Fabrication of Custom Exhaust Hood For Screen Printing Shop

Even though duct work is our bread and butter and what the majority of my work day consists of. We often get projects that are along the same lines, but just different enough that some extra thought and attention is needed. Case and point, the project I had for the last few days has been to fabricate an exhaust hood for a drying machine inside a small screen printing shop. I won't even pretend to know exactly what the machine does, the customer drew up what he wanted and I am making it to those specifications. Simple. Here's some pics.

Below is the wide shot of the hood. The customer wanted a rectangular box with pieces angled inside that would deflect the air to the center 4" collar.There are no welds, everything is done with the Pittsburgh machine, break, hammer and rivets.

This picture just gives a clearer view of the depth of the piece and a look at the collar in the center. The total dimensions were 62" wide, 6" deep and 12" in height with a 4" collar cut into the top middle.

Here is a shot looking inside at the angled pieces that will deflect the air toward the center of the hood.  It's tough to see, but I also added a 1/4" 90 degree lip around the bottom edge for some stability. Even though the hood is for a smaller application, the width of the hood will make it weaker in the middle and prone to bowing or popping. The angle will give it just enough strength to keep it stable when the machine is running and keep any noise to a minimum.

End of The Week Pin Action

One of my most hated tasks in this business is insulating duct work. I know that it is a necessity for some applications and obviously, more work means a bigger invoice. However, it is one of the most tedious of the jobs that I have and can eat up hours quickly, leaving me little time for other work. I know that it comes with the territory though and for the first time this year I have a full day of pinning and insulating. Any business is good business.

Filter Rack Installation Inside a Plenum

This morning I am working on a custom cold air filter box. Basically a plenum with a filter rack riveted inside. I fabricated the plenum and just finished installing the filter rack. Here are a few basic before and after pictures.

 Here are a couple pictures of the finished plenum without the filter rack installed. As you can see, I have left a slot in the plenum ( 1 1/4" wide ) where the filter will slide in and out.

Next I have to fabricate the 1"x1"x1" channel pieces that will become the finished rack inside the plenum. The plenum is a basic 16" x 24", so I will need two 23 3/4" rails for the long sides and one 15 3/4" rail for the short side. Notice I have subtracted 1/4" from each rail. That is so the rails fit easily inside the plenum without any unneeded force, while allowing for movement in the plenum for easy installation on the job site. I have also cut some 45 degree notches on the 15 3/4" rail so that when the filter slides inside, it won't get caught on a bent corner of metal.

All that is left to do is rivet the sections of rail inside the plenum and the rack is installed. I usually start by installing the 23 1/4" sections first and then slide the 15 3/4" section down inside the other two rails. Now the customer can pick it up and install it on the job site. I have used some basic filter material in the picture to show how the filter would slide inside the plenum. I would not suggest using this as a filter for a homeowner. Buy some high quality filters that will last.

Our Favorite Super Bowl Commercial: Detroit Rock City

Our favorite Super Bowl commercial was hands down the Eminem Chrysler spot. Gotta love the appreciation of manufacturing in this country and the importance of one of the great city's in America. Love it or hate it, Detroit Rock City is an important cog in the workings of the country as a whole. With the jobless rate still hovering in the 9% range, a busy Detroit is a good sign for the direction of the jobless market and the country's ability to build things going forward.