Mike Frantz has a question

[mikefrantz]

I just got off the phone with a person who is buying a Phantom torch and is going to put it into their garage and they were asking me for ventilation information.

I explained that ventilation is important. I said that it was more important when using borosilicate than soft glass, but VERY important when fuming.

I explained that the size of the room, the size of the torch, the type of glass, this and more will influence the type of ventilation system one needs.

I told this person that when we started we only had minor bench burners and we worked only soft glass and that we were in a three car garage and at the beginning we opened a few doors and got cross ventilation. This type is not great, but it would be better than working in a closet with the door shut.

After finding out that borosilicate was the type of glass, good ventilation was important and that since I was not an expert, they could either buy a book and read up on the topic or just go to the forums and do a search for ventilation.

I said to them I was familiar with lampworketc.com and that a search did come up with some good information, but I know there are other forums and others places to get the most information so that they can have the best ventilation to fit in their budget.

So I am asking you for help. Where should they look? Is any of the books better than any of the others? Is there one supplier who has more information about ventilation (I think GlassCraft may be a good place)?

I told them I would email them some links, so if you got some ideas of what to read or where to search on the internet, I would be very thankfull and then will have this information handy for the next time somebody asks.

I do not feel qualified, nor do I want to tell somebody how to do it and them become legally responsible for giving them information that might or might not keep them healthy.

Thanks

Mike

[beadworkstudio]

Mike, I have the Glasscraft hood and it's not the best. I had to get a new fan, and now I have to get some ducting made so it all fits. Before I do that I'm considering a smaller hood (the Glasscraft one is really big). I don't have any more information than that, but I wouldn't call them experts.

[KristiB]

Mike, I think there is a ton of ventilation information on the ISGB forum too.

[Hayley]

Mike - I agree with Sheila that Glasscraft is NOT a good place to recommend ventilation since it was selling booster fan that was only 250 CFM and claiming that it was 650 CFM.

[bgurden]

i bought the glasscraft hood and put a new fan on it. i changed out the duct work so that it is rigid duct work. my fan is a vortex fan that i bought on ebay thru a hydroponics store(thanks for those who grow the wacky tabaccy). it is 790 cfm. glass craft only sells the hood now. they also have an alternate ventilation system which appears more portable. you would think that more people would be marketing a good ventilation system. that is not the case and i wonder if that is due to fears of litigation.
one of the lampwork contributors from michigan(dawn) shows an excellent way to make a hood from a livestock water container.

[Curly Irish Girl]

Andrea Guarino has a fab packet with info on ventilation.....she has said she will email it to anyone who asks......