Hello everyone, I’m planning to open a wood finishing shop where I will work on larger pieces like countertops, which could be as long as 8 feet.
I understand that I will need a dedicated booth for applying lacquer.
However, my knowledge is limited beyond this point.
Could any of you provide guidance on the estimated budget required to start this venture and the specific requirements I should consider?
Replies
USEPA summary of current regulations starts on page 47, (sorry for the huge link).
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/2000NUYJ.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1995%20Thru%201999&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CINDEX%20DATA%5C95THRU99%5CTXT%5C00000017%5C2000NUYJ.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=47
Your project description does not even reach order of magnitude estimate which is + or - 50% accurate. You need to provide at least location, expected throughput , some details. Just think fire protection…included or not ?
Finishing shop how? Finishing things you make and having a designated space just for that or are you wondering about a retail store/ business? In the first instance...a clean dust free space is helpful , adequate ventilation is a good idea but not required. If your in your own home then fire safety is between you and maybe your insurance provider. Your health and personal protection are your own business! Beyond that some brushes and some rags ( old white cotton tee shirts) are all you need to start.
If your talking a public business in a public place , employees etc, then the requirements could be daunting and expensive!
I had a friend doing painting and finishing in an apartment in a building in Manhattan. The building burned and while the fire Marshall could not put any particular blame on the cause of the fire my friend was the one that was standing there with an oily rag. He was sued by the insurance co..
My friend got a Dunn and Bradstreet rating out of it ..liabilities $25,000,000 assets $2500!
OUCH !
If you are using waterborne finishes, the paint booth could be optional although I strongly recommend one. If solvent based finishes are being used, you must have ventilation and heated air makeup. This gets quite expensive.
I would suggest you meet with your local fire marshal if you have one. The fire marshal will share with you the national building codes and local codes for installing and operating a paint booth. You will also need a flammable solvent cabinet as well.
In my case, the local fire marshal brought me the building codes and explained where I did and did not meet them. One violation he let slide was a lack of a fire wall between rental units. He also wanted to know how many gallons of solvent based finishes I kept in stock. Mainly for the benefit of the firemen if they were called to a fire in my shop.
I would start with a good quality turbine sprayer. Read the reviews in the wood magazines if your not familiar with them. Turbine systems have fairly good transfer efficiency and are less expensive than an air assisted airless sprayer. Look at the Kremlin air assisted airless if you prefer that type of sprayer.
Good Luck