Soldering Fan

Post date: Oct 10, 2017 9:15:40 PM

Day 1

The purpose of this is to remove the smoke that is created when soldering. The project will use the laser cutter to create a box and a basic circuit with a switch to activate the fan.

Materials:

-12V computer fan

-1/8 inch wood

-switch

-12V power supply

-laser cutter

-soldering iron

The design for the box is created using http://www.makercase.com. I made the box dimensions 3 cm larger than the fan on all sides. I also added finger edge joints to allow the pieces to fit together.

I then exported the file for the box and used coreldraw and began to add holes for the smoke to enter and the switch.

Day 2

I imported the file created on makercase.com to coreldraw. I measured the dimensions of the fan and decided where intake holes needed to be cut. This was my first time using corel, so after trying a few things, I was able to figure it out. On the front panel, I put a set of vertical rectangles evenly spaced apart to allow for air to be sucked in by the fan. I also added a large rectangular hole on the back panel to allow for air to exit the box.

I then decided where I would want the switch to activate the fan. I measured the switch and placed a rectangle where I wanted it to go. I placed it on one of the side panels near the bottom.

Finally, I needed a way of mounting the fan inside the box because it is smaller. I drew a rectangle with the dimensions of the interior of the box so it could fit inside. I put a large hole in the center so that the corners of the fan could be mounted outside of it and air could pass through.

This is an image of the design for the box.

Day 3

Today I cut the pieces from cardboard to test them. The box fit together fine and the sizing was correct. The size and positioning of the hole for the switch were also correct.

However, the sizing for the fan mount was too large. I continued to work on the design by scaling the mount down. I also noticed that there is not adequate room for the wiring near the switch and the power connector. I removed an area from the mounting piece to solve this problem. The new design is below:

Day 4:

Today I cut out all of the pieces using eighth inch wood. They fit together correctly. I mounted one fan on each side of the mounting piece. The plugs for these fans were wired in parallel to a 12V power supply. I then glued four walls and the bottom pieces together. I slid the piece with the fans mounted on it into the middle of the box, and finally, put on the top of the box. The plug for the power supply was glued to the interior side of the box so that the plug could be reached with the cord. I then placed an air filter in the back of the box.