Battery-operated fans

          I get the question all the time, "isn't it hot in there?" .. well, it can be if you don't have a fan! A lot of people aren't mechanically inclined, so hopefully this tutorial can help out in the construction of a fan for cooling your mask down. This tutorial covers how to hook one fan up to one battery, with a toggle switch to turn it on and off.

What do I need?

• A computer fan, any kind. Choose the size which will fit your mask the best, if you have a large area to fit a fan, get the larger-sized "blower" fan. If its small, get a compact fan. It helps to plan placement of your fan(s) from the beginning of your mask's construction.
• A package of 9 volt battery snap connectors.
• A small toggle switch.
• A soldering gun, solder, and shrink tubing (all highly recommended). If not, electrical tape or hot glue
• 9 volt battery.
• Plastic canvas, snaps, string (all not required, but helps).
• Hot glue, hot glue gun.
• Scissors, or a knife.

     Start by having all of your materials ready. Most of the electronic bits (the fans, the toggle switches, battery connecters, and even the soldering gun) can be purchased at Radio Shack. If your fan has a connector, cut it off with your scissors, and split the black wire from the red wire. The battery snap connecter will also have a black and a red wire, choose which wire you will have the toggle switch hooked to (it can be either one), for the sake of this tutorial I will just refer to it as the red wire. 

     Connect the two black wires directly. Cut the plastic wire coating and expose the metal wire underneath about 1 cm. If you are soldering the wires together, cut your shrink tubing to length, and slide it on one side of the wires. Make a little hook with each of the exposed wires, and hook the two together and twist them tight and make sure all the little wires are touching. Solder them together. If you do not have a soldering gun, you can protect the exposed wires with black electrical tape or high temp hot glue, but be careful, this isn't really the best way to do it but will work (it is better than exposed wires, though). After the solder cools, slide your shrink tubing over your exposed wires and melt it in place (I just use a lighter). 

     To install the toggle switch, take both of the ends of the red wires and cut the plastic coating to expose the metal wire underneath about 1 cm (or a little more if necessary). If you're soldering it, cut two lengths of the shrink tubing and put it on each end of the red wires. Make a little hook with the ends of the exposed wires, and put the red wire from the fan through one hole in the prong of the toggle switch, and the red wire from the battery connector through the other hole in the prong of the toggle switch, then twist them both around to make sure all the wires are touching their respective prongs. Solder them one at a time, and make sure the solder or wires from one prong doesn't touch the other. Slide the shrink tubing over the exposed wires/prongs after the solder cools, and then melt it in place. Otherwise tape it with the electrical tape or cover it with the high temp hot glue (again, not the best, but better than exposed wires).

     You should now have a completed circuit! Put your battery in the connector, switch your toggle to the "on" position, and hope your fan runs! If all is good it will! Now its time to decide where and how to mount your fan (if you haven't already). I usually mount it in the muzzle, so it blows directly in my face, or it exhausts out the mouth opening. You can also hide exhaust fans in the ear openings, since its easier for longer ear fur to cover them up.

     I always mount my fans so they are removable. So I can take it out to change the battery, or use it in another mask. This is where the plastic canvas comes in. I take two strips and attach them to something, either a larger strip of plastic canvas, or directly to the fan itself. Here are two examples of how I've mounted fans for my masks:

     Make the holder for your battery, glue your wires down, and mount your toggle switch. You can add several layers of the plastic canvas if necessary to reinforce the toggle switch or fan, for example. You can also put the plastic canvas over your fan to protect you from the blades (if you're worried about that sorta thing). I also add snaps to my fans and the inside of my mask, so the fan can snap in and out. A loose fan may hurt you or get damaged if its just floating around freely.

I hope you found this tutorial informative! Thank you for taking the time to look!