Fume Hood
LVL1's Fume Hood is almost complete.
It still needs:
- a front door, preferably a sliding acrylic sheet. The front opening is 30" by 48".
- an exhaust fan to share with the laser cutter (mounted on the wall rather than at each machine).
The Fume Hood allows hackers to release harmful fumes without worrying about poisoning the other patrons of LVL1. Please be mindful that these fumes go directly outside, unfiltered. Intended uses for the hood include etching PCBs, performing hot-plate reflow, and playing with chemistry sets. The fume hood features a 4" exhaust gas flange for attachment to an exhaust vent pipe.
If you make any modifications to the fume hood, please make sure you do not disturb the seal around the working area. The seal is simply a silicone bead run along all exposed joints on the inside, so if for example you need to drill a new hole please seal it with silicone when done.
Using the Hood
To use the fume hood effectively:
- Make sure the exhaust fan is ON.
- Turn on the lights in the hood.
- Place the work piece in the hood, using appropriate safety precautions.
- Close the hood's front door as far as possible. If you need to access the work piece while it is in the hood, just keep the door ajar. The smaller the opening, the less harmful fumes will escape into the space. For circuit etching (and other hands-off tasks), close the hood completely.
