Guys, we need a challenge - welding respirator

[Troll Hunter]

As long as you have a relatively large diameter suction hose you can put the air inlet remote from the welding station, so no harmful fumes are drawn in. Then you don't need to bother with filters. Spend once on the inlet hose instead of repeatedly on filters.

Mike

[Tuomas]

From 69GTO's link, i have found the fan - its 12v and used to cool PC's. Guess what i've bought the fan to play with. I'm still thinking an old cordless drill for the power pack and charger, not using the motor as it will kill the battery in 30 mins of welding. My other attachments should still work with it so lets see how it goes.

Toumas, thanks for your input and suggestions. 3M is my weapon of choice, i have a twin filter face mask already so the plan would be to make the air breather system interchangeable between the 3M mask and the welding mask and use the 3m filters for our fans intake, how does that sound. Already have a 3D model of the filter socket so no need to reinvent the wheel.

Do you have issues with the compressed air systems filters if you take them out of the system when its not in use and keep them in ambient surroundings (eg. an office) to dry naturally and not sit in stale air which obviously causes major health issues.

That sounds good idea.
Computer fans should last well.
I checked my hw-storage and found couple interesting radial blowers from old Nvidia Gtx 260 graphic cards.
Good old days when computers run hot and cooled with a leaf blower. 😂

I think i will try to make my version too. I have couple surplus filters from old Racal respirator that i once had.
I could use same 10.8V batteries that i use with a cordless drill..

[Tuomas]

Total diy respirator could be made from:

Rechargeable work light:


Radial computer fan:


And vacuum cleaner hepa filter:



Easy to find.

I have two Rechargeable work lights.
One of them is with three 3.7v batteries.
It would work nicely with 10.5v batteries from a drill that i have.

Electronics taken from the lamp would monitor that lithium battery
Wouldn't go totally empty. ( what would ruin the battery )

Costs for the new parts about 50-60$

[MeJasonT]

I'm liking the idea. Money must grow on trees for those buying $1000 respirator systems.
The most i've spent on a car is £5000.
I like the line about the old PCs or in my case not so old, I still have one which must be the last with a parallel port and a seriously noisy fan which is almost drowned out by the constant chatter of the hard drive. I'm convinced Microsoft is deliberately slowing down win7 to get peeps to upgrade, hell they have succeeded with peripherals like printers etc - switching to 64 bit wrote of two printers (non compatible drivers).

Mike - I was thinking along the same lines. To be honest i think the air behind the operator in all likelihood is going to be pretty breathable compared to the fumes that deliberately make a bee line for your face. I have on occasion held my breath on welds - you know that's a bad thing when you are doing it. I have Jet air cleaner in the workshop https://www.axminster.co.uk/jet-afs-...-system-310483 and got seriously annoyed at the price of filters The first an anti-static thing F3 filter (i think is its level off the top of my head) is £45 to replace and the second a G4 is £10 to replace the filtration unit cost £115 to buy. Its a metal box with a £50 centrifugal fan in it. i found a supply of wadding/ cushion filling and curtain liner at at local interior store and it works perfectly as filter material, in fact better than the original filters. Weekly-ish servicing is the key, i blow my filters out with the airline on a regular basis. I plan to use a small piece of the wadding as the intake filter. https://www.bstfabrics.co.uk/Wadding---Batting/Wadding/

[MeJasonT]

Update:
I have made new 3D printed parts to suit a more flexible hose the 1 1/4" hose was too rigid



I have attached the 2 STL printed part files

STL Parts

Fan air connection.stl Hood air connection.stl

Like the suggestion from Tuomas to use a rechargeable flood light for the belt pack - so that's my next step.