Fume hood on a budget?

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henrytheeighth

New member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
3
Hi folks, new to the forum and looking for some advice. I'm looking to buy or build a cheap fume hood with some kind of filtration system while purifying silver and gold so that I do not upset the neighbours while doing this in my garage lol. I need something that's not going to corrode. Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
That was a bit short..
Welcome to the forum Henri.
There are many ways to build a fumehood or reuse something to fit your needs. It has to withstand fumes like chlorine gas, one of the most corrosive to metals. I assume you are going to use nitric for silver and gold and some HCL for the AR and the wsshes.
Learn how to filter or scrub these gases. I don't know if you plan on doing this in an area with houses close to you or in an open field?

But first study the process you want to follow and dont start until you know how to work safe and minimize the waste and gases you produce.
Use the search button and there's enough to read. There is tons of info here.
Study dealing with waste.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=1300

Read Hoke's book
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798
From frugalrefiner's signature. He has a printer friendly version too.

Threads on fume hoods:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=Fume+hood

Martijn.
 
Hey, thanks for the reply. It's just Silver refining but I'm starting to think it may be more hassle than its worth. I'm quite comfortable with methods used for refining etc but I have absolutely no idea about fume extraction or scrubbers etc.
 
I scrub the NOX through H2O2 in a bubbler flask assited by a vacuum. The vacuum is made with a water powered venturi, scrubbing the last bit out.
Only when i open the reaction vessel to add something a little bit of gas escapes. That is just blown out through the roof.
I use a checkvalve to supply fresh air to the reaction and to prevent back flow of H2O2 when the reaction flask cools.
All aquarium air tubing and valve parts. Some polyflow tubing. Whatever is at hand.
 
4metals has a very nice design... and simple!
https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=18481&hilit=vacumm+filtering#p186085

Take care!

phil
 
Depends on your size of operation as to how hard or expensive it can get.

As a home/hobbyist I built my hood from plywood and some scrap plex-a-glass for a front hinged at the top. Only thing I bought was a decent fan. Painted everything good with latex house paint.

For a small scrubber system you can make one easy enough for not much money. I bubble my fumes in series of vacuum flasks with peroxide. Capture the fumes on the digestion beaker with a plastic funnel upside down for a lid, tubing on the funnel and into the flasks using an old aquarium pump to pull the vacuum.

When not digesting or otherwise creating fumes I can use the flasks for other things, like vacuum filtering.

Several members here have posted some home made setups that work very well. Search around.
 
For the longest time of used a fiberglass wash sink turned on it’s side with a piece of plexiglass on the front attached by silicone caulking. The door was cut into it and another piece of plexiglass was used as a door that a air damper. Had a PVC Venturi connected to an electric leaf blower.

It held up well. Lots of purple stains (why I stopped refining poor lab practices).

I think I found all the parts in the trash but the tenturi I made from new pvc drain pipe. :D
Eric
 

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