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Smoke eaters.

Dethmachinefab

Dethmachinefab

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
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96
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1,300
Looking for input on a portable smoke eater. Something capable of being used up in a man lift.

Any experience in which one works best and has good filter life/replacement cost?

Looking at the Ace 73-201 and Lincoln Extractor/extractor minis.
 
I have always used box fans with a bog base screwed to it to keep them from tipping over

The other is a dryer vent style Slinkey tube with a Harbor Freight fan in line to send it outside

I also have a attic fan in the side of my shop to to the bulk of the work

the dedicated smoke suckers are too damn expensive
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
I have always used box fans with a bog base screwed to it to keep them from tipping over

The other is a dryer vent style Slinkey tube with a Harbor Freight fan in line to send it outside

I also have a attic fan in the side of my shop to to the bulk of the work

the dedicated smoke suckers are too damn expensive
Click to expand...
Making a plan for a job in the middle of a big building with no access to the outside for ventilation. Can't smoke the place out because the shutdown is only one day and the regular hvac won't clear it.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
Making a plan for a job in the middle of a big building with no access to the outside for ventilation. Can't smoke the place out because the shutdown is only one day and the regular hvac won't clear it.
Click to expand...
that puts a different spin on things
 
i've used a roll around lincoln extractor.

had about a million 1" stuch welds on some zinc plated 10g w/flux core wire. building ships, so not a huge open space. it worked very well zero smoke and only a slight smell after burning all day long. was insulation backed metel... the smell was mostly the burnt insulation, not that flux core/ zinc smell we all know well. before the extractor, even with axial air movers and lots of tubing to try to ventilate the area, guys had to where pink filters to not get zinc sick.


it would go thru filters, especially if a guy left it on full time rather than just when welding and iirc the filters where $$$
 
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A while back I asked my Lincoln rep about the fume extractor guns, he basically said they weren't worth the paper for the catalog page. We ended up hooking a long hose to a Mobiflex

If it's just for one job a HEPA filtered shop vac would probably do the same thing. As long as you don't send sparks up the pipe.
 
Old job had the roll around fume suckers. Millers had better suction but the arms sucked. Lincoln wasn’t as good suction but the arms were better. I’d say you should be fine with a small Lincoln one. Haven’t looked but they probably aren’t cheap and the filters weren’t either but from videos I’ve seen lately on IG, a few fire crackers will knock the dust out 😄
 
Dethmachinefab said:
Making a plan for a job in the middle of a big building with no access to the outside for ventilation. Can't smoke the place out because the shutdown is only one day and the regular hvac won't clear it.
Click to expand...
I like using water heater power vents (free and already have rubber attachment to connect to 2 inch plastic pipe) salvaged from used water heaters.

Just a thought about the "no access to outside ventilation"----you could just add a tee on the sanitary stack and send the smoke into the pooper ventilation.

Probably isn't a viable idea, but I thought I'd mention it.
 
Muckin_Slusher said:
I like using water heater power vents (free and already have rubber attachment to connect to 2 inch plastic pipe) salvaged from used water heaters.

Just a thought about the "no access to outside ventilation"----you could just add a tee on the sanitary stack and send the smoke into the pooper ventilation.

Probably isn't a viable idea, but I thought I'd mention it.
Click to expand...
I can see it now, toilets filling with welding fumes. 🤣
 
Muckin_Slusher said:
I like using water heater power vents (free and already have rubber attachment to connect to 2 inch plastic pipe) salvaged from used water heaters.

Just a thought about the "no access to outside ventilation"----you could just add a tee on the sanitary stack and send the smoke into the pooper ventilation.

Probably isn't a viable idea, but I thought I'd mention it.
Click to expand...
don't even gotta tee in, just blow the trap out
 
Brad said:
Old job had the roll around fume suckers. Millers had better suction but the arms sucked. Lincoln wasn’t as good suction but the arms were better. I’d say you should be fine with a small Lincoln one. Haven’t looked but they probably aren’t cheap and the filters weren’t either but from videos I’ve seen lately on IG, a few fire crackers will knock the dust out 😄
Click to expand...

Muckin_Slusher said:
I like using water heater power vents (free and already have rubber attachment to connect to 2 inch plastic pipe) salvaged from used water heaters.

Just a thought about the "no access to outside ventilation"----you could just add a tee on the sanitary stack and send the smoke into the pooper ventilation.

Probably isn't a viable idea, but I thought I'd mention it.
Click to expand...

TrailTamer said:
is rental an optional?

Welding Fume Extractor 0-499 Air Flow

www.sunbeltrentals.com www.sunbeltrentals.com
Click to expand...

Probably buy the little Lincoln or Ace. Filters are $200, but it doesn't matter the job will pay for it.

Definitely no on the vent stack idea. :laughing:

I'd rather buy instead of rent, it's always cheaper for me over the long run. The job will pay for it, then I own it.

Have not heard back from the GC, so who knows. They were supposed to send me shops for some items and never did.
 
Dethmachinefab that make sense.

Also on the bonus if it'll work well for you with your plasma cutter table?? I remember reading somewhere else on here about how it really mess you up inhaling the fume from it.
 
TrailTamer said:
Dethmachinefab that make sense.

Also on the bonus if it'll work well for you with your plasma cutter table?? I remember reading somewhere else on here about how it really mess you up inhaling the fume from it.
Click to expand...
I built a strip curtain cell for the table. Between that and supplied air helmets I've been getting by.

Would be cool to set one up over the torch on a boom to follow it, catching it at point of source.
 
TrailTamer said:
Your dust collector filter the fume?

Venting out of the building is certainly not desired in the winter as heat gets lost that way.
Click to expand...
No. It direct vents outside. It only runs when I'm welding which isn't all that many hours per month. A little natural gas is cheaper than coughing up a lung.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
I built a strip curtain cell for the table. Between that and supplied air helmets I've been getting by.

Would be cool to set one up over the torch on a boom to follow it, catching it at point of source.
Click to expand...
A buddy switched from another popular brand to a messer slagger table with downdraft and after 8 years he still can't brag on it enough.
us.messer-cutting.com

Downdraft Table - Messer Cutting Systems

Downdraft burn tables are zoned and ducted, where smoke and dust particles are pulled down and extracted into a dust collector.
us.messer-cutting.com us.messer-cutting.com
 
Even direct venting outside would be more energy efficient in winter. Currently it's a 7k cfm tubaxial fan for the room. Does suck in winter time.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
Even direct venting outside would be more energy efficient in winter. Currently it's a 7k cfm tubaxial fan for the room. Does suck in winter time.
Click to expand...


(not apply to op)

for my shop i use an axial fan thats around 4-5k cfm possitive air pressure at the back of the shop, then i open whatever door i'm working in front of, it does a grat job pushing fumes etc out. doesn't really get too cold here in winter, so not really worried about that much.

biggest thing was going from suction air out to pushing it out, possitive shop pressure/ pushing air out. has been way better at keeping shop air breathable.


i'm going to work out some ducting to help it more evenly distribute. ducting will also tie into a wood furnace hopefully this year. then i'll be using funace fan for venting, and heating in the winter.
 
Smoke eater worked great today, didn't need any external ventilation. We used the Ace brand one.
 
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