Pic from your Appliances post?

Here's a link to Marcolo's thread on the appliance forum, with the pic:

Here is a link that might be useful: range hood pic

It occurs to me that you could get a similar look starting with a salvaged steel drum--you wouldn't have the curved ends, though. The only problem is that a standard 55 gallon drum is only 34 inches long, which is marginal even for a 30 inch range. Diameter is 22 3/4. There are bigger drums available, but I don't know how easy they are to get (the sources I found online only sell to business).

I believe that arlosmom was able to get the metal hood design she wanted fabricated and powder-coated by the local (DC area) fabricator at http://akmetalfab.com/. Presumably most urban areas have at least one specialty fabricator that does this kind of work.

That's a good-looking hood you have in mind. Best of luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: arlosmoms kitchen

I am building a custom hood w/ liner so I cannot specifically help, but it does seem to me that in my web searches for the liner/blower I ran across this design in your picture more than once. Are you sure it is custom?

Perhaps there's something here that's similar.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vent-a-hood build a hood

D'oh! The pic was up last night, I swear.

Thanks, all. Clarion, this may entail exactly the same thing--liner with blower. I just need to figure out what to look for. And fantabulous project, btw.

Annie, Vent-a-hoods do make some good candidates but the reviews on them are so mixed.

Marcolo, we had to have a duct cover made (yes, it's not rocket science) as well as some other ss pieces for our hood. It's an Independent and well, we bought it as a leftover from a distributor. The local appliance store pointed us in the direction of a local ss fabricator. We lucked out because it was an Amish business and quite frankly my dh thought he was going to have to have a talk with him...he was charging too little for what he was offering! This guy did do a lot of hvac fabrication, so it is not totally out of the question that you will easily be able to convey your ideas to a custom fabrication shop.

The quotes from Modern Air we received were not outrageous. And if you are not looking for something that extends all the way to the ceiling, like your picture, you might be pleasantly surprised. Are you thinking they will provide the motor too? OR just the hood?

oh, geez, I forgot.
You can print out specs for most of the hoods out there. Take that to the fabricator for him to use.

A high-quality insert, some duct, and an external duct vent cover is basically all you need -- everything else is merely aesthetic play. You can get baffled, lighted inserts with or without attached fans depending on whether you want the noise over the range or out on the house wall.

So. You just make sure that whatever hood cover you design/fabricate has a big rectangular opening in its bottom and a way to access electrical within it from the front (or back). And done.

Here's mine prior to topping it with the tiled cover. We pushed the insert up into that rectangular hole and screwed it in tightly:

Then tiled over the whole schmear:

(To repair it, knock on wood, you'd unscrew the sides and pull the insert down out of the hole again.)

I used plywood as the substrate for my cover, but I could have used plaster, metal, chicken wire, or dwarf bones. Immaterial.

Key in regard to passing safety code is that you line the base of the hood with something fire-resistant like metal or tile. In my case I tiled it and slid the insert up over the tiled edges. In yours you'd probably use stainless or a sheet of metal powder-coated in the same finish as the exterior.

Ours is a Sirius 901 vent insert that we like a lot; dual fans and something like 1300cfm. But I'm swayed in particular by Trailrunner's consistent rave reviews of her Tradewind insert, which I know gets heavy and constant use; I'll probably go TradeWind for my upcoming hood. Made in USA.

Two vital points:

1. For the love of god, don't get an insert with mesh. Go for stainless baffles that can be tossed into the dishwasher.

2. Make sure the lights on the insert, or where ever you put them, are positioned to the front of the hood, not the back. You want as much workspace coverage as possible, and if you do tile behind the stove, you want to avoid the Vincent Price effect of a spotlight glaring down on every uneven groutline.

Circus writes: You can get baffled ...

Oh, can I ever!?

I vote for a hood like Circus had in her old kitchen! Much more vintage than the metal, IMHO. And I like that the tube is covered. The first one looks a little industrial.

Marcolo- Any changes to your kitchen plan? Any updates? :)

I think I picked a GC. Not the one who bid $200K for an 8-foot single story bumpout. And a cabinetmaker. Not the one who bid $95K, either. Some of these people are currently doing larger, more complex, more luxe projects for less. My architect asked me, "Do you reek of money or something?"

circus, what does this mean?
In yours you'd probably use stainless or a sheet of metal powder-coated in the same finish as the exterior.

It's sheet metal, so it's already all metal, no?

@marcolo - based on bids I've gotten for kitchens, basic drywall, and landscaping I'm starting to think I must bathe in Eau Du Cashflow.

I think the attitude often is if it is not combo #1, 2, or 3, then give an astronomical estimate... This works in many ways.. Factors in money for learning on the job, allows for time and materials to redo (as who gets it right the first time?), gives you some coverage for dealing with a picky customer and finally it hopefully discourages them enough to stick to one of the combos...

Yes, the insert is metal. But it has to be inserted up into a smaller hole within the base cover, and almost never fills the entire base of the hood apparatus. Per code, you have to have something fireproof that entirely covers the whole area facing down to the stovetop.

Here's a handy dandy sketch from my talented digital pen:

In other words, just 'coz the hood cover is metal, you still can't just leave your ventilation system hanging there with wires & such; you have to have it covered from sparks flames etc. Did I get what wasn't clear?

hire mama G!