Show me your ventilation system!!Please...:)

[Lampwork_newbie]

I'm looking for a ventilation system for my workspace......but I've actually no idea what to look for....Very confused at the moment...:O
It cant be very expensive either...But it have to be safe,and good enough!!
Please show off your "ventilation systems",and tell a bit about them:D

[Stacy]

Ohhh I will watch this thread with interest... I need to sort out mine and get the whole workshop sorted so this will be a great help!

[Sal]

I'll have to remember to take some photo's of mine. This is what I posted in another thread-hope it helps a bit. I really like my hydroponics fan, I got it 2nd hand with some ducting off ebay-cheap too. There are some people who know a lot more about ventilation on here than me though so I bow to any advice they give 

This is the only real thread I could find about using a funnel rather than a hood on LE (it tells you the size fan you should be using (Dale M, 2nd post)and has pictures of some great looking set-ups):
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71995

This one is by someone who has set up a pretty cool looking system for their classes. The fan they recommend is smaller than Dale M recommends so I went with the bigger recommended sizes, the set up is quite funky though (I know, I have spent far too much time looking into this ans fans start to be kinda groovy after a while  ):
http://www.southernflames.org/Tips%20and%20Techniques/Tips%20and%20Techniques%20Ventilation.htm

Don't forget it's all American though and the stuff on LE terrified me-I think they are far more paranoid about health and safety stuff and IMHO take things a bit far sometimes-some of what they write seems rather inflammatory and unnecessary (don't get me wrong it's very important to get ventilation right but I think they go too far sometimes).

I hope beadysam doesn't mind me doing this but I found this post by her really useful. Americans state fan powers in terms of cfm's where as we do it by m³/hr and she has written how to convert it in this post:

"Mines actually bigger than that!   I think I went a bit OTT really, but when I did the calculations for my studio size etc I couldn't find a fan that was spot on so I went for bigger and put it on a variable switch so I could alter it depending on what materials I was using.

This is the calculation I used.  I'll type it exactly as I have it in my notebook.  I got this from LE and had it checked by the safety `guru's' over there for accuracy.  Its ages since I did it so please don't ask too many questions - I have a goldfish memory!  Your best bet is the LE safety forums - someone is ALWAYS willing to help with safety issues.

Firstly you see fans rates written as CFM or M3/hour - this is how you work out the conversion.

1 cfm = 1.7 m3 /hr
1 m3/hr = 0.6 cfm


80-125 is the optimum cfm for each cubic foot of coverage of a hood/enclosure. The higher figure is suitable for an `open set up' while the lower is suitable for a more enclosed `Barley Box' style set up.

I was looking at putting in a hood that had an opening of 4' x 2'
So;
4x2 =8
8x80 (min cfm) = 640
640x 1.7 (convert to m3) = 1088m3

I can't remember exactly what my fan speed is but its about double that, so because of the weird shape of my shed I did away with the enclosure and left it open as I had enough fan power to more than cope.  The fan is in an acoustic box so its difficult to get into to check too. I think if I remember rightly, the fan will pull around 1500m3 on its very lowest speed.  We did work it all out at the time but like I say my memory is a bit duff so I can't give you specifics....
Another reason I got my fan is it has a second inlet so I can run another torch if I want too. "

It was in this thread, page 3 if anyone wants to see the original http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4852.0

I eventually got (after hours of indecision!) an 8" systemair hydroponics fan which is 950m³/hr (an RVK 200 E2-L1 if anyone is interested!). I am hoping that this will do the trick-I've got a 2nd hand one with speed controller on it just incase it is too powerful (but will mean I could turn it up, hopefully, when I use more nasty things in the future).

Going by Dale M's recommendations in the 1st link you need a fan 350-500cfm which using Sam's calculations works out at 595-850 m³/hr. Going on this basis I think my fan should be strong enough (I hope).

Please check all the sums yourself though (I am pretty sure they are right but I'd hate to be responsible for you hurting yourselves if I've got something wrong). There is loads of other info on LE if you are planning on using a hood instead which I didn't really look at too much as I knew I didn't want to.

Another couple of bits you may want to look at (I haven't really-I was all ventilationed out but they seem to cover a lot of the basics, some again written by Dale M):
http://www.isgb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10562
http://www.isgb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10563
http://www.artglassanswers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=273

Sorry that was so long, hope it help cut through a little of the c**p I waded through! If you've got any other questions shout again and I'll do my best to help find the answer! Will hopefully have a little more of an idea when my fan arrives and I have a play and decide how to set it up. As I said I'm hardly an expert but there are people out there who really know what they are talking about. You can always ask for help on LE too (I didn't to be honest-they scared me a little!).

Sal xx

[Lampwork_newbie]

OOOh my!lots of information there!Anyone having some pics?

[Caroline]

i use a cooker hood, it's just a basic one i got from comet for £30

[Sulis (Hazel)]

Hi Caroline, when using a cooker hood do you leave the filter in or take them out all together? I am assuming that you are venting to the outside rather than just filtering and recycling the air?

Thanks

[kaatje]

Hi Caroline,

I've show pictures before of my new "beadroom", but here you can see a close-up from my ventilation system.
It's the same kind of system that is used in bathrooms. I use this system for both my torches and it functions very well!

[Lampwork_newbie]

oh,that as nice,and soo tidy:)How is it put together?do you cut a hole in the wall,put a fan in it and connect the tube to it?

[kaatje]

Well, I hope my explanation will make any sense to you as technical English is not the best English I speak 
The aluminium hose you see goes right down through the table to the transformer (I hope this is the right word for it) who takes care of it that the venting is done through a hole underneath the roof tiles. Can you still follow???

[mariag]

I've got a Wickes cooker hood & Hazel mine's vented to the outside & the filter is removed.

[Lampwork_newbie]

Well, I hope my explanation will make any sense to you as technical English is not the best English I speak 
The aluminium hose you see goes right down through the table to the transformer (I hope this is the right word for it) who takes care of it that the venting is done through a hole underneath the roof tiles. Can you still follow???

Well I think I got it now..Though I'm not good at understanding technical stuff either..hehe
I'm Norwegian,and 16 years old...well that might explain it
Anyway,I guess my dad understand more than I do....So he can help me trough this:)
I really like your setup!!

[Sulis (Hazel)]

I've got a Wickes cooker hood & Hazel mine's vented to the outside & the filter is removed.

Cool, thanks Maria. I am setting mine up either tonight or tomorrow, so your information is perfectly timed!

Kaatje - that looks really good. I wouldn't have though of this way, as I always thought you had to have something overhead. Also very tidy.

x

[kaatje]

Kaatje - that looks really good. I wouldn't have though of this way, as I always thought you had to have something overhead. Also very tidy.

x

Don't look at the place right now! Picture was taken directly after finishing the "torching room" ....
I was told that it would be even better to vent downwards as the bad stuff seems to go downwards instead of upwards (here goes my technical English again)

[Sulis (Hazel)]

I would never have guessed that! It;s very strange how these things work.

Kaatje - Your technical English is better than my ordinary English and I AM English 

[kaatje]

I would never have guessed that! It;s very strange how these things work.

Kaatje - Your technical English is better than my ordinary English and I AM English