Kitchen range hood for indoor casting?

[Big Tom]

I was thinking about casting indoors - not because of the colder temperatures outside but because it is raining quite often and rain comes up rather quick and unexpected sometimes.

To get rid of the lead and other fumes, I was thinking about putting a cooking range hood over the melting pot. Any thoughts if that would be sufficient to filter the air to avoid breathing in lead and other unhealthy particles?

Tom

[klcarroll]

Hey Tom;

Just filtering the air won't do it.

If you can arrange to run a duct from the hood to the outside, ......THEN you have a plan!

Kent

[Kraschenbirn]

Are you talking about a range hood vented to the outside or one of the apartment-type "recirculating" hoods that filters the smoke/grease vapor coming off the cooktop and vents the "cleaned" air back into the kitchen?

I used a range hood vented to the outside (from my basement workshop) for quite a few years and it worked pretty well so long as I didn't forget to light the fumes coming off the top of the pot when I fluxed. On the other hand, the "recirculators" are, generally, a waste of time. Those activated charcoal filters (when they're fresh) are somewhat effective for removing cooking odors but all but worthless for smoke and clog pretty quickly when exposed to heavy particulates such as ash and/or heavy doses of grease vapor.


So far as "breathing in lead", you'll be casting in the 650-775 deg. F range, far below the boiling point of lead so your pot won't be generating any vaporized lead. Any fumes should be from your flux or from impurities in your alloy.

Bill

[Big Tom]

I was hoping that a circulation system would do the trick as I do not have a window (yet..) in that part of the basement. Looking at your responses here, maybe I will get that hole drilled and vent it to the outside then. When using the search function (should have done that prior to my post...) I saw some really great ideas on how to set thing up for indoor casting...

Thanks,
Tom

[725]

I have a range hood vented to the outdoors and it works very well. Test it for good air flow and not just spinning. I tested with smoke. Found that it had to have air intake elsewhere to assist in the range venting the fumes. Must work. Had about a 4 when I had my blood levels tested.

[bigdog454]

If you can get a used range hood go for it, OR, get a cheap bathroom fan and build a hood out of plywood etc.

[HATCH]

You could basically make a 'blast cabinet' since most of the time is from warming the lead up.
You could close the cabinet and then vent to the outside.
Most range hoods are strong enough to vent all the fumes properly anyway.

[Shiloh]

Hey Tom;

Just filtering the air won't do it.

If you can arrange to run a duct from the hood to the outside, ......THEN you have a plan!

Kent

You're Right.

Run it outside. I did it with a range hood over a burnout oven for jewelry lost wax casting. I have seen two boolit casting stations with range hoods. Both vented outside.

Be safe. no need to breathe in potential lead fumes.

Shiloh

[Dale53]

Another way to handle it is with an "inline" fan with a 4" dryer vent pipe fastened at right angles to the top of your lead pot. You can cut a small "V" in the edge of one side of the pipe, slip it under a loosened bolt on top of your pot. It is easy to put on and take off (if that is a concern) and will handily draw the smoke away.

I have a set up I bought at Lowe's Home Supply for about $50.00 including flex pipe, aluminum pipe to connect to the pot and the inline fan (the fan housing is larger than the 4" pipe so the fan is effective.

I have not yet put it in place and am using a LARGE squirrel cage blower with a built in vent hood. However, it is TOO powerful and tends to take out the heat in the winter AND the cooling air from my A/C when operating in the summer. I'll probably wait until the early spring to install it unless I get a warm day this winter. I can probably do it in an hour or so and am looking forward to having a choice in the power needed.

While fluxing, I'll probably use the big hood blower but then will power down to the inline fan for general casting.

Dale53

[725]

In reference to my earlier post, I made mine like a chemical hood used in chemistry class. Sides, back, and enough of a front to allow me to work. Put the range hood unit low enough to permit me to pull the pot (Lee) in and out to refill. It's so low I can't really see in the pot very well, but can easily use the pot's bottom pour. The unit came with an integral light (very handy) and has low fan speed and high fan speed.

[PatMarlin]

Here's mine vented at 90 dgrs with an inline booster fan, going out the side wall under the eave.

[Mike W1]

Here's my setup including the plywood hood with bathroom fan vented outdoors. Seems to work pretty well for me.

[Shiloh]

A Fan from an old P.C. looks promising also. Looks like it could just about fit into a piece of dryer hose. Certainly would with just a little tweaking.

Shiloh

[Big Tom]

Great setups! I will go in the garage for now and leave the door open. With a larger fan behind me the smoke will get blown outside and when I have a bit more time, I will build one of these hoods with a nice exhaust to the outside. Doing it all outside with the snow in the area (and above me on the deck) is a bit of a concern as I really do not want to get a single snow flake into my pot while the lead is hot...

Tom

[Stove_Pipe]

Here's mine vented at 90 dgrs with an inline booster fan, going out the side wall under the eave.

Nice Singer pat. Is that a model 15? I have one in the drawing room cabinet.

[glicerin]

My electric clothesdrier disconnects from the vent going thru a window sealed with plywood, then I hook up a squirrel cage with STEEL fan. Most of fans you mention have plastic fan blades and use plastic vent tube. Flux smoke or vaporized wax can coat fan blades and the vent pipe, causing loss of draw, and danger of FIRE. I always ignite wax used as flux, but I still get wax buildup on fan. Be safe

[TAWILDCATT]

that hood idea is very good I made one for the club,one member was sheet metal worker and made the hood and I installed a squirrel cage fan outside the building.

[PatMarlin]

Nice Singer pat. Is that a model 15? I have one in the drawing room cabinet.

Thanks-

I forgot the model. It's circa 1907. I found it in a taylors shop. $200 if you can believe that. Wish it had a walking foot.

I love old machines, of any kind I guess. My grandmother taught me how to sew few years ago before she passed. I'm greatful.

[Stove_Pipe]

Mine is a 1904 and still sews like new. has been in the family for a while. They don't make machines like that anymore. Sorry for the off-topic posts, I have a thing for old machines.

[PatMarlin]

THat's awesome.

Welcome to cast boolit heaven SP. We don't mind or get bent out of shape with thread highjacking here at CB.