Build a Solder Fume Extractor

dronebotworkshop.com
Solder fumes can be toxic! Every electronics hobbyist and experimenter should invest in a solder fume extractor, but commercial fume extractors can be expensive. All good reasons to build your own.
In this DIY project I’ll show you how you can build an effective solder fume extractor for about 25 dollars, even less if you use parts that you may already have in your scrap bin and elect to use a kitty litter box filter instead of the commercial fume filter I used! It can be assembled in an afternoon using common tools and easily obtainable materials. And you can style and paint it to match the decor of your work area, so it won’t look out of place on your workbench.
This solder fume extractor is small, silent and runs off of 12 volts. It features an adjustable fan head that you can position near your soldering area to effectively remove and filter the smoke emitted from your soldering iron. It doesn’t require external ventilation so you can use it anywhere.
For complete plans and details for this fume extractor please see the articles on Instructables at www.instructables.com/xxxx and on my website at dronebotworkshop.com/build-ef...

[@zaphodbond]

Ha ha ha, that music is hell!!! :) It feels like if was back in college and some annoying roommate was trolling me by bashing his keyboard to prevent me from listening to the video :) But let's give him a break this was his first video, over time he mastered the editing and his videos are now fantastic. His explanation, diagrams etc are incredibly good and well done!

[@jtb8631]

You should put the filter in the intake side of the fan. Fans are much better at pulling than pushing as their principle of operation is based around creating a low pressure zone on the inlet side of the fan. Since they do not have any seals on the outlet side, as a compressor would, putting any restriction on the outlet of the fan will greatly reduce it’s effectiveness, because they are not designed to build high pressure, but rather create low pressure.

[@samshanker5753]

👍

[@Storebrand_]

That music is driving me crazy... I don't notice it at first but when I did I couldn't ignore it and it's so repetitive and bad.

[@JoshKaufmanstuff]

Yeah, lol it's pretty bad. It sounds like a loop track of a kindergartner

[@vonries]

I liked the start and end music. I just didn't like it during the instructional (middle) of the video.

[@Newb1eYou_]

me to

[@p00lwuzhere97]

Is it a MIDI Devo track?

[@GenePavlovsky]

I thought it was fun. Maybe I'm too old-school and played too many old games?

[@apmdavies]

Good video but sounds like the cat got onto the piano.

[@sabrinaflipse7732]

lololol

[@LordShongo]

So true...about a minute went by where I had completely stopped paying attention to the narration and the visuals. Instead I was completely focused on the background music...I felt lost and confused and even started drooling on myself. Suddenly I snapped out of it and the first thing I saw was your comment sitting there, staring back at me in all of its honest glory. I’m just happy someone else noticed the horror so that I wouldn’t have to live the rest of my life feeling completely alone.

[@apmdavies]

@@LordShongo The cat has had a couple of years to practice so it might be a bit better by now.

[@artbyrobot1]

for those of you going on about using hepa filters, you are wrong. That is for filtering small particles out of air. It specifically states on the wiki page for hepa filters that they do not work for filtering odor, gas, chemicals, cigarette smoke, etc and that to filter this much smaller type of particulate matter, you need activated carbon filters. He is in this video using an activated carbon filter which is the correct kind of filter to use in this application.

[@GrandHighGamer]

They are right that this isn't filtering out the resin smoke though. You can see the exhaust coming out still. The filter needs to be finer, or there needs to be more of it. That said, if it is cutting it down and blowing it away from your face it probably isn't a huge deal.

[@CenturionKenshin]

@@GrandHighGamer It is vapour... the heavy particles stay on filter as it is activated carbon filter...

[@bojanblagojevic4024]

@@CenturionKenshin 4:41 ... you can easy see background through the filter.

[@markuskeller9734]

Very nice video and a very nice fume extractor. I have built my own one sometime ago looking pretty much similar to the one described in this video. To mine, I have added a nice LED with a flexible neck to it to position it to my desire. I also added a rotary switch to change the RPMs of the fan in three steps (low, medium and high) to adjust the fan speed making the whole thing less noisy for smaller soldering jobs (e.g. SMD) while still ensuring enough power to really suck in all the fumes efficiently. Works great.

[@leprechaun947]

Good video, nicely shot, and excellent presentation. Also, I’m suffering from severe workshop envy! Please keep up the good work!

[@CdrSpock]

Solid work, well done. Thanks!

[@gundeep33]

Very neat & tidy workshop.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you, I try and keep it neat!

[@stevenA44]

Nice looking fan assembly. I didn't know about the fan cover/filter. I'm going to have to look into that.

[@kellyklaask7su990]

Always enjoy your videos. Thanks!

[@blackbox330]

Beautiful, great workmanship.

[@ospreyphoto]

Never wear gloves with rotary tools! If they get caught they can pull your hand into the machine.

[@tinman9341]

Man you ain’t kidding!!!!! I learned that the hard way while using a sanding disc. My hand was shredded when I tried to use it!!!

[@candogancan5574]

Why music at background that makes your voice hard to hear. Everything other than music is nice. I loved your workshop. Very good job. Very tidy.

[@DeeDesignGraphic]

amazing soldering station. 👏🏼😻😻😻

[@rbleda]

I plan on building one just like it. Thanks 🙏

[@lukorat7746]

Cool design and great video!

[@powerbatterychannel4315]

I've seen a lot of similar videos. Really great idea!

[@bobt7484]

At 2:40 on the video, you can clearly see the fumes coming out of the filter...thanks to the black background to the right of the filter. As someone mentioned, you're just redistributing the fumes throughout the room.

[@Rangieh]

Thanks for sharing! Nice idea!

[@JoeMcLutz]

Very nice job!

[@kdramaandmusic529]

super work ✌️

[@funnypets_2021]

🔥 great tool!

[@Lcassinelli2]

Good job, outstanding 😊👍

[@dosbox907]

you have the most beautiful shop ive ever seen hahaha

[@NINJA-yx5cq]

thanks man. you helped a lot

[@Inertia888]

I find that most fans blow in the direction of the sticker, usually only one side has a sticker. However, most are also marked with arrows as well.

[@slrelaxinglife6928]

Very good station

[@Maulhawk]

12:56 this music is my freaking jam. I don't know what y'all are complaining about.

[@EdwinFairchild]

add some servos behind those compartments and make a database of your components and bam kick ass project!!!

[@bingusvsgoogle]

"Human music... hmm, I like it."

[@lelandclayton5462]

Not bad for a little unit. I plan to build a bigger one that will vent to the outside.

[@thedeconstructor9115]

Thanks this rely helps me knowing to use a cat liter filter

[@urdnal]

It's a nice design but 1) most of the solder fumes is particulates about 0.1 to 1.0 microns in diameter with some vapour 2) the charcoal foam filters do _virtually nothing_ to filter either of these. They are useless for this purpose. Instead of a charcoal filter, a filter rated for 0.1 to 1.0 microns should be used. An F7 pre-filter followed by a HEPA will do the trick. If you get a larger one and cut it down, it won't be that expensive.

[@ArijanaLukic]

Hello there! I need advice. I am working with Resin/Epoxy and I am an artist. I just put a 20"X20" fan on my window facing outside to suck the smell out. Now people (other artists) are telling me my fan needs to be ''for fumes'' to avoid a fire? I ask myself how bad are the fumes that resin and some paints are creating to be this bad? My fan is from a normal hardware store. Any guidance regarding this will help! Thanks! PS: I am using a non-toxic resin.

[@vonries]

@@ArijanaLukic of you're blowing it outside then that's a good thing for your health. If you can't afford the fan they are talking about (I don't know anything about them) then the cheapest thing to do might be to just keep a fire extinguisher near you. Everyone should have some in their house anyway, so it's not a waste of money. Just remember they need to be replaced every so often. It's also a good idea to turn them upside down and shake it good to keep the powder loose.

[@NorthernKitty]

@@ArijanaLukic the manufacturer of the materials you are using should be the best source of information on proper ventilation and personal protection gear. It's hard for anyone to give you specific advice as different materials have different requirements, but you're best off getting it straight from the manufacturer anyway (especially from legal liability standpoint).

[@CenturionKenshin]

It is active charcoal filter, it is not about removing the fume at all but bound the heavy particles. Plus it removes the smoke from ones face thus reducing the concentration in that particular place.

[@robthom09]

I wanted to buy / build one of these, but wasn't sure how well they work, and whether the fan is just drawing the fumes away and blowing them elsewhere. At 2:38 in the video, isn't the smoke passing fairly freely thru the filter, but dispersed by the airstream. Was also wondering if most of the odor is absorbed.

[@alcarazfernandito]

Hello Bill, I have just discovered your wonderful channel, I love it!.... I would like to learn about DIY CNC machines and 3D printers, I hope you can upload videos about these things, thanks

[@bloodswarms]

Both links in description were dead for me.

[@InterCity134]

Cool, but it just redistributes the toxic fumes through the room on the exhaust... how much is absorbed in the activated charcoal filter? And how do you know when its time to change the charcoal filter. Ideally, exhausting the air OUT of the room, or through a gas-filtering element (which is spendy) is ideal

[@ikeo8666]

great but what about the electrical connections on the fan? I think it wasn't shown at all or just minimally

[@rbleda]

What powers the fan? I see you cut the wire and solder it to the switch, but where does the switch get the electric?

[@helmanfrow]

For this kind of project you'd probably want to go with a fan designed for static pressure as opposed to airflow. They're a little louder but they're better at pushing or pulling air through filters.

[@fellpower]

The hazard fume comes out the "filter" as it flys in...wow

[@Deses]

Good vid, atrocious music.

[@nelsonmanuel3150]

Great tutorial video but the background music was really annoying.

[@taranagnew436]

the link don't work, can you post the stuff you used to build this?

[@mrhassu588]

You should put those filters to the inlet side.

[@NcGamingCreations]

you need a better filtration system. you can make one using ducting and storage bins for under 100 dollars. you need a pre filter, hepa filter, then an activated carbon filter. the fan must pull the air through the filter. I recommend a ducting fan because it's easy to attach tubing to it.

[@KostasLarkou]

Where to find instractions for wood mesaurment links dead..

[@fitsumgetaneh7791]

wow really amazing video and very helpful thank you so much DronBot! but i cannot get detail information on the article what is wrong its better if you put the information on the article as usuall beside this you are great!

[@carlotheatheist]

Sir. I have a big foam laying around in my house. May i use it as my fume filter?

[@DrSlick]

What are the common wires? What power source did you use? How do you know what is positive or negative? All questions this and other videos fail to explain.

[@htbdog7798]

there was smoke coming out the other side

[@mitropoulosilias]

yes you can not dissappear the smoke, just take it off your face..

[@VoltageLP]

filter it through the carbon filter

[@GabrielMoscardiPauka]

If you are in a non-ventilated room, just “blowing it to the other side” is not enough...

[@brickedmyphone1189]

It's a different color tho

[@fitsumgetaneh7791]

if it is possible please add detail information on the article thanks !

[@pwmcompany530]

Nice construction except the power of fan

[@ve5uo]

Is that paint color called "Hakko blue'?

[@honestinsincerity2270]

I was wondering if those cheap extractors that you can find for sale online were worth a damn or not. They're about the same size but I seriously doubt have the same drawing power

[@manny3549]

Great video, super useful. The cat on the bass side of the piano needs some music lessons though. For those with a trained musical ear, the out of sync notes were excruciatingly painful.

[@johnacsyen]

No background music please, otherwise great video

[@MCsCreations]

Really interesting! Is it a 12v fan?

[@royeubanks639]

What are the wood dimensions, screw sizes, spacer sizes? Your links no longer work.

[@beeeeeee42333]

nice

[@coladict]

14:00 if I have to keep it THAT close to barely get any suction, I would try stacking two fans, but without more filters. Maybe also cut out a tube from a 5L water bottle to give it direction. Because that's a lot less suction than you showed us at 2:40. I wouldn't have any space to work with if it has to be that close, given all the other things that also need to be on the desk when soldering.

[@liamsteadman6224]

that workshop is too clean...

[@royeubanks639]

The owner of this channel doesn't seem to respond to very many comments. For example, I've asked for a working link for the corresponding page on the workshop web page , but no response. I do like the channel and learned a lot from the videos and it is appreciated that this is offered for free.

[@dannyarroway4187]

86 the music!

[@andrewe3165]

You can buy something identical for the cost of the parts here so unless you have the parts lying around probably not worth the hassle.

[@rbleda]

What powers the fan? When you cut the wire and solder it to the switch where does the switch get power from?

[@GenePavlovsky]

A 12V power supply, I suppose?

[@holaperrito2554]

The links don’t seem to work

[@bob-ny6kn]

I sit dead still. The smoke rises, unabated. I make a point of not standing on my chair.

[@magoridomi5711]

does enyone else see the big tools in the background?

[@brucewoods9377]

Those links don’t work anymore

[@harshityashwardhan]

Hey can u tell me were I can find those carbon filter. Imran in which type of shop

[@Dronebotworkshop]

I picked them up on Amazon

[@garywatson8602]

Sir Your Links Do not work .Something is wrong with them

[@ga12f12o]

Nice video

[@arctic_angel7408]

you're all saying the music was bad but i was vibing

[@slavka012]

The dude in the video says no smoke is coming out of filter, while you can clearly see at 2:38 that the smoke goes right through :)

[@JohnDwyer123]

What's the point of the music. Old thread but really?? Why complicate things?

[@GrandfatherofArt]

What is the price of cpu fan?? that you used

[@mikebolton2388]

Prob like $7

[@keithconrad5319]

This video is Gangster.

[@user-oq7ej1sy1h]

Зачот, получилось очень круто!

[@tomjones4145]

no bad but could see smoke easily going through on the demo

[@mrskwrl]

Your links don't work.

[@Jpetersson]

Worst bg music ever! That "musician" is 100% tonedeaf! Otherwise, great channel!

[@upgeek1]

Good video. However that music is horrible.

[@michaegi4717]

Thank you for this informative video. I was already thinking about building such a device before watching. But at 2:39 you can clearly see that the smoke is also exhausted from the filter. So it is useless and I saved time and money not buiding this.

[@GenePavlovsky]

What if the harmful stuff stays in the filter (which was made for the purpose), and what you see on the other side is much more harmless smoke? You can't tell the difference with your eyes. Just a theory, only some lab tests would be able to answer this question. Anyway, personal opinion, even if the fan didn't have any filter at all, it moves the smoke away from your nose, and that is probably the most effective part. Of course it would be better if you can open a window too.

[@VoidSixx]

@@GenePavlovsky "what you see on the other side is much more harmless smoke" There's no such thing as "harmless smoke". If there's smoke, then there is particulates in the air which should not be in your respiratory system. An extractor like this is for use in a well-ventilated room where it just needs to move it away from your face. In a poorly ventilated room, you'll just be circulating it around the room.

[@GenePavlovsky]

@@VoidSixx Well like I said it's a theory, I don't have any proof to offer. You didn't provide proof either. The amount and harmfulness of the particulates before and after the fan&filter combo has to be tested to make any claims on filter effectiveness, without such tests we can only hope that the filter does something. I agree with you that good ventilation is very desirable, or a fume extractor that vents to the outside. Regardless, I think that even in a poorly ventilated room, such a fan (even without a filter) will help to prevent you from breathing the highest concentration of the fumes, until the point when the whole room's air becomes polluted. If you just have a few things to solder every now and then, such a fan is a useful and cheap investment. If you regularly solder things for hours, then you need good ventilation (and a fan), or proper fume extraction. I was just replying to micha egi, whose absolute statement of calling the fan useless I think is too extreme. It's definitely not the best solution, but for beginners this is cheap and easy to build, and is better than nothing. For someone who seriously gets into soldering, it's worth to invest more and build/buy a more serious fume extractor. It's not easy to justify spending couple hundred dollars/euros or more for a bulky DIY/purchased fume extractor, if a person is just trying things out.

[@ImaginaPower]

the music was too loud and very annoying

[@Ferraday]

I use my lungs to filter the fumes

[@sabrinaflipse7732]

lololol

[@jfamilytv8392]

His workspace says, “I’m so clean I’ve never been used.”

[@KCBhandy]

Soddering An incorrect term for 'soldering',

[@QuaabQueb]

"Fume Disperser "

[@Tcott]

"Fume Dishpersher"

[@drumbum7999]

Clumsy design. Looks ready to fall over at the slightest tug of the power cord or accidental bump.

[@cheetahrunout]

keep the music out.

[@Newb1eYou_]

your music is kinda cringy

[@viiiixiii]

unwatchable! what's up with subliminal messages on full screen mode?

[@Gw0wvl]

The music is as loud as your voice , I can't understand why people who make videos and talk must have music , Especially when the music is as loud as the voice 👎👎👎 ... Otherwise it would have been a good video , but as it is it's just to annoying to watch .

[@gerykis]

this filter have zero capacity for absorbing heavy metals

[@thekaduu]

Skin diseases? Damn!

[@locobrown]

HORRIBLE BACKGROUND MUSIC!!! IM OUTTA HERE!

[@TriggerThat]

Pretty sure that was royalty free music , I mean, who would claim ownership of this horrible piece of music! ;)

[@edpontiff8448]

Can that stupid music , it is unnecessary and distracting , it makes you difficult to understand ! Why can't any of you who make these tutorials just let the actual machining sounds be the only sounds along with your voice ?