Mahoosive thank you to our Tan, for her excellent advice in this thread about ventilation http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=24865.0
For my new studio I bought two of the exact fans she specified here, and my dad got an ebay seller (smile-vents) to put together a job-lot order of all the tubing, bends and end thingies.
Well today the electrician came back and wired the fans in properly and switched everything on together - it all works so efficiently that we couldn't actually open the door! Now that's what I call sucking great! ;D
Now you might think that with that much power, stuff would be blowing about and turning inside out but I put a flower right next to the inlet on my desk and it didn't even move! Amazing!
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1100194.jpg)
The whole system is beautifully neat too - only one duct is visible above the student desk and that was just because we couldn't drill through the old garage wall for the outlet so it has to go up and out through an old window opening. It was all much cheaper than I would have expected - the Ebay lot only came to about £60 including delivery!
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1100192.jpg)
Its also extremely quiet, we were expecting to need to add a silencer on the outside but I don't think that's going to be necessary.
This is how neat the system is on my desk, all you can really see is the outlet in front of my torch.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1100193.jpg)
We also expected that mounting the fans under the desks would cause a vibration problem, but nope, nothing wobbles either! :D :D
I hope this is of help to somebody with their own set up - and do just ask if you want any more info or closer pics.
Thanks Julie! I'll think of this thread and Tan's one when I set up my studio in Belfast this summer. :)
:o That is awesome. Just awesome. You must be sooo pleased with that!!! :) :)
It looks really good, a neat solution :).
Yes Kathy, do!
Thanks Marg and Rocky, I'm very pleased - and trying to open the door with both fans working is a great party trick ;D ;D
That's a neat way of doing it ;) Likey a lot ;D
thanks for sharing Julie...we're just working out exactly how mine is going to work, where its going and stuff.
got a pesky skylight in the way ::)
What a beautiful studio!!! And the ventilation is great-looking too :)
I see you have the ventilation sucking downwards - how well does that work, seeing as the hot air travels upwards? It sounds as if the suck is more than strong enough, just wondered...
I was wondering, what do you use for make-up air? In my current studio, I usually have my window wide open when my fan is on, but it seems like your fan is so strong it would slam the window/door sut! :D
That is beautiful!
Gutted........with a title like that I expected something a bit more than fans.
Although, there is something that makes me go weak at the knees looking at that set up :D
Sorry to disappoint you Tan ;D
Make up air - well, I have been giving that a lot of thought. There is a gap around the top of the window which is opposite my desk but even with just one fan running, its pulling too much air from the roof space and not only causing a temp drop but was actually stopping the fan from performing properly and warm air was coming back at me from the torch, so I've had to block that up.
But I realised that when only one fan is going I can feel substantial air inflow from the other so I think that is sufficient. I don't expect to run both at the same time very often, but if I do then I will either open the window - its an old metal window with a good latch - or think about installing one of those spinny things in the glass.
Wow, the studio's looking gorgeous, wish mine looked that lovely. Perhaps I need to get the paint pot out again.
I bought the same fan as Tan and you but mine's noisy. With the HH going too it's deafening without an ipod on jumbo earphones. It's actually noisier than the first one which went into literal melt-down but was promptly sorted by Pro-Grow as I'd only had it 3 weeks. Mine's not too noisey from the outside but not silient. Am I doing something wrong? It sits in front of me and vents up to the hole in the wall above me. As for make up air, either the badly fitting door or a window open a tad. Agree it sucks out all the heat though, fortunately the oil filled rad is on wheels so can cuddle up close to me for warmth.
My fan is really quiet..........but then I suppose what one of us finds loud the other would not blink at? What is yours sitting on?
Julie, I just open my kitchen window for makeup air and its enough
Was on the worktop then thought it ought to be a bit higher so on 3 bricks. It's about as noisy as the HH, but bricks or worktop just as noisy. Perhaps it's because it's only a worktop width away from me and yours is across the room or something?
Mine aren't silent but it really is just a rushing air noise, not anything mechanical. I was worried about disturbing the neighbours but on the outside the sound is no louder than my boiler outlet. Mine isn't across the room, Sue, its right under my desk - maybe its because you have the extra noise of the HH? Even with both of mine running, I still don't think they equal the HH volume!
Quote from: julieHB on February 28, 2011, 02:21:44 PM
I see you have the ventilation sucking downwards - how well does that work, seeing as the hot air travels upwards? It sounds as if the suck is more than strong enough, just wondered...
It appears to be strong enough, Julie, that it just grabs the air before flapping it in front of my face. We did a smoke test first because we expected to need a kind of 'periscope' tube to bring the outlet up to torch height but it just doesn't seem necessary - and I must admit to going for style over extra-just-in-case-safety :D
When I turn mine off and the fan is stopping it is silent, so guess it must be the air movement. Outside it's a humming noise, no one has complained yet but my combi boiler is far quieter. Well, it's moving the air out so guess that must be right. I learned not to wave the frit infront of it else I paint the wall of the other shedio outside.
Quote from: Blue Box Studio on February 28, 2011, 03:03:58 PM
I learned not to wave the frit infront of it else I paint the wall of the other shedio outside.
I haven't tried this yet ...
i looked at nail stations when i was thinking of doing up the shed ...they have ones with a vent ,places for lamps etc ...i ended up with a lump of mdf but a girl can dream !!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NAIL-MANICURE-TABLE-/250780716367?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Nails_Manicure_Pedicure_CA&hash=item3a63b20d4f...i am sure these could be adapted to suit our needs
Your studio looks beautiful, I love it!
Quote from: Tan on February 28, 2011, 02:30:51 PM
Gutted........with a title like that I expected something a bit more than fans.
Although, there is something that makes me go weak at the knees looking at that set up :D
Me too... both statements ! :o ;D
Well, mine is about a foot or so in front of me,sitting on a little wooden stool and up against the dividing wall to next door, they haven't noticed it at all and I stick the hose out the cat flap and it is silent..............unless there is a terrified cat pawing at it frantically in the torrential rain and wondering why they are no longer loved enough to be let in :'(
I would say it makes less noise than a hairdryer bearing in mind the last time I owned one was ten years ago.
What's a hairdryer? I have a thing like a hairdyer (says hairdryer on the box?) that I use to quickly dry devore paste on velvet but it is noisy too. Granted the latter is a more annoying whiney noise.
Guess I just have a noisey one!
I quite like mine, it has a soothing whirry quality to it and when you stare into it...........................hypnotic
Good heavens, if I looked into mine spinning around I'd be sucked in and be permanently boss eyed. It's not a soothing purr, more like and angry lion roar.
Has a dragon moved in and you didn't realise perhaps?
Your studio is really lovely. I am amazed that your ventilation works so well, given that it is not strong enough to move the flower, and yet - the pull affects the opening of the door.
I have a periscope jutting out of my surface and sometimes wonder if that could be improved, so your set up is very interesting. I am going to add another ventilation point too, so perhaps I could try this as it certainly looks very neat and tidy, and less like the inside of a submarine.
Quote from: Tan on February 28, 2011, 08:06:24 PM
Has a dragon moved in and you didn't realise perhaps?
Ah, that'd be a Welsh dragon, from Cardiff that came across from Penarth to Clevedon pier on the Waverley paddle steamer then? Nope, any dragon would be seen off by my 2 cats, only they rule this roost. Mine would have sucked the flower in, chomped on it noisily then spit it out onto the other shedio wall, same as the frit. Granted it has poor manners.
Hi Julie, was just looking round the forum getting some ideas for my "studio" and spotted the pics of your finished studio...it looks amazing, you must be so pleased! ;D As your first student in the not-quite-complete studio I have to say I had the best day! Anyway, had to join the forum just to tell you that. Thanks again for getting me totally hooked on lampwork and I dare say I'll be posting many a question on here. Ruth
Hi Ruth! I'm so pleased you found us - and thank you for your lovely comment!
Oh.My.Word. Now that's a studio and that ventilation set up is great - me likey. Can I come and live with you...? Don't have to bring the boyfriend but may have to bring two small dogs..? I can cook.... ;D
Dogs? Cooking? Oh yes ;D
Yay! :) :)
Hi Julie, reading through all the threads on ventilation, as (hopefully) will be turning our study into a studio - would it be too much trouble to ask for a photo from under the table, showing how the fan is attached etc. Thank you sweetie! ;D
Hi Steph, sorry for the delay, here's some pics for you.
Showing the 2 inlets coming down through the student bench. Fan is on the far left.
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1130465.jpg)
Air is drawn from the right, fan on the left, air extracted to the back and upwards through the bench again and out - it wasn't possible to cut through the garage wall so the outlet had to be mounted in an old window which was otherwise blocked up
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1130463.jpg)
Closer view of how the fan is mounted under the bench
(http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x317/Bluebottle_pics/P1130464.jpg)
All the spiral ducting, elbows and vent covers (not shown in these pics) came from here http://stores.ebay.co.uk/smilevents
Hope that helps but just ask if you need more info :)
OMG! Can somebody make those pics a bit smaller please? !!
Thanks Julie, that's awesome! I have spent all day researching my new studio and have priced up everything, from flooring to kitchen cabinets and found a place that seems to do all the bits needed for the ventilation - they don't sell Progrow fans, but they sell inline ones, so that should do the job - hopefully! Thanks again xxxx