Advice For Building A Proper Spraybooth?

[Jeep]

Hi all,

I am thinking of building a more powerfull spraybooth for my airbrushing..I want to be able to spray 2k automotive laquer..and that is nasty stuff (especially in my tiny shop)so my current kitchenvent-setup does not really live up to that..lol.

Any suggestions? I remember seeing some cool photos here but I can not find the threads again.

Thanks!

Jeep

[Frank]

Hi all,

I am thinking of building a more powerfull spraybooth for my airbrushing..I want to be able to spray 2k automotive laquer..and that is nasty stuff (especially in my tiny shop)so my current kitchenvent-setup does not really live up to that..lol.

Any suggestions? I remember seeing some cool photos here but I can not find the threads again.

Thanks!

Jeep

Before you go out and spend alot of money try putting the hood under what you are painting and see if it is better. Also put a filter to catch the particles of paint before they get to the motor. You can get some of this filter from tcp global. You should really have an explosion proof motor on it if the paint goes over the motor. Tcp has some small booths to get some ideas from also.

Frank

[clamboni]

It's a mess in the pics, but you can see what I did. I have a box with a furnace blower in it for the fan. It has a divider in it. One side has the blower and the intakes. The blower is bolted to the divider. The other side ov the box has the outflow. This creates a negative pressure side (the side with the blower) and a positive pressure side. You don't need an explosion proof motor if you're operating one airbrush at a time., as long as you're moving a lot of air. You'll never reach a concentration that's conducive for a fire. I do filter it with a fine HVAC filter to keep the paint dust from the motor, that's more of a concern than the solvents in the paint. Have a deposit of paint particles break loose and hit the motor then you might have a fire issue. I used 6" flexible ducting and 8x4 floor register boxes in the back bottom corners of the booth. It's vented outside with a dryer type vent.

Now there's gonna be a few replies about how I'm nuts for not having an explosion proof motor...........I've been using this setup for two years now with no problems. As long as you're moving enough air, it's no problem.

I won't be replying to posts telling me how my shop's gonna blow up, so don't bother.

[flatsrat76]

It's a mess in the pics, but you can see what I did. I have a box with a furnace blower in it for the fan. It has a divider in it. One side has the blower and the intakes. The blower is bolted to the divider. The other side ov the box has the outflow. This creates a negative pressure side (the side with the blower) and a positive pressure side. You don't need an explosion proof motor if you're operating one airbrush at a time., as long as you're moving a lot of air. You'll never reach a concentration that's conducive for a fire. I do filter it with a fine HVAC filter to keep the paint dust from the motor, that's more of a concern than the solvents in the paint. Have a deposit of paint particles break loose and hit the motor then you might have a fire issue. I used 6" flexible ducting and 8x4 floor register boxes in the back bottom corners of the booth. It's vented outside with a dryer type vent.

Now there's gonna be a few replies about how I'm nuts for not having an explosion proof motor...........I've been using this setup for two years now with no problems. As long as you're moving enough air, it's no problem.

I won't be replying to posts telling me how my shop's gonna blow up, so don't bother.

She's going to blow j/k

I have to ask, Top pic bottom left is that a baghouse.

Edited February 12, 2010 by flatsrat76

[mark poulson]

Clamboni,

That's a neat setup!

[clamboni]

She's going to blow j/k

I have to ask, Top pic bottom left is that a baghouse.

It's the box that has the blower in it.

[Frank]

l Iike he wd40 on the side. Boy that is something that is not good for painting. The reason it is not a problem is that it is on the filter side. I know the motor being explosion proof does add to the cost of building a booth but I would not like to find out the limit of a hazard. And if you think a pre made booth is expensive take into consideration the safety features. I read the topic and took it literally when it said proper.

[KcDano]

WD-40 AND WET PAINT = Big Fisheyes

[clamboni]

WD-40 AND WET PAINT = Big Fisheyes

Only if they get on the same thing. Don't sorry it doesn't get sprayed when painting surfaces are anywhere nearby.

[KcDano]

Clamboni, didn't know if you were aware of the ramifications of wd-40 contamination, not good and a little can go a long ways.

[joeglk]

She's going to blow j/k

I have to ask, Top pic bottom left is that a baghouse.

furnace blower motors have vents to keep it cool. im sure you know that. but the outdoor condencer motors do not that are seald to prevent water to go into the windings. if you have 240 volts in your shop that will reduce the expence. those motors are the some price. i have some used. thay are the same size and will mount to the furnace fan housing

Edited February 13, 2010 by joeglk

[clamboni]

Clamboni, didn't know if you were aware of the ramifications of wd-40 contamination, not good and a little can go a long ways.

Oh yeah, I'm aware........Thanks.......the can actually just ended up back there after being moved out of the way over and over again....wasn't sprayed anywhere near the booth, just got semi-put away at the same time as some other stuff.........somehow found its way back there. But you're right, I wouldn't spray it anywhere near anything I was painting.

[Jeep]

Thanks for the reply and sorry for my late one..

That is an impressive looking unit you have there clamboni.

As I said at the moment I use an old kitchenvent build into my spraybooth, and it works fine for airbrushing and catching fumes but I do not use a filter and that leaves a mess.

What I would like to do is be able to spray the 2k laquers, but for that I will need a more powerful vent. Especially for my health because I have a small shop and the 2k stuff is nasty...

I did not think about the risk of explosion, but realize that that is truly something to keep in mind.

Would this be a great risk when shooting lures with a spot-repair gun?

And what kind of fans would be good to use?

I made a sketch of what I am thinking of, maybe easier to explain this way.

As I live in the netherlands, I have not seen any ready made spraybooths in the right size like you do have in the US, like the ones from paasche.

Over here it is or very big and expensive, used in the automotive industy or too small, like tabletop units.

thanks again,

Jeep

Edited February 16, 2010 by Jeep

[Frank]

Nothing wrong with the basic design but my advise is turn it over and put the exhaust on the bottom. Most of the over spray will fall so it is better to put the exhaust there in the first place.And for the fan try mounting it outside the tube then run a belt to the fan unit.This will keep the motor out of the paint/solvents path. When using solvent product safety is first cause like I said before you dont want to know the limit by accident. Like maybe you spill sovents in the booth that is a large amount that might be the limit. Just saying this is for fun keep it safe too.

Frank

[mark poulson]

Nothing wrong with the basic design but my advise is turn it over and put the exhaust on the bottom. Most of the over spray will fall so it is better to put the exhaust there in the first place.And for the fan try mounting it outside the tube then run a belt to the fan unit.This will keep the motor out of the paint/solvents path. When using solvent product safety is first cause like I said before you dont want to know the limit by accident. Like maybe you spill sovents in the booth that is a large amount that might be the limit. Just saying this is for fun keep it safe too.

Frank

If you can, do your sanding in front of it, too, with a dust mask on.

I'm a 62 year old carpenter, who didn't wear anything but a handkerchef for a dust mask when I was young, because we didn't have dust masks back then.

Now, if I do any sanding at all, I wear a mask. Otherwise, my sinuses are so sensitive to the dust that I'm up all night with a bad runny nose and sneezing.

Too much dust over too many years.

[Jeep]

That would be a good idea. At the moment my spraybooth is mostly used for catching fumes while casting urethane, when I am spraying I usually wear a dustmask or filtered mask, but spray in fromt/outside of the booth, so it does not make much sense now..

And as I am working in a very full small shop where I do my sanding and later my painting is is a nightmare to cleanup, dust and paint , and painted dust everywhere!

Lol.. so it does need some improvement.

What kind of motor / fan would you suggest? I have been reading on the net about squirrel-cage motors?

And yes, safety first! As much as I love to build baits, I don't want to be blown to kingdom come for it.

Thanks again!

Jeep

Edited February 18, 2010 by Jeep

[mark poulson]

What you want is a fan that doesn't generate sparks when it operates. Those fans with motors that have the same kind of brushes that power tools have won't work. You can see the electrical arcs when they are running where the brushes ride on the rotor. I don't know the name of that type of motor, but it's not what you want for a spray booth.

I used some used kitchen exhaust fans I got off a job when I made my dust collector for my garage. Kitchen exhaust hoods have fans that are enclosed, so they can't start a fire.

I'm thinking about modifying one of the runs of my dust collector to make a spray booth.

I have been a little more cavalier about my spraying up to this point. I wear a dust mask, and spray toward the open overhead garage door opening. I'm lucky that it's usually warm enough to work with the door open.

But now I'm intrigued with the idea of making a spray booth that's attached to the dust collector. I only spray waterborne paints, so fumes won't be an issue, just dust particles.

It would be nice not to have to worry about overspray, and dust.

[budman]

Bathroom exhaust fans are also brush-free and will work for exhausting a paint booth, they are also cheaper than kitchen hoods. I googled explosion proof fans and paint booth fans and got some good info that way.

[clamboni]

You definitely want your intakes in the bottom. The paint particles will tend to fall, and the fumes are heavier than air, so if the intake is in the top you'll have dead space in the bottom and the fumes will sit there. I also have a lip that overhangs into the booth to help prevent fumes from flowing out.

If you go my route, you need to make sure you're moving a lot of air. That's the reason I'm able to use such a big window, because I'm moving enough air to keep everything in the booth. Without enough air flow through the window the wash from the airbrush will force paint dust out faster than the fan is pulling it in. With as much air flow as I have, I tested outside with a touch up gun and straight lacquer thinner, shot about 8 oz of it through........

Mark, my first booth i built when i was using water based was just a box with a 50 cfm bathroom fan in the back of it, with a filter covering the fan...........a bigger fan would have been nice as 50 just didn't cut it, but it definitely helped.....I'd say if you could get a 150 or 200 with a small window it'd be fine and you'd have very little escape. Make sure whatever you do you filter it, the paint droplets will not be dry when they hit the fan blades and they'll build up and throw the balance off.......fan won't last long then.

What you're looking for as far as airflow through the window is enough that you can feel the air moving a little but not enough to blow your paint around.

Edited February 18, 2010 by clamboni

[mark poulson]

Clamboni,

The dust collector system I built has two 1000cfm fans mounted on the exterior wall of my garage, and a home made cyclone filter system, so I can run m wood working machines and not breath the dust. I built it so the majority of the dust falls into a full sized plastic trash barrel, and the reallly fine stuff is caught by one of those spun plastic green washable filters. I get just a hint of dust below the fans on the outside, but nothing worth worrying about, and the system moves a lot of air. So I'm pretty sure, if I build a three sided spray booth, with filter either on both sides, or on the bottom, it will handle the water based paint.

A filter on the bottom makes more sense, now that I think about it, because it wouldn't get hit directy by overspray, and would probably last much longer.

Thanks for the idea.