Halp! Building an enclosure

[Kalorlo]

I'm trying to work out everything I need to get set up, and have got to the enclosure/barley box section of my list... I do want some kind of enclosure, because I'll be working on the kitchen table and want to contain any pinging glass as much as possible!

The plan is to get one of the Air Force 100 Tornado fans and have the exhaust venting out of a currently-unused tumble drier vent in the outside wall. There's a window a bit further along in that wall and the kitchen door'll be kept open. I think I'd prefer to have the fan extracting from above, which means constructing the full box with a lid.

I've looked through the studio photos and so I've seen a number of them, but my problem is with the DIY - I've never done more than putting together flat-packs! I don't know what I should make it out of - plywood, aluminium sheet, perspex or polycarbonate... I found this Artglassanswers thread that shows one made of 'foil covered foam board' but I have no idea where you'd get that. The Homebase and B&Q websites don't seem to have it. And once I've picked a material, I don't know how best to fix the whole thing together.

(I also have the problem that we'd have to be able to walk any of this stuff home, as they don't seem to do home delivery for sheet material. I know where the local Homebase is, not so much with a B&Q. There'll be one somewhere... will check the store finder)

[Mary]

Mine is a floor standing frame made out of wood, then a bench made out of flooring board added (or build it round your existing table) and the walls lined with plasterboard. It's very sturdy. The first picture you can see a bit of the frame, in the second it is all lined with the perspex front panel added.

The DIY places don't really have basic building stuff on their website, but they might well arrange delivery from the store if you ask them, they certainly used to before the days of online shopping. Because plasterboard isn't really walk home stuff, lol! Remember B&Q will cut stuff for you to make it easier to transport, they charge per cut. Or cut plasterboard yourself by scoring it with a Stanley knife, fold along the score, then cut the fold.

[Kalorlo]

That's really nice, Mary! Is the perspex screwed in to the wooden frame? How to attach things like that is something I'm unsure of.

Mine'll be free-standing on part of the tabletop, possibly clamped down.

Does anyone know if it would be better to have the fan directly on top of the enclosure, or have tubing to fan to tubing to wall vent?

[helbels]

My perspex sides attach with extra wide velcro strips! Works a treat.  Just don't use this method in any area that will get hot from the torch - otherwise the heat melts the adhesive and your velcro slides off (found that out the hard way!)

[Mary]

I've got a handy DH! The perspex had holes drilled first, then screwed on to the wood. If you use the frame idea, you'd have a bar along the bottom edges for clamping it down.

[Kalorlo]

It sounds like a good idea! Sadly, my boyfriend doesn't know any more about DIY than I do, so it's going to be a learning experience... 

Helbels: Heeee. I am very impressed with your ingenuity!

[llewennog]

Ply board for the sides and a piece of cement board for the back/top, cement board has a burn rating a lot longer than ply and you can screw it together with the plyboard.

[Hotglass28]

Here my barley box. Tis not complete as the front is missing. (I've been messing with smoke bombs from my plumber friend and I am still tweaking it)

Top is thick mdf with my 8" ponics fan poking through. The box itself is made from double glazed unit which where spares from dads work.

I have slate tiles to protect the wooden table top, these are also siliconed in place just like the glass units.

Had fun making it, the whole lot was held in place with duck tape until the silicon set.

[Hotglass28]

Sorry about the spelling, my brain has infact turned to jelly with bit of fruit in it.

Where do you live?   Dad has a few extra glass units which may be of use to you.

I'm in the south.

[Kalorlo]

Double glazed - swish!

I'm in SE London, Lewisham area - but no car, so I probably couldn't pick anything like that up. Thanks for the offer, though!

I'm going to get quotes for an MDF and cement board box from the local carpenters. If they're reasonable it'll be quicker and easier to get it done that way.

[Hotglass28]

  Its only swish because it was free.

Good luck with your barley box!

And yes, Londons a bit too far for me at the mo.

Denise