How to Make a Goggle Fan

Goggles

Having foggy goggles has become a normal part of life for many people. Whether you're slicing up the slopes on a new set of skis or running through the wood with a paintball gun, goggle fog is a distraction that can result in injury. A lot of people think of this fog as an annoyance that can not be avoided, but this is actually not true. It is not difficult to eliminate fog from your goggles entirely by installing a small fan to clear away the condensation. If you want to keep yourself safe and maintain pure vision when wearing goggles, follow this simple guide to learn how to make a fan for your goggles.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Wire cutters
• Electrical tape
• Small computer fan
• Toggle switch
• 3 AAA batteries
• Twist ties

Instructions

1. Use a tape measure to measure the thickness of the space on the inside bottom (or top) edge of your goggles. Take note of the measurement in both centimeters and in millimeters so that you will have an accurate measurement in both dimensions.

2. Buy a cooling fan. Once you know how large the space is, shop at a computer parts retailer for a cooling fan that is small enough to fit in the space provided. Clip the connection plug off of the end of the wires for the fan. Cut off a few inches of wire so that you will have extra wire to set up your toggle switch. Also use a set of wire strippers to strip the insulation off of the ends of the red and black wires that are still connected to the fan.

3. Prepare the batteries that will power your goggle fan. Take three AAA batteries and lay them end to end, so that the positive end of one battery touches the negative end of the one next to it. Wrap all three batteries tightly in electrical tape so that they are bound together as a single battery pack.

4. Secure the fan to the goggles. Place the fan on the top rim of your goggles, facing down so that it will blow towards the faceplate. Push your twist ties through the screw holes in the fan and run them through the ventilation holes in the top of your goggles. Twist the ties tightly to secure the fan firmly in place, ready to blow through the ventilation hole onto the plexiglass.

5. Secure the battery pack to the goggles. Use the same method to secure the batteries to the goggles. Lay them across the top of your goggles, then wrap twist ties over the batteries and through the ventilation holes inside the goggles. You now have the fan and the power supply secured and ready to be wired together.

6. Connect the negative cable. Take the black wire that is connected to the fan and attach it to the battery pack. Use a piece of electrical tape to secure the bare wire (stripped in Step 2) to the negative end of the battery pack. This is the flat/bottom side of the battery.

7. Wire the positive cable using your toggle switch. Take a piece of extra wire (clipped in Step 2) and stripping the insulation from each end. Attach one end to the positive side of the battery pack with a piece of electrical tape and attach the other end to one side of your toggle switch. Next take the red wire from your fan and attach it to the other side of your toggle switch. Your circuit is now complete.

8. Test the assembly. Turn the toggle switch on to see if the fan comes on. As long as there is power in the batteries and the switch is turned on, the fan should be working. Turn the toggle switch back off to make sure that the fan will turn off. If there is any problem with the operation of the fan, first check to make sure all wires are connected, then check to make sure that all of the batteries are touching each other.

Tips & Warnings

• Only turn the fan on when the goggles begin to fog up and turn it off as soon as they are clear. This will help conserve your batteries so that they last as long as possible before they need to be replaced.

Resources

• Computer Cooling Fans