[JBeasty]

Hi, new to the forum. I've just started stick welding. Been practicing in my side yard (covered patio, open on the ends). When it's not windy, I get the fumes in the face. Tried an N95 mask, but I can still smell it. I've read about DIY fume extractors, but this seems kinda pointless outdoors. I have a box fan I could use to blow the smoke/fumes away from the immediate area. Any reason why this is a bad idea?
Thanks, JBeasty

[weldin mike 27]

A fan to blow away stick welding smoke is a great idea. You'll see Jody do it in some of his videos.

Mick

[Poland308]

I like to set up a fan so that it sucks the fumes away.

[JBeasty]

Awesome guys! I'll try it both ways - suck and blow... Aw hell, you know what I mean.

[JBeasty]

Just curious Josh, how close do you have to have the fan to your project to effectively pull the smoke away? I Imagine I could put it a good distance further away if I was using it to blow the smoke away, but I like the idea of using it to pull the smoke away, especially on a cold day. Guess I'll just have to test it out and see.

[Poland308]

Depends on the fan and how powerful it is.

[olek]

The big tube at the front is a silencer -It is a second hand turbine, originally used in a engraving machine to extract fumes

[JBeasty]

Makes me wonder if using my shop-vac would be an option, provided I have enough hose.

[PeteM]

Makes me wonder if using my shop-vac would be an option, provided I have enough hose.

I've thought about doing that before. Having a switch by the end of the nozzle would be great too.

Realistically though, I just use a fan to draw the fumes like Poland suggested. Noise kind of gets on my nerves and I like to be relaxed when I weld.

[olek]

Makes me wonder if using my shop-vac would be an option, provided I have enough hose.

I've thought about doing that before. Having a switch by the end of the nozzle would be great too.

Realistically though, I just use a fan to draw the fumes like Poland suggested. Noise kind of gets on my nerves and I like to be relaxed when I weld.

fumes get everywhere in the tubes and turbine, leaving some material that looks a little greasy.

I dont know how the vacuum filters will appreciate that , as they are intended for dry particles, dust, wood.

if the turbine is at risk, a venturi system may work well enough for fumes.

[JBeasty]

Yeah, after thinking about it, the fan idea makes the most sense for me. Cheap, easy and relatively quiet. My shop-vac is so loud I wear ear plugs when I run it.

[olek]

Yeah, after thinking about it, the fan idea makes the most sense for me. Cheap, easy and relatively quiet. My shop-vac is so loud I wear ear plugs when I run it.

Ideally, a turbine is outside.

As those are providing some aspiration à few meters of tubing can be envisaged without too much losses

It is not easy for me due to the walls, so my solution is to create a heavy box with isolation so the noise lower.
The silencer is also effective.

To help à fan, make it more efficient, some length of tubing front and back will help a lot, there are much turbulences around fans the aspiration zone and level is quite small in the end.

I use an "industrial" type in a door I added to the entry door, I could see how different the result is with the tubing (thin aluminium foil) front and back.

Suddenly my cell phone atmospheric pressure detector did notice something (I don't remind, 1-2bar I think), and the whole piece is not hermetic at all.

A few computation volume vs flow, may be useful.

If not too noisy those small units that are intended to be plug on a supple tubing, may do the job too (they are designed to create a good aspiration level unlike fans )

The formulas are easy to find, some on the turbine and fan makers, to choose a model depending of the use.

For a paint booth you look for 0.5m/sec air displacement.
Fumes rise so it may be different, I have a vertical flow (not very strong) and aspiration at floor level.

[Louie1961]

Put the fan behind you, it will be much more effective. Also, if you line it up right, it will keep the fogging in your welding helmet to a minimum. stick welding is pretty immune to wind and drafts, so let it rip.