Fume Hood

[rleete]

After many years of making pens, I have become very sensitized to CA glue. To mitigate the reaction (think severe head cold), I decided to make a fume hood.

The box itself is made of imitation beadboard (pressed hardboard), with reinforcement of whatever lumber I had around. I used plastic angle which was used as corner protectors on a shipping crate at work to attach the front. A hinged door allows access but closes it off to avoid drafts. I installed a dryer vent to the outside of the house and purchased an in-line vent fan to exhaust fumes. Painted red, because that is leftover house paint. There is a latch for the door which I will show in a future pic. The front angled surface will be a .13" thick piece of Macrolon (a form of polycarbonate) also salvaged from the scrap bin at work.

First pic is in-process to show the angles.

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Next two show the hinged access door.

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I was a bit disappointed in the extraction provided, until I discovered I had neglected to open the blast gate in the vent pipe.    After that, it was more than adequate. I decided against putting trim on the corners, as it is unnecessary and just more work. The phrase "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind.

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One last thing I plan to do is to wrap the vent pipe with some insulation.

I can now get back to making pens and other assorted wood lathe projects without making myself ill from the glue fumes.

[vtsteam]

I like it, rleete, and I have actually thought of making a similar hood for soldering tin toys together using a real soldering iron.

I do wonder though why the need for CA glues in pens -- wouldn't conventional water cleanup non-fuming wood glues like Titebond 2 or 3 be usable? I use them all the time for wood patterns, and models. They are immensely cheaper and much easier cleanup, no fumes or health impact, and heh, no risk of gluing fingertips together!

[rleete]

Not really practical for pens.  You have to glue a metal tube (usually brass) into a wood blank.  I use the thick stuff to fill any gaps, and you have to rough up the tube.  Regular wood glues wouldn't hold to the tubes very well, and you risk the pen coming apart in the future.

I also make pens out of solid surface countertop scraps, and that stuff is basically colored plastic.  The wood glues won't bond to it at all.  Since the tubes are really the structure of the pen, with the outside only decorative, you need a good bond for it to hold up.  I've made pens out of all sorts of materials, including corncob, acrylics, woods of all kinds, and even deer antler.

As to making your own, you only really need the in-line exhaust fan.  Everything else can be fabricated, except maybe the window.  I bought duct parts, because it is the easiest solution, but cheap dryer vent hose would do the job.