Melting pot exhaust system

[DickelDawg]

Am just starting to cast bullets. Live in NW Colorado so casting outside would not be my first choice. Am trying to assemble a homemade exhaust hood and fan system for casting in my shop as the commercial products are FAR too expensive for this retired guy. What do ya'll use? Any suggestions at this point would be helpful.

Thanks,
Skip

[bigarm]

Looking forward to the responses you get. It is kind of cold here in NW Montana at the moment.

[NavyVet1959]

Look for designs for a "fume hood". An inline exhaust fan from Home Depot will work.

Although a fume hood would work well for a bottom pour pot, I'm not so sure it would work so well for ladle casting. I suspect you would need more open space for that.

[22-250ohio]

I use an inline duct fan ran to a simple dryer vent out the wall

[JASON4X4]

I think a lot of guys use a cheap exhaust fan and make a box around it just like a kitchen hood

[Gunor]

I was looking a boat blower fans - plastic, 12V, and smaller duct diameter. Have not used one yet, but thinking. The exhaust fans I looked at Home Depot all seem more expensive and larger than the boat blower type.

Geoff

[Mike W1]

Not fancy but works. Bath exhaust fan and hood built of 1/4" plywood.

[ipijohn]

I use an inline duct fan ran to a simple dryer vent out the wall

This is the way I went, in line fan from Amazon and dryer vent from Lowes about $30 total. I mounted the fan vertical about 6" above the pot. The fan is rated for 240* operating temp and my IR thermometer reads it at 150* after about an hour of casting.

[jsizemore]

I use an exhaust fan scavenged from a down draft Jenn-air range. Dryer vent through the wall and adjustable elbow on the fan intake that terminates just behind and 9" above my bottom pour casting pot. The dryer vent was part of a kit from an installation I did and elbow was scavenged. I think I scavenged the screws for mounting and electrical cord for the fan, too.

[dragonrider]

Cetainly you have smelted your lead into ingots OUTDOORS, then unless you are making a lot of smoke, a fan will be entirely unnecessary, any window in your shop?. put a fan in one. Open another window on an opposite wall

[retread]

I used a old squirrel cage fan that came out of a electric Forced Air Furnace. Used scrap mdf for a chimney to an outside window. Open the sliding window when casting. Made a shield to fit in the window with an opening for the exhaust "chute".

[Dale53]

My dedicated casting station is in my utility barn. I found a brand new range hood on Craigslist. I offered the guy $25.00 and he accepted. My retired electrician/maintenance brother installed it for me. It is two speed (Nutone brand) - high speed for fluxing and low speed for casting. You just hang the hood at the height best served where you are located, then run a pipe to the outside. I have louvers that open when the fan is on (available from your big box building supply).

A used range hood is often available when kitchens are remodeled. Check with your favorite contractor or Craigslist.

FWIW
Dale53

[Beagle333]

Cetainly you have smelted your lead into ingots OUTDOORS, then unless you are making a lot of smoke, a fan will be entirely unnecessary, any window in your shop?. put a fan in one. Open another window on an opposite wall

Just like the pic that comes with the ProMelt.

[bangerjim]

Remember.......what goes out must come in!

If you are planning a vent fan of somekind, you need an air inlet to the outside to allow replacment air to get into your room or you are pulling a negative pressure and those small vent hood fans will not pull suffiient fumes off. In cold climmates, that can get a bit chilly!

Here in AZ I melt and cast out side year round. Mother Nature is my vent hood!

banger

[chloe123]

Great topic. Hadn't thought about the dryer vent or use of an inline fan for it. When you don't have windows or other openings, you need to be resourceful.

[WouterNL]

Because a big fan was not available I tried a little bathroom-fan mounted in the brick wall which is connected with some plastic-tubes:


This does the trick, no fumes are escaping from the meltingpot.

[RIHP]

Simple portable system with a basement window insert.
Bathroom exhaust fan from Lowe's

PID controller in centigrade

[Dusty Ed]

HOWDY PARDS
Here is a picture of my exhaust system.
It is a blower out a bowling alley ,I think it is a hand dryer .
I use the one side over the melting pot the other side I use for sanding or cutting wood.
Tell me what you think.







Dusty Ed

[georgerkahn]

Here's a photo of my cast pot/fans. I wired a spdt switch with a rectifier to give a slower/quieter speed to fans -- and it works remarkably well using this slower (& a tad quieter!) speed.
BEST!
georgerkahn

[dikman]

Dusty, that's quite a contraption you've got there!