DIY Solder Fume Extractor

Here’s an idea for a cheap solder fume extractor… helps keep away the smokey burning flux away from your face.

You just need a small 12V computer fan (real cheap, or look in your junk computer parts pile), and a lab power supply, or 12V DC Adapter. Add a filter if you want (to protect your fingers/work/PCB) from the fan blades. You can change orientation of fan to either suck, or blow air away from you. On a hot day, it could double as a personal electric fan too.

To make the fan stable, I added some L-shaped supports at the bottom, to make the footprint wider.


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A few years ago, I bought a commercial fume extractor (made in China) and it sucks. It sucks not in a good way… it was very noisy, with a weak fan, too tall so the fan is far away from the work and it topples down very easily. This DIY solution with it’s low center of gravity and small size, and quieter fan works way better.

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