DIY Fume Extractor

Hey guys,

I guess this post would be so different from any other ones. Why ? It's about the art of repairing and creating. The reason is. To save money. LOL. I'm a stupid yet good recycling agent. I have tonnes of trash in my room. Parents used to mumble of having an untidy and a garbage store in my workspace. How did I give a response ? One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Soldering electronic parts really to be done in air-ventilated space otherwise user might inhale too much hazardous smoke and get his or her lungs damage. Too serious ? Solder flux normally contain about 60% tin and 40% lead. The toxic contents within the smoke produced is not healthy for all electronic hobbyist.  

I have watched some Youtubers posted their masterpiece creation of making a fume extractor for soldering purpose. The quality seems good but it does not seem to convince me for a promising result. I'm just wondering did the soldered fume still exist from the output channel. Making it one would at least satisfy me.

The material used were old container cardboard box, old PC cooling fan, extracted switch, wires, masking tapes, razor cutter and hot glue gun.

I measured the cooling fan's dimension and draw it on the top of the cardboard. Cut it carefully afterwards and take off the cardboard.

Fit it the cooling fan into the vacant hole. Ensure the direction of air flow from the chassis of cooling fan.

Heat up the hot glue gun and paste it onto the each sides of cooling fan.

Draw the same dimensions on the base for the filter. Do cut off the cardboard.

Find a suitable filter fabric. Previous works utilized carbon filter for the design. I found a carbon filter in nearby aquarium store. 

Cut another hole to fill in the switch and solder the common and normally opened pins.

I found an old PC speakers. Its plastic casing can be used to reinforce the fabric filter from both sides. 

Remove the wires from the clips. Notice that there are positive (red) and negative (black) wires.

Cut a hole which suits a regular dc power socket. Add in the dc power socket and glue it.  

Do wiring. Let both the negative curl together. Positive from fan goes to common in switch. Lastly, positive supply to nomally opened pin in switch. Solder all connections and wrap it with heat shrink tube. Use masking tape to stick all wires on interior walls of box.

Attach the socket with dc power supply.

Here is the top view.

Bottom view.

Other views

Test it now. Probably changing to a finer carbon filter would lead to a better result. It works! I can discharge those unwanted fume from molten solder lead from now on.

Thank you.