Shop Ventilation: Welding

[Scout Dork]

How do you vent your shop?

My shop is about 21'x24'x14' with one 8'x7' opening. After welding for a little while, the shop fills up with fumes. I have some box fans, but they just blows the smoke around.
I have a attic fan and a opening behind my welding table. I haven't hooked it up, but since it was free, I was planning on exhausting the fumes at the table. Kind of like this:
http://www.sentryair.com/specs/Weldi...ferrer=welding
I'm not sure how much air flow will affect the mig gas.
Scout Dork

[D60]

I was thinking of attic fans, too. But I was looking at my local Home Depot and they only have a HUGE attic fan (30" IIRC) and it was ~$220. Anyone got good online sources for something more reasonable, both in size and cost?

[houlster]

I was thinking something like this ceiling filter rather than ventillation. Anybody tried one?

--Dan

[Johann]

Originally Posted by houlster

I was thinking something like this ceiling filter rather than ventillation. Anybody tried one?

--Dan

I may be wrong but I think that one only filters out particulates like dust. What you are dealing with in welding is off-gasing of burnt paint, galvenization, welding byproducts. That needs to leave the shop before you breath too much of it.

I just open the doors and run a fan these days but am seaching for a good fume hood for my welding area. Preferably with a explosion proof motor and switch (might be overkill)

[thomjpster]

I've got a swamp cooler in the window of the garage.
When I'm welding I usually just use the fan, and crack a door. I would guess that it changes out the air REALLY fast on hi.

[glfredrick]

Find a place that replaces furnaces - get an old furnace fan. Hook it into the wall and it will vent your shop great. Plus, they run quiet and they are free.

You just have to figure out which wires to hook the power to - and an added plus is that most of them have two speeds so you can slow it down some and it will still work.

If you really wanted to go all out, you could actually duct it with a couple of vents over the area where you do the welding so it would pull more out.

One thought however, don't put it right over where you stand when you work - like a bug zapper - the idea is to draw the obnoxious stuff away from you, not right towards you. Set it off to the side somehow and you will be happy.

[TLCObsession]

[QUOTE=glfredrick]Find a place that replaces furnaces - get an old furnace fan. Hook it into the wall and it will vent your shop great. Plus, they run quiet and they are free.

You just have to figure out which wires to hook the power to - and an added plus is that most of them have two speeds so you can slow it down some and it will still work.

If you really wanted to go all out, you could actually duct it with a couple of vents over the area where you do the welding so it would pull more out.
QUOTE]

See the workbench thread.... Its exactly what I am working on...

[GPERX4]

I have one of the big hooks that you hang stuff on screwed in above the window. I hang a fan on the hook so it blows outside air into the garage works good to keep the smoke out.

[MattyL13]

our shop at school has a huuuuuuuuuge smoke eater, it was very pricey something like 3k and it dont work for shit. ive seen real nice mobile units at the FABTECH show in CHicago this past year but they werent cheap and geared more for industrial applications. if youre rich buy a smoke eater if youre a poor college student like myself, get a box fan

Lord

[Scout Dork]

I'm pretty much able to work all year long with the front door open.
What do you guys do in the winter?
My shop is cinder block with a corrugated roof, no insulation. I was thinking about putting the free gable fan behind the welding table, with a louver vent($30-40). Then get another attic fan for the roof, this would get any fumes that got by the table fan. Also, it would vent hot air.
I'm just looking for what is cheap and works.
Or, do I just put in an attic fan, and put in a window behind the welding table to provide enough air flow.

Gable fans & Auto-Louvers
http://www.nutonesales.com/attic.html

Ventilation
http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/ventilation.htm
Scout Dork

[GJC]

I found this company awhile ago, www.bigassfans.com/ Probably expensive, but looks like a good product.