# Would this make a good fume hood?



## Geer-Scrapper (Jan 26, 2016)

Hello
I have a chance to purchase a paint booth (I'm assuming it's for smaller parts) and was wondering if this would be relatively easy to convert over to a fume hood? I am still not ready to refine at this point as I am still learning the process and gathering materials to refine. I am just thinking down the road and the chances of me finding something like this again are slim. I do know it works and will find out more details about this unit when the owner calls me back. Just looking for opinions before I purchase. Thanks everyone!


----------



## FrugalRefiner (Jan 26, 2016)

What's it made of? It looks like sheet metal, in which case it will probably corrode quickly under the attack of fumes.

Dave


----------



## Geer-Scrapper (Jan 26, 2016)

Yes it looks like sheet metal. I was thinking of lining it with something. Do you think that will work?
Thanks Dave


----------



## JHS (Jan 26, 2016)

I think it would be a bad investment.First it is too low,and you would have to bend over too close to the fumes to check your solutions.Second,you would be putting too much money in it to make it usable.Then you still have the metal vent pipe to replace with pvc,and the fan will quit in short order.Also you would need to build doors.
sorry for the bad news,but that's my opinion.
john


----------



## NobleMetalWorks (Jan 26, 2016)

You can pick up used fume hoods fairly inexpensively that have a baked coating on the metal that make them corrosive resistant. I use two like this and a third that is made of a plastic specifically intended to resist corrosive gases, etc.

The real issue is not n properly evacuating these gases. Properly evacuated or having the proper airflow, face flow, etc when you pull the curtain down will cause the corrosive gases to move upward. Logically, if you have constant low pressure on the inside, constant airflow, there should never exist a situation where gases build up inside the hood itself. Of they were, you couldn't or would not rather, want you hands anywhere on the inside of the hood.

Barring equipment or power failure, this should always be the case. Mine run 24/7 as I always have acidic solutions under the hood.

On the hoods that use coated metal, I can see no signs of corrosive damage.

Also important is the exhuast pipe, you want to make sure this is also resistant to corrosive gases.

You may also want to use a fume scrubber, specially if doing your work in a neighborhood where others livenin close proximity.

There are a lot of good posts on both fume hoods, making fume hoods and fume scrubbers on this forum, just use the search function.

What you show in your pictures might work, but to me it looks very rough and seems it would require a substantial investment and work to turn it into what you need.

Acid cabnits are almost always included with fume hoods and make a convenient, and safe area to store acids. Also, fume hoods almost always come with a special polymer shelf for working that are acid and heat resistant. These are useful as you can set a hot beaker on them operate a hotplate stirrer inside as there are usually plugs also. They usually come with an airflow meeter and alarm, and flu to adjust the function/negative air pressure inside the hood.

I would suggest contacting a local equipment remarketer, they might have just what you are looking for. If you live close to California, and/or are willing to pay for shipping. I have a nice 4 ft fume hood that I would be interested in selling for $3,000.00 that has had very little use and comes with all I mentioned above. And if needed, I have a large sunctionnfan with catalytic scrubber that site on top of a room that provides suction, it is far more than needed for one hood, it was intended for several hoods and is probably way overkill for your needs.

Scott


----------



## Geer-Scrapper (Jan 27, 2016)

Thanks for your advice and I have decided to pass on the paint booth! Sorry Scott But I live on the other side of the country in NY.


----------



## rickbb (Jan 27, 2016)

Even a homemade plywood box with several layers of thick latex paint work very well as a fume hood.


----------

