Pros and Cons of 4 types of ventilation setups? (see pics)

TJ · #1 2013-05-10, 9:37pm

What are the pros and cons of these 4 ventilation setups? See the photos below.

1- barley box
2- large overhead commercial hood
3- homemade hood with back apron
4- repurposed stove fan (w high CFM fan inside)

Specifically for me, I hope someone can help me decide between doing #3 and #4. A barley box would be in the way of my porta cana and the way I work, and the large hood would be too expensive (and there is no one handy in my life to help me).

Again, in my case I will have a Lucio torch and a 900 and some CFM inline fan, mounted a few feet up right over my desk, in a window.

Please, share your thoughts, experience, expertise and opinions! Thank you.

P.S. Thanks and apologies to anyone whose actual studio I might have grabbed - I just found these as examples on the open internet.

Dale M. · #2 2013-05-11, 6:09am

Umm... Though Michale Barley does us a box setup, properly in scientific, education and research or manufacturing facilities it is a "fume cabinet"

Larger pics would have been better to see what you are working towards...

Technically 1 and 3 are the same and 2 and 4 are the same.... Its all about size and air flow.... Any will work, its all about how meticulous in your design and execution of hood project....

You can make 2 & 4 into a 1 & 3 by just putting hood against back wall and adding sides....

Bottom line is what ventilation would work best for your work style....

Dale

TJ · #3 2013-05-11, 3:15pm

Thanks Dale...

I knew there was another name for it! I had seen your correction somewhere before but could not recall it when I went to post. Thanks for the correction.

I guess I am asking if all are considered equally acceptable - assuming that the CFMs are constant and appropriate for all setups. For example, I assumed the more it is boxed in, the more efficient it is. Is that true?

And does the width of the upper hood matter? The tub is much more narrow than the hood in pic #4.

I did try to post the photo bigger, but the Lampwork Site said it was wayyy over the size limit, and so when I finally found a way to reduce the size on my ipad, I went with it out of relief! Sorry about that.

Dale M. · #4 2013-05-12, 8:01pm

Perhaps....

http://www.artglassanswers.com/forum...php?f=12&t=273

Dale

TJ · #5 2013-05-12, 8:46pm

Yup, I read that article of yours so many times I went cross-eyed! It is my strongest basis for understanding the entire system overall, and I am extremely appreciative of you for writing it. It is just my nature to want to know more, have definitive answers. It seems perhaps this is just not an area with exact answers and I have to accept that uncertainty. I will do my best and cross my fingers!

AmorphousDesigns · #6 2013-05-12, 9:35pm

As my bench is up against a wall I prefer to have back and sides. IMHO the back acts as a heat shield for the wall and the sides help "contain" the vacuum created by the fan so that most of the air sucked up by the fan is coming from the front area, where my head is.

That being said if I worked in the middle of the room I would just go for a hanging hood with a stronger fan and forgo the back and sides, on the idea that there is no "blowback" of the fumes as there is no back wall.

Mary K · #7 2013-05-15, 8:27am

This is my ventilation system. Works very well.
This shot was taken during construction. Shows the
make up air ducts.

Here is link to thread I did to show how I did things:
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=78975

Lorraine Chandler · #8 2013-07-01, 11:25am

It is about capturing fumes and exhausting them out of the room. Fumes get captured the best within a fume cabinet.