Creative ventilation. Can't cut holes

[Anthony@RWHP]

I'm in a new 2200 sq ft. shop with 28' ceilings. I just need some sort of positive ventilation. Even if it's only a little bit. I have no cross flow and just need something moving through, the heat isn't unbearable theres just no air moving whatsoever. I'm leasing the place, it's a new building. I can't penetrate any of the walls, BUT theres a 6" flap exhaust vent/hole already in the building unused for a future bathroom exhaust.

I want to put something together to draw air from the center and blow it out that existing exhaust installed in the wall. Some sort of ducted exhaust. Like I said I'm not extracting dust/fumes I just want some sort of ventilation, even if it's only a little. I can leave the roll up door cracked and locked a couple inches open as the inlet and just leave the fan running continuously.

Has anyone done or seen this sort of installation ? I may even put a dehumififier in there. It's just a hobby garage that I rent to store my race car, trailer, tools, etc.

 

[dangle]

Just my thoughts:
-A 6" hole will have a hard time moving a respectable volume of air in a 2200 sq. ft. shop.
-A dehumidifier will generate heat and lower humidity levels, but will not help with ventilation.

You could try some sort of exhaust fan routed through the 6" hole and maybe some bigger shop fans?

 

[bczygan]

If you can lock the overhead door in any position, then construct a frame with a solid panel in the middle and openings in each end to accept fans. Those openings should have security bars welded over them. One fan should intake and the other exhaust. Entire metal frame should lock in place to the overhead door rails and maybe to the bottom of the door as well.
Sound like it could work for you?

 

[Racer_X]

How about some ceiling fans just to move some air around?

 

[mustangmccance]

I saw a garage once I can't find the picture but they built a wooden structure that was about 30 inches high and essentially went under the garage door, so you open the door a bit, slide this panel in under it and close the door down on top of it. basically it was a removable garage door panel in other words and it had to fans in it, one pointed in and the other out. the one pointing in had a furnace filter attached to it so no dust was being blown in, but that would get some air moving at least, and if you put a fan in the back of the shop it would help even more.

 

[Anthony@RWHP]

hmm... I like the 1 fan in, 1 fan out under the roll up door....

A buddy of mine stopped by today, basically he suggest a few fans. 2-3 down 1 wall on the left side of the shop blowing in, 2-3 down the right side of the shop blowing air out the open door. So air is flowing in one side of the shop towards the back, than out the other side pointing out. Ventilation, cooling, etc..

A dual zone mini split is IN this shops future, probably not till the end of this year though. I may just sneak a small exhaust fan in the roof so I have some sort of exhaust and hope they dont notice/care it's there.

I have my own dynojet that is going in this shop too, it's going all the way back at the roll up door so all exhaust goes outside, but some fumes will still make there way in and collect in the shop.

 

[Anthony@RWHP]

Heres a couple pics. I took these when the old people were using it as storage before I moved in. All the junk is gone. The floor is getting epoxied white, the walls getting custom paint, engine room on the far wall, and a second story loft with stairs in the rear of the shop like an L. adding tons of compressed air hookups, electric, and lighting as well....

I'll try this


IMAG0238 by Anthony@MDS, on Flickr


IMAG0233 by Anthony@MDS, on Flickr

IMAG0234 by Anthony@MDS, on Flickr

IMAG0235 by Anthony@MDS, on Flickr

 

[CARS]

I looked at a car a few years ago that was stored in an old confinement barn. It had wall mounted fans about every 20' all blowing in a counter-clockwise direction. A circular air flow. It seemed to work for this guy.

I don't know if they were there for the animals or put in there when he turned it into work space??

28' ceilings.... wow. I'd hate to heat that space, but the first thing that popped in my mind was 3 levels of storage!!

 

[darkk]

Looks like a pretty nice location. Are you sure they are going to allow you to build an in/out fan system under that door?

 

[Anthony@RWHP]

I looked at a car a few years ago that was stored in an old confinement barn. It had wall mounted fans about every 20' all blowing in a counter-clockwise direction. A circular air flow. It seemed to work for this guy.

I don't know if they were there for the animals or put in there when he turned it into work space??

28' ceilings.... wow. I'd hate to heat that space, but the first thing that popped in my mind was 3 levels of storage!!

Yeah I couldnt care less about heat, I'm right off the ocean in South Florida. Even on the coldest 40* winter nights, close the door to stop drafts and in your comfortably in a tshirt. This is basically going to be my small biz(I dyno tune cars on the weekends) / ultimate hobby garage. There will be a second level with some serious shelves and a loft with stairs, upstairs office, I'm even planning a smallish gantry crane to move big heavy things around the shop. Under the second level will be my mill, lathe, mini cnc, welding table, tigs, migs, cold saw, band saw. The lift will be on the left long side of the wall where the water fountain is. Putting up a few tv's, air conditioning, and this place will remain SPOTLESS, I'm a neat freak I hate sand, or grit on the floor, dust, dirt, metal dust, oil, trans fluid, water, NOTHING....

Looks like a pretty nice location. Are you sure they are going to allow you to build an in/out fan system under that door?

As long as its not permanent or left in there overnight or anything like that.

 

[jkeyser14]

That sounds like the perfect application for a fan from a woodworking dust collector. They are generally 800-1000 cfm and are sized to pull through a 4-6" diameter pipe and push into a somewhat clogged filter. Instead of blowing into a filter, hook up a line to blow through the flap exhaust.

 

[wbrian63]

Noise will be an issue with a dust collector. I've got one in my shop that sounds like a low-speed jet engine when it's on.

I solved the problem of noise by enclosing it in a closet that's insulated on all the walls and the ceiling, and the closet is inside the finishing room - and you can still hear it (if you listen closely) over the roar of the table saw.

 

[Anthony@RWHP]

Dust collector sounds perfect! They have multiple intakes too, no? I can put one near the dyno for residual fumes, one on the far end of the shop and leave the door cracked open. I'm still doing a little contriction, I can duct it and build an insulated wall around it.