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Building a Personal Clean Room?

Posted by Cliff on from the if-you-have-the-time-space-and-inclination dept.

eagleyezx asks: "I have a rather large basement with nothing currently sitting in it (I moved all my crud to my garage). Since I am really into space and satellites, I have a satellite all designed. It's kinda based on one of the Amsat designs, but all it really does it beep, just like Sputnik. However, I would need a sterile clean room to build one that would function properly and not go beserk in orbit. I know everyone out there has thought about this at least once? Has anyone ever built a room like this? Any suggestions on equipment?" If you had the drive to do something like this, what would you need to do to be able to build a workshop that would even come close to "clean room" standards. Has anyone ever built an airlock on the cheap?

4 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Some information by HotNeedleOfInquiry · · Score: 5, Informative

    Clean rooms are rated as class 1, class 10, class 100, class 1000 and class 10,000. The numbers are the maximum count of 0.5 micron sized particles permitted in a cubic foot of air. The old federal standard for clean rooms is FED STD 209E, recently replaced by the international standard ISO 14 644. I'm guessing the ISO standard costs bucks and the FED standard is probably free so pick and choose. A class 1000 clean room would not be that hard to build and maintain. Clean, painted surfaces all around, some sort of air filtration system with positive pressure, no textiles, pencils, powdered gloves allowed. You'd have to wear clean room smocks, booties and bonnet. The room would have to be vacuumed daily (with a vacuum exhausting to the outside) and the particulate count verified daily. An air shower and sticky mat at the entrance would be a good thing. Now that's just for a class 1000 clean room. Imagine what it takes for a class 1 clean room.

    --
    "Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
  2. Cleanroom DIY resources... by jsimon12 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would recommend looking for information on micropropagation (cloning plants). It is a fairly popular hobby and you need cleanroom like conditions, so most micropropagation books have plans for mini cleanrooms. I would recommend talking to people who have done this before (which you are trying to do ;), seems there is at least some discussion on Usenet about the subject.

  3. Here's a hint by quintessent · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you want a really clean room, you should ask your girlfriend for advice, rather than Slashdot. If you don't have a girlfriend, one of your friends might have one. Check around.

    So what do you want to do, anyway? Fab some chips?

    --
    Donate background CPU time to fight cancer.
  4. Uhhh by smoondog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uranus jokes aside, I think the conversations will go like this:

    Potential Girlfriend: Wow, what's this?
    Geek: A satellite
    Potential Girlfriend: Gee, has it been to space?
    Geek: Nope, but its built to spec. I build 'em in my spare time.
    The Woman Formerly Known As The Potential Girlfried: That's, um, pretty dedicated.
    Geek: Yup. Want share a Mt Dew with me?

    -Sean