't built sixty pedals in a lifetime let alone in one month!  I can see why you would need to have more room to work and easier access to components and your wire spools. 

Chemists do get used to working in hoods, often reaching around blast shields.  It is a cumbersome way to work, but when the stuff you are using can kill you, you learn to deal with it!  Kinda like learning to drain the filter caps on your amp before you mess with them. A PITA, but worth the effort.

[Paul Marossy]

Yeah, I've built up to forty pedals in one week. It just depends on what is going on in the marketplace with the two companies that I do work for.

I've had to design a fume hood system once or twice at the second consulting engineering job I had. Explosion proof exhaust fans, etc.

[Brymus]

Both of those are really nice.And the vent hood is a good idea.
I like the way your work space is organized Paul.

[Paul Marossy]

I like the way your work space is organized Paul.

It has to be, the flat surface of my work area is only 38"x18". 

[moosapotamus]

...I am building anywhere from 60-100 or more pedals a month...

[praise]

OMG! You are an ANIMAL!

~ Charlie

[/praise]

[Philippe]

The folks at OSHA could use a guy like you Paul.

Thirty-five years ago when I worked on an assembly line at HP during 'summer break' there must have been about 20-25 rows of PCB assemblers soldering & smoking cigarettes. There were no issues or concerns over lead fumes and/or 2nd hand smoke, just the AC system to help spread it around equally & fairly.

The good 'ol days...$3.00 an hour & free Blue Cross + every Friday they held a company-sponsored Beer Bust after work (about 5-6 kegs to cover the 125 or so workers who chose to stick around & get snockered after hours...surprisingly there were no related DUIs or vehicular manslaughter arrests).

BTW, I accidentally came across your Spitfire build & webpage while researching the PTP layouts of older Matchless amplifiers. You do some seriously outstanding work.

[Paul Marossy]

...I am building anywhere from 60-100 or more pedals a month...

[praise]

OMG! You are an ANIMAL!

~ Charlie

[/praise]

Well,  you have to remember that this is my only source of income since my 20 year career in consulting engineering came to a sudden end last March. I've been unemployed almost exactly a year now. So, as you probably know, to make money building guitar pedals, you have to build a lot of them. And so here I am. Fortunately I am efficient and have developed the quickest possible way to build stuff. When I look at it on a per hour worked basis, I make about as much as I did when I had a job, but on a monthly basis I'm making only 1/3 to 1/2 of what I used to, on a good month. What sucks the most is not having health insurance for me or my family. I used to have fully paid health insurance for me and my whole family. Now we can't afford any kind of insurance at all, it's too expensive.  

The folks at OSHA could use a guy like you Paul.

Thirty-five years ago when I worked on an assembly line at HP during 'summer break' there must have been about 20-25 rows of PCB assemblers soldering & smoking cigarettes. There were no issues or concerns over lead fumes and/or 2nd hand smoke, just the AC system to help spread it around equally & fairly.

The good 'ol days...$3.00 an hour & free Blue Cross + every Friday they held a company-sponsored Beer Bust after work (about 5-6 kegs to cover the 125 or so workers who chose to stick around & get snockered after hours...surprisingly there were no related DUIs or vehicular manslaughter arrests).

BTW, I accidentally came across your Spitfire build & webpage while researching the PTP layouts of older Matchless amplifiers. You do some seriously outstanding work.

Thanks, glad you liked that Spitfire build. I had to sell it when my hours got cut the first time in Sept 2008. Then I suffered thru a second cut in my hours and being laid off after they told us that they wouldn't have to lay anyone off. I guess they meant on that day.  

Anyway, yeah, HP would never get away with that these days. They would be looking at all kinds of lawsuits as well as getting busted by OSHA after being reported. I once reported one of my employers to OSHA I think in 1987 and they got fined $3,000. They had emergency exits which were locked up with chains, etc. And I was making $4.00/hour while risking my life climbing up on shelves without ladders and that kind of stuff. It was pretty bad when I think about it now.  

[A.Gillies]

Well, I finally decided to make a solder fume fan to keep the solder fumes out of my face. It takes care of about 90% of the fumes that used to go directly up and into my face. Since I am building anywhere from 60-100 or more pedals a month, I get exposed to a lot of solder smoke. Here's some details:


It's mounted on a plywood base which also serves as something heavy enough to keep my wire spools from moving when I pull wire. The drawer handles make it easy to move around.



The plywood base was a scrap left over from a previous project. It actually was just the right shape and size to work with how I do things. I just had to trim off two corners and it was perfect.



The fan is from a dead computer power supply which I cannibalized a few years ago. It's a 12VDC brushless type.



I am powering it via one of several 12V switching power supplies that were given to me years ago. I also have a push button power switch and a 25 ohm rheostat which serves as a speed control - works great.



The fan is mounted to a swingarm & base assembly from an old table lamp which was no longer functional in any way. It's cool because I can also swivel it around as desired. I used rubber o-rings to lessen the vibration/noise transferred from the fan to the bracket and plywood. The power supply is strapped to the base so it doesn't move around.


I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!  
Total out of pocket expense: $2.00 (for the drawer handles)

What are those things that the wire is fed through? I assume they keep the wire behind them tight so the spool doesn't unwind, but you know what they say about assuming...

[Paul Marossy]

What are those things that the wire is fed through? I assume they keep the wire behind them tight so the spool doesn't unwind, but you know what they say about assuming...

Yes, they keep tension on the wires. I used those spring loaded toggle anchor thingies that you can use to fasten things to drywall, modified by me for this specific purpose. http://www.boltdepot.com/material.aspx?cc=35&cs=154

[A.Gillies]

What are those things that the wire is fed through? I assume they keep the wire behind them tight so the spool doesn't unwind, but you know what they say about assuming...

Yes, they keep tension on the wires. I used those spring loaded toggle anchor thingies that you can use to fasten things to drywall, modified by me for this specific purpose. http://www.boltdepot.com/material.aspx?cc=35&cs=154

Awesome. I'm thinking about doing a similar setup.

[Paul Marossy]

It really works well. At first I didn't have those tensioners and the wire would try to roll up on the spool all the time. With this gizmo I can pull the wire and put it exactly where I want it, it doesn't go anywhere. Then I can solder and clip. Works great!  

EDIT: Forgot to mention, the wires go thru little metal tubes mounted in a clear plastic bracket. I think the brackets are from some blinds I bought when I moved into my house five years ago. I super glued the tubes so that they stay securely in place. I also have little picture frame hooks that the wire gets guided thru before it hits the tube. These keep the wire always at the same level as the little tubes, so it doesn't bind up when pulling the wire.

[Taylor]

Paul, I saw this the first time around and liked your setup, but I did not catch the toggle bolt trick that A. Gillies pointed out. That is quite clever, and I shall be stealing it.   I have been thinking about smoke removal/absorption, as well. I recently bought a soldering/SMD rework station with a little absorber tube connected to the iron hand piece. It's a cool idea, but hampers my soldering technique, so I want to figure something else out.

[Paul Marossy]

Paul, I saw this the first time around and liked your setup, but I did not catch the toggle bolt trick that A. Gillies pointed out. That is quite clever, and I shall be stealing it.  

Ha ha, go for it. 

[egasimus]

That's cool. Even though I don't solder that much, I've been considering building this, too. I've seen a carbon filter on other people's builds, though - perhaps that would be an improvement?

[CodeMonk]

I keep meaning to do something like this. Once in awhile I'll just stick a fan on my bench.
Over the years I have gotten good at just exhaling REALLY slowly.
My magna lamp helps a bit too.

I do this with my wires though:
Every now and then I will spend an entire (And VERY boring) day cutting, stripping, and tinning wires. About 300 or so.
And then store them in these high tech fiber cylinders.