My Indoor Air Scribe Setup - An In-Depth Breakdown

[Sonickmonx]

A few months ago I decided I would make an air scribe setup I could put in my office.  It took about a month of research and planning to settle on everything.  It works great, is totally safe, and my wife hasn't gone mad yet!  I thought this would be something the forum would enjoy seeing, as I couldn't find any good information on this topic to help me build mine at the time so I might as well share what I learned along the way!

 

The basic considerations were as follows:

 

• Be safe
• Be professional
• Be quiet 
• Be reasonably priced

 

 

Let's break down the requirements and see how they influenced the project.

 

 

Be Safe

 

The number one concern was airborne dust particles, and their potential to cause major damage to my lungs, and also the lungs of my dogs and wife over time if it got circulated throughout the house through the AC.  To combat this I needed to make a box that could contain the dust/rock chips and some form of dust extraction.  Not only that, I also needed to ensure the dust extraction was rated for such abrasive dust, and that it would have a HEPA filter to catch the dust and not recirculate it out into the room. 

 

Let's start with dust extraction.  I had suggestions to just use a shop-vac, however this is not a good idea. Firstly, it's not safe as the filter cannot catch the fine damage-causing silica dust but also it couldn't be run for hours in a row without burning up.  I found through my research that this is not an easy product to source, especially not in the US.  After a lot of time spent looking and some helpful advice I found Vaniman, and specifically the StoneVac II to be the right product for my needs.  It has a bypass motor so the motor doesn't get damaged by the dust which gives it a much longer lifespan.  I did not get the brushless version, one reason being this price, but it's also was just unnecessary.  For a smaller prep box the Abrasive Vac would work just as well, jsut make sure you request the HEPA filter.  Speaking of the box!

 

For the box I designed it based on The Wobbly Fossiler's design.  It was made out of one sheet of 1/4" plywood and 1x1's as stringers.  The base is 2'x3' as I wanted plenty of room to work on larger pieces.  I screwed the wood together and caulked all the joints, then painted over that.  The entrance for the hands is garage door brush seal on the top and bottom. This allows ease of access for the hands, mobility/flexibility, keeps chunks from flying back out and, very importantly, is not airtight.  One thing I didn't consider initially is that the box cannot be totally airtight or the vacuum won't be able to pull the dust out due to no airflow.  I attempted to make everything airtight except this entrance so that the air is predictably entering the box from the front and being drawn straight out the back.  For the window I cut a piece of plexiglass and put clear silicone inbetween it and the lid, then bolted it together.  This makes it an airtight seal, yet makes it easy to replace in the case of damage to the plexiglass.  I ran weather strip seal around the edges of the lid, used latches to secure the lid shut, ran strip LEDs around the inside and cut a hole in the back for the vacuum hose to enter.  I used a gromet to ensure an airtight seal around the vacuum hose, which surprisingly was the hardest part of the whole build to source.  I could certainly make a better box if I did it again, but I am very satisfied with the result.

 

 

Professional Capabilities

 

This consideration steered the vision of the project and its scope.  I purchased 2 PaleoZOIC scribes (the Velociraptor II and the Balaur) as my scribes to use in this box.  There would be no reason to invest in such nice prep tools if the environment they were being used in was poorly constructed, cheap and unable to get the most out of this investment.  I also wanted to make sure I had plenty of room to work on some large chunks of Limestone I had collected in the past, and to do that I needed a much larger and more versatile box than any prebuilt ones I came across.  I also like the ability to move my arms in and out and side to side to get to whatever position is comfortable as I have some sensitive wrists.  Prebuilt boxes and they were either absurdly expensive, or unreliable.

 

 

Don't Drive my Wife Insane (Be Quiet)

 

As mentioned, this setup was going to go into my inside office. For this consideration, that meant I had to be considerate of others who the noise might impact, namely my wife.  Another great advantage of the StoneVac II that I didn't previously mention is how quiet it is.  It is quiet enough to have a, maybe slightly elevated, conversation over.  However, it is leagues quieter than a ShopVac.  This means with the door shut to my office it is not an issue for others in the house.  The same can be said for the air compressor.  I got an 8 Gallon air compressor from California Air Tools and am very pleased with both its quiet noise level and ability to easily keep up with my tools.  It is also oil free and brushless, allowing for virtually no maintenance and a longer life span. I am very satisfied with these two pieces of equipment.

 

 

Price

 

For this final category, I had to make sure to balance budget, efficiency and safety.  Because I saved money on the box I was able to get two very nice air scribes.  The air compressor was also quiet inexpensive all things considered.  The biggest single expense was undoubtedly the dust extractor, however that is also the piece you cannot skimp out on since it is the most important piece to the puzzle of safety and health. I debated whether it was worth spending so much for this, but in the end I knew my health was more important.  The biggest place you could save money over my setup is undoubtedly in the scribes.  I needed some high quality scribes for some very delicate prep work I needed to do, so depending on what you're doing you could certainly save a lot there.

 

 

Conclusions

 

I am very satisfied with my setup as it strikes a great harmony between functionality and price.  I would recommend a similar setup to anyone who like myself wants to prep inside for whatever reasons, needs a setup that isn't too expensive, and wants the ability to do professional-grade prep.  I am happy to answer any questions!  I hope this wasn't too long-winded, I wanted to ensure everything was covered to hopefully inspire/inform others who might have similar limitations and restrictions.  Happy prepping!

[Balance]

Man I jumped online just in time for this! 
 

Congratulations and very nicely done. Not just the box build but your setup is tidy and all the pieces are excellent quality. You’ll be running this a long time. 
 

Seriously impressive! 
 

If it works let me know and I’ll draw it in a DXF file for the Cnc. you’ll have a digital version forever. If you want to make another one later, with changes, I can save you hassle and cut the pieces out for you. 

Great post! 
 

Jp 
 

If I missed it I apologize but I don’t remember seeing you add an inner plastic film to your under/inside side window. The abrasives in a blast cabinet will “scuff” the finish over time and you won’t be able to see through clearly. You should be able to use something with adhesive already on it like these. 
 

LINK 1

 

edit: totally thought about this playing frisbee with the pups. Well done! You got my brain excited. 😂 

 

If you add a foot pedal on/off switch you can turn the vacuum on/off only when you’re actively spraying abrasive. So save noise and life on the vacuum. I added switches to my big grinder/s vacuum systems and my power bill actually went down. 
 

LINK 2

[Advantage]

Well done, thats a great setup, inside pepping in your house! Hope it all goes well. I`m totally useless at DIY and no way could make a prep box from scratch.

 

Steve

[trilobites_are_awesome]

That's a great setup!

When I get a good prep setup I want it to be like that!

[Sonickmonx]

@Balance haha, I'm glad you enjoyed this post.  My pups have been begging me to play fetch but I told them to wait until the ground dries.  I don't know much about the DXF stuff mentioned but we could chat about it, it sounds interesting for sure.  I did not worry too much about a plastic film on the underside as this box is strictly for air scribe use, but that's also why I made the plexiglass easily removable in case that was an oversight. I would likely make something that's a closed system for abrasives so that would need its own redesign.  I like the idea of using a foot pedal to control both the vacuum and the abrasive in the future though when I do get to using abrasives!  Not sure what sort of preps I'd be looking to use those on, but I'm sure I'll find an excuse to get a setup someday.

[SPrice]

2 hours ago, trilobites_are_awesome said:

That's a great setup!

When I get a good prep setup I want it to be like that!

 

 

Yeah! and a Cup Holder, too...wow! Fabulous!

[oilshale]

Congratulations, a well-made box to work with a pneumatic scribe. For a box in which you can sandblast, I prefer a different design. As I actually always work with a microscope, a secretary desk shape with a tilted viewing window (higher at the back than at the front) is unfavorable for me. My box has a simple rectangular design - this makes it easier for me to focus on the fossil with the microscope and look at larger areas without changing the distance from the objective to the fossil.

I have been using my box for several hours every week for a few years now and have never had to change my glass window. About 10 years ago I used polyester windows for a short time - they became cloudy and unusable within a short time.

Edited January 24 by oilshale

[jpc]

Nice work, sonickmonx.....

A few comments.  As you are only airscribing, the plexiglass may last a while, but glass is cheaper and will last a lot longer, as oilshale mentions.  (Eventually you may find yourself wanting to go with an air abrasive system as well).  I have been using my sandblasting box for 30 years and only had to change the glass once.  I use a small strip of weather-stripping under the glass to keep the dust inside the box and attach it with mirror clips.  I used silicone o my first piece of lass and it was impossible to remover the glass.  Silicone is a great glues for that, but is not easily removed when the time comes.

 

Also, an oily compressor will last a lot longer than an oil-less.  But in this case the main goal was quiteness.   

 

This is the first time I have seen a photo of the Vaniman dust collector.  We (at work) bought a few of these when they were made by The prep tent.  They are really good and indeed quite quiet.  A shopvac is too noisy and is not meant to run for long periods, so good choice on that one.  

[hadrosauridae]

I really like your setup, well thought out and designed.  Looks perfect for your first prep station with a scribe.  The only element I would change would be a larger tank with your compressor, which cuts down greatly on the run time of the compressor.  A friend of mine has one that looks identical (I dont know which brand) and its impressively quiet.  We can talk while its running, which isnt remotely possible with my harbor freight compressor.   

[Balance]

Very informative thread today. 
 

@Sonickmonx thanks for the education! Until today I thought all these air scribes use some sort of micro abrasive powder. Very cool to know it’s just pneumatics. 
 

Sending you a message with a dxf explanation. 
 

Jp
 

 

[hadrosauridae]

Just remembered something I wanted to add here.  You can make your own cyclone dust extractor pretty cheaply and it will keep nearly all of the dust and debris out of the dust collector.  Something to keep in mind if you find yourself needing to empty the collector often.  I do realize that with just scribes it not likely going to be and issue, but once you move up to micro abrasion, you can push a lot of abrasive over a short time.

[Sonickmonx]

@hadrosauridae A larger tank isn't a bad idea, if I need to upgrade my air compressor eventually that's fine.  It was the cheapest piece of this project somehow haha.  I actually did buy a cyclone extractor with my dust collector for just that reason.   At this rate it's going to take a year just to fill the cyclone haha, definitely something to keep in mind when I get into abrasives eventually. Thanks for the comments!

 

@jpc I was having a hard time sourcing the glass whereas the plexiglass was easy to find and cut.  I'll keep that in mind though for sure.  Hopefully I don't have to worry about that for a while.  I didn't do enough research to make the statement oil-less would last longer, but yeah it was inexpensive, quiet, low maintenance and from a reputable brand so I went with it.  On the topic of the Vaniman - I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and their customer support helping me to choose the right product.  Very highly recommend!

[Sonickmonx]

18 hours ago, SPrice said:

 

 

Yeah! and a Cup Holder, too...wow! Fabulous!

 

Lol, the cupholder is on the desk I have the box on, but it is certainly useful... mostly for holding my phone so I can easily answer the wife when she calls while I'm in the middle of a prep session haha.

[jpc]

Glass is easy to find.  google 'glass shops' in your area.  Then go to the ones that do not have the word windshield or automotive in the their names.  They can cut a piece of glass for you to your specs and bevel the edges you don't end up bloody all for less than you would pay for a piece of plexi.  That has been my experience, anyway. 

 

But yeah, if you are only doing air-scribing, you should be good to go for a while.   

 

I like the cup holder to hold the phone... good idea.  

 

Have fun in your office space.     

Edited January 25 by jpc

[hadrosauridae]

5 hours ago, Sonickmonx said:

 I was having a hard time sourcing the glass whereas the plexiglass was easy to find and cut.  I'll keep that in mind though for sure.  Hopefully I don't have to worry about that for a while.  I didn't do enough research to make the statement oil-less would last longer, but yeah it was inexpensive, quiet, low maintenance and from a reputable brand so I went with it.  On the topic of the Vaniman - I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and their customer support helping me to choose the right product.  Very highly recommend!

 

I ordered a pack of cheap picture frame replacement glass from the *giant rainforest site*  I'm not sure what size your viewing cutout it, but you only need a about 1/4" overlap.  Mirror mounting tabs work good to hold it securely in place.  They only cost a few dollars so its no loss if they get frosted and have to be replaced, even once a year.  Mine hasnt needed to be replaced and I think it been a couple years now.

[Kane]

I get my glass from one of those picture framing places, and they have a type of glass where one side is coated. This extends the life of box glass as regular glass gets frosted faster with all the micro-debris flying around inside the box.

[SPrice]

8 hours ago, Sonickmonx said:

 

Lol, the cupholder is on the desk I have the box on, but it is certainly useful... mostly for holding my phone so I can easily answer the wife when she calls while I'm in the middle of a prep session haha.

Yeah, it was tongue in cheek humor attempt.   Kinda like a cupholder on motorcycle handlebars...who da thunk that up? I don't think the two go together. You elbow your coffee while prepping and you - break a mug, splash coffee and porcelain shards everywhere...and worst, possibly shred a trilobite eyeball to smithereens during the fiasco.  It looked way too shallow and wide to be a proper cupholder anyway.   I noticed the previous posts covered all the essential oohs and aahhs...so... I took a left turn.  

Edited January 25 by SPrice
typo

[jpc]

beer holder on the motorcycle... I love it!

[SPrice]

4 minutes ago, jpc said:

beer holder on the motorcycle... I love it!

 

 

Not to derail the thread...but I Googled " cupholder on a ..." .

 

You can get them on horses, dogs, wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, toilets, weed trimmers...you name it.  Somebody needs to draw the red line on cupholders.  Wait you can get them with a red line, too.

[Sonickmonx]

@SPrice certainly no derailment there!  Thanks for the good laugh!

[SPrice]

You're welcome for the chuckles. BIG THANKS to you for sharing your awesome indoor air scribe cabinet and set up. I do believe many of us have the gears grinding upstairs and drooling  over the idea of building such rig as you've put together. Myself included. 

 

BTW the "S"  in SPrice is for Steve. I'm in amazing state, Utah,  for collecting fossils and I've barely gotten started not counting a very casual approach of finding shark teeth at the beach or the odd piece of petrified wood now and then over my lifetime. In a nutshell, Utah has everything from Permian to Eocene at a guess. I'm into the Cretaceous and early Triassic right now with the focus on ammonites. Trilobites galore in Utah up to Allosaurus and more. 

 

So I have the basic hand tools and a Dremel 290 engraver with Zoic tungsten tips. Being a bit of a wood,  stone, bone and antler carver, I've noticed some of the skills in removing everything except the sculpture in my carving endeavors some what applies to prepping fossils. Just remove the matrix from the fossil and stop at the right time. 

 

The next step is air scribes then air abrasion tools...and the cabinets...and the funding.  It's a big step, too.  This thread is a motivator. My current set up is basically - make a mess in the man cave and clean it up, make a mess in the garage and clean it up, make a mess on the back patio and clean it up ...all done on work tables with a shop vac, safety equipment on my face and chips and dust a flying.  Yep, pretty crude techniques but my results are decent enough for me at this point in the journey.  

 

Thanks again. Let us know how well it works for you.

Edited January 26 by SPrice
typos

[Sonickmonx]

I appreciate the kind words @SPrice, Utah is an unbelievably rich state fossil wise, you're certainly very fortunate and have so many awesome things to find out there.  I love SC but we are certainly limited in our fossil variety, however what we do have is unbelievably rich so I can't complain too much.  Here's a sneak peek of what motivated me to buy the setup.  I plan to have it finished in a few days and submit it for FOTM so keep an eye out ;).

[Dimitris]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:30 PM, Sonickmonx said:

@hadrosauridae A larger tank isn't a bad idea, if I need to upgrade my air compressor eventually that's fine.  It was the cheapest piece of this project somehow haha.  I actually did buy a cyclone extractor with my dust collector for just that reason.   At this rate it's going to take a year just to fill the cyclone haha, definitely something to keep in mind when I get into abrasives eventually. Thanks for the comments!

 

 

Amazing work done there. I am in a similar project this period, however on less strict specs, since I am doing it in a designated place for cleaning fossils, so my wife would never complain about it. If you ever need to upgrade your tank size, the most affordable and safe options to do it are:
i) Fire extinguiser, but they are usually small.

ii) Some propane tank for cooking

iii) Used propane tank from a car using LPG, if you use such fuel in the USA for cars.

 

Any of the above could be easily connected in parallel with the compressor's tank.

Again, congrats for the neat result, your box is super cool.