I do a lot of spraying in my 3-car heated (in floor hot water heat) garage – until now I have not used a ventilation system, other than appropriate personal respirator. I’d like to create a temporary paint booth – say 16′ x 12′ and need a recommendation on a fan. I understand that I need a explosion proof motor on the fan. In this particular installation I’d like to put it in the window (which will be at the back of the booth).
Does anyone have any recommendations where I could purchase (at a reasonable costs) a fan that would be appropriate for spraying varnishes and lacquers?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Michael
Replies
Michael,
In Jeff Jewitt's book "Great Wood Finishes" he has plans to make a portable, knock-down spray booth. It would work just as well if you kept the exhaust fan mounted in a window.
Here's a couple sources for a fan;
Spray Booth Fan #1
Spray Booth Fan #2
Paul
I installed a 16 or 20" version of that Dayton direct-drive fan with aluminum blades once. It was LOUD!. But then, it would be, since it's spinning so fast. Most propellor fans don't turn nearly that fast (1725 rpm). But if noise isn't an issue, it is a pretty solid fan, and the air flow ratings are real (unlike DC's).Be seeing you...
Try http://www.graingers.com They'll have quite a selection.
How about having the fan blow in instead of out? Just have a exhaust out the window. That way you can use a regular and inexpensive fan.
I am sure that I would not pass any safety tests, but I had your issue, except in the basement, where I wanted to spray shellac. I mounted a TEFC fan, 16", 2200 cfm (unless I am having a senior moment on the size and cfm) and paid about $100 instead of approx. $400. I have had no trouble. I spray right into the fan and inside I can't smell anything, but outside, that is another story. Not that this is a recommendation, but I have heard of others using a TEFC instead of an explosion proof fan, without incident.
Alan
Alan
http://www.alanturnerfurnituremaker.com
I made my 10' x 12' shed into a paint booth to paint my bike with.
I completely lined the inside of the shed with roll plastic to help keep the dust down (this doesn't work well at all if you negatively pressurize the room)
I cut a 10" x 10" hole on the backside and hung a small squirrel cage fan with an itegral motor out of a mobile home furnace blowing the air into the building through a good filter (spend the money and get a GOOD filter for the intake whether you are positively or negatively pressurizing the room) and a deflector to spread out the air pattern (I used a 2' x 2' piece of 1/2" ply suspended 4" in front of the filter).
I opened the doors and built a temp wall with a door out of 2x2's, plastic, and 4 big filters, to keep the overspray from just blowing out all over the house and cars.
I layed 2 - 2 bulb flourescent fixtures on the rafters above the clear plastic which gave me pretty good light.
I put the air compressor outside away from th building and ran the hose in through the temp wall. This all gave me an electrical free room (which is your biggest problem when spraying combustable materials).
I ended up with a beautiful professional looking contaminant free finish on a shoe string budget. Afterwards, I put the piece back in the back of the wall and pulled the temp wall out and put it up in the attic with the fan and left the plastic up on the walls and ceiling for future jobs and for now my shed is again a shed. It takes about 30 minutes total to put it all back together.
Have fun
T
footer's mention of not having electric in the hazardous area reminds me that an explosion proof motor is well and good, but the wiring into it should be explosion proof, also. Not much point spending the extra money to then have a fan or light switch throwing a spark every time it's turned on or off, or an arc in the (unlikely) event of a short or ground-fault. Same thing with lights.
footer's suggestion of sealing a small room or booth and using positive pressure makes the most sense to me, if you can manage it. Or use water-based finishes.
Be seeing you...
Save yourself, money and the environment. Use an old air conditioning fan (I got mine for $65 CDN) and water based lacquers. The lacquers are a lot better than they used to be, and you can get three to six coats on in a day. They also build up faster, and don't smell as badly.
For the record, these fans (mine anyhow) are enclosed, and I sprayed solvent based stuff (I'm not saying I'm smart) for years with it.
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