Currently building a workshop and want to fit an extraction fan. The workshop will be used for the usual car related work together with the occasional paint spraying of body panels etc. Explosive proof fans with enclosed motors are very expensive, would I get away with an ordinary new/second hand commercial fan as seen on e-bay or would I end up blowing myself away. Alternatively, I could build my own with a belt driven fan with the motor situated outside in a water tight box. Another idea I had was to a install an induction fan to created a positive pressure which in turn would force the fumes out through a vent, in theory it might work but I have doubts. Any comments very welcome, ta!

Bit of an after thought, if I construct a box in front of the fan with a filter in it to prevent fumes/dust reaching the fan would this solve the explosive issue?

[Edited on 15/5/15 by LBMEFM]

[Edited on 15/5/15 by LBMEFM]

When spraying I have been using a pair of old car rad fans on hardboard, and taped into an open window. Fans fed via a car battery and HD charger. They shift a LOT of air!

The explosive issue is not a problem, the levels of thinners in the air is very very low. Besides, any decent filter will make the fan virtually useless.

If you want general venting, a commercial sized fan will do well, but more probably required when spraying.

For the entire of uni I used my basement as a spray both and a fan heater on 'cold' jammed in a window pointing out as a extractor. I never blew up.

After uni I put it in the middle of the garden and turn it to hot just to see what happened. All the filaments were coated in paint and it smoked loads. It still never blew up.


I would go with car rad fan.

I did the same as cliftyhanger. I sprayed the Wife's MG Midget in a make-shift spray booth made from polythene and the 2 x 12V cooling fans fastened to a stout cardboard box and sealed in with tape. Like he said, they shift a lot of air! The polythene sheets were constantly bowed in from the suction

Only problem is, make sure you never want to use the fans again (or at least not unless they are to be colour co-ordinated to the car!

Thanks for that, a 12v car fan it is then