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How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor

Introduction

Soldering creates fumes that are better left un-inhaled. If you're tired of holding your breath or "playing dodge the fumes" then this affordable and simple fume extractor is for you.

Best of all, it's made from parts you probably have laying around. The only specialty part that you may need to order is the activated carbon filter. This guide uses Hakko A1001 filters.

What you need

  1. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Overview: step 1, image 1 of 2 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Overview: step 1, image 2 of 2

    • This fume extractor is composed of three main parts: a 12V computer fan, cardboard box enclosure, and activated carbon filter.

    • Solder often contains rosin flux. When vaporized during soldering, it's a respiratory and eye irritant and can cause health issues when inhaled long term.

    • This extractor pulls the harmful fumes into the charcoal filter trapping volatile compounds, removing them from the air.

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  2. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Position the fan on the box: step 2, image 1 of 1

    • Position the fan over the box so that an exhaust cutout can be made.

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  3. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke fan mounting holes: step 3, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke fan mounting holes: step 3, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke fan mounting holes: step 3, image 3 of 3

    • Use a pointy object like a screwdriver to poke four fan mounting holes into the box.

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  4. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Trace the inside diameter of the fan onto the box: step 4, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Trace the inside diameter of the fan onto the box: step 4, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Trace the inside diameter of the fan onto the box: step 4, image 3 of 3

    • Use a pen or pencil to mark the inside diameter of the fan onto the box.

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  5. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the exhaust port: step 5, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the exhaust port: step 5, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the exhaust port: step 5, image 3 of 3

    • Use a razor blade to cut out the fan exhaust port.

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  6. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke four more fan mounting holes: step 6, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke four more fan mounting holes: step 6, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Poke four more fan mounting holes: step 6, image 3 of 3

    • Poke four more holes about 1 cm out from the ones you made earlier.

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  8. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Mark the intake port: step 7, image 1 of 2 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Mark the intake port: step 7, image 2 of 2

    • Flip the box over.

    • Use a pen or a pencil and a straight edge to mark out the intake port.

    • Leave a lip so the filter material won't fall out when placed inside the box.

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  9. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the intake port: step 8, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the intake port: step 8, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out the intake port: step 8, image 3 of 3

    • Use a razor blade to cut out the intake port in the box.

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  10. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Thread zip ties through the fan mount holes: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Thread four zip ties through the fan mounting holes.

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  11. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut the filter to size: step 10, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut the filter to size: step 10, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut the filter to size: step 10, image 3 of 3

    • Activated carbon filters come in all shapes and sizes. You may need to cut and modify the filter to fit your enclosure.

    • Cut the filter so it will fit snugly in the intake port.

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  12. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Insert the filter into the intake port: step 11, image 1 of 2 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Insert the filter into the intake port: step 11, image 2 of 2

    • Insert the filter into the intake port.

    • If your filter doesn't span the intake port, you can use glue or tape to connect multiple filter sections together.

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  13. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Secure the fan to the exhaust port: step 12, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Secure the fan to the exhaust port: step 12, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Secure the fan to the exhaust port: step 12, image 3 of 3

    • Thread the zip ties through the fan's mounting holes.

    • Make sure the fan's intake side is placed against the box hole, or you'll end up with a soldering fume blower.

    • Secure the fan to the exhaust port by tightening the zip ties.

    • Clip the excess zip tie strap.

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  14. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut off the fan connector: step 13, image 1 of 2 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut off the fan connector: step 13, image 2 of 2
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  15. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Thread the fan cable into the box: step 14, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Thread the fan cable into the box: step 14, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Thread the fan cable into the box: step 14, image 3 of 3

    • Use a pointy object like a screwdriver to poke a hole in the box for the fan cable.

    • Thread the fan cable into the box.

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  16. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out a hole for the switch: step 15, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out a hole for the switch: step 15, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Cut out a hole for the switch: step 15, image 3 of 3

    • Use a pen or pencil to mark the outline of the switch.

    • Choose a convenient and easily accessible location.

    • Cut out a hole for the switch.

    • Pull the fan cable through the switch hole.

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  17. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Wire up the fan, switch, and battery: step 16, image 1 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Wire up the fan, switch, and battery: step 16, image 2 of 3 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Wire up the fan, switch, and battery: step 16, image 3 of 3

    • Before soldering, make sure the fan is wired up correctly. If the positive and negative wires are switched, the fan might burn out.

    • Solder the switch between the fan's positive wire and the battery's positive wire.

    • Solder the negative fan wire to the negative battery wire.

    • Pull the excess cable back through and mount the switch to the box.

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  18. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Place the electronics in the box: step 17, image 1 of 1

    • Place the loose wires in the box.

    • Secure the 9V battery to the interior of the box using double sided tape.

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  19. How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Admire your creation: step 18, image 1 of 2 How to Make an Affordable Soldering Fume Extractor, Admire your creation: step 18, image 2 of 2

    • Rejoice! The days of holding your breath or inhaling solder fumes are over.

    • If your solder fumes are especially potent and are visible in the exhaust, you can stack additional filter material to trap them.

    Edit
Conclusion

Now that you've created a fume extractor, check out some of our soldering guides or stop by our store for supplies you might need on your soldering journey.

13 other people completed this guide.

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Chayton Ritter

Member since: 08/21/20

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4 Comments

Nice job. As for those 9 volt batteries, you will find that when your smoke alarm starts beeping, the batteries still have plenty of life left for running the fan. No need to buy a new battery.

Phil - Reply

how long will the battery last? why not use a battery connector? so changing out the battery would be a lot easier.

Russell G Stewart - Reply

they do, it's easiest to see in the step 1 photo, but it's also there in step 17

X2Brute -

Why not put the fan in the box?

Why not reduce the inlet opening to the size of a smoke filter and thus save a filter?

Simon Martel - Reply

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