Replies

1. 
   MapleDave | Nov 11, 2006 08:29pm | #1

   Hi Lee,

   I guess we are both fans of Maple!

   I can't offer any advice regarding your spray booth set up as your finishing skills are obviously beyond mine, but check out http://www.woodweb.com. They have a couple of finishing forums there and the advice is top notch. Many of the guys answering the questions seem to be finishing pro's and are very free with their information.

   Good Luck,   David

    

    

1. 
   mapleman | Nov 12, 2006 12:31am | #2

   Thanks Dave,

   I did a google search first, and most of what I found was OSHA regulations, no plans or advice. I did find some references on Woodweb, I believe, however most people were hesitant to offer help because of the "danger" involved. I guess people were worried about being sued, etc. I will search their finishing section for advice, maybe even post my question there.

   Thanks,

   Lee

2. 
   oldusty | Nov 13, 2006 05:24am | #3

   Hi Lee ,

               O.K. so you will build a permanent booth in the shop , but for this winter you want a temporary setup right ?

        There are many ways to go on this , I have seen partitions made of heavy clear plastic weighted down on the floor and maybe stapled to wood strips on the seams . The explosion proof exhaust fan will not need a filter . Typically a filter is used on the fresh air entering the spray booth to trap airborne particles and such .

             Allow the heated air to pass thru the filter into the spray area , this will eliminate the fumes from getting near the heat source . The exhaust fan should be opposite the in coming air flow .

      Are explosion proof lights a necessity, if you mean from a legal fire code standard and your insurance company not freaking out and canceling you , yes !

        Can you get away without them ? Not all of us have a to code booth , some of us get blown up now and then and some never do . Things happen . To tell you there is no problem would be bull . To tell you your gonna die , may be less than accurate as well .

           I have heard stories of a florescent bulb blowing out and creating a spark enough to ignite the spray fumes in the air that did cause an explosion and fire .Will that happen ? Hopefully not . If you section off the part of your shop that you spray in and have no un protected bulbs in the enclosed area but just outside the area facing in if possible it would be somewhat safer as a temporary booth .

           good  luck and be careful                dusty

1. 
   mapleman | Nov 13, 2006 06:55am | #4

   Hey Dusty,

   Thanks for the reply, I can't seem to get anyone else to bite. My lighting thoughts were halogen (500 Wattt) lights, since the bulbs are enclosed behind glass, which has a rubber seal around it, and the switches have rubber boots on them as well. My thought is maybe to put them at the back of the booth, then stand between the light and the exhaust fan to catch the glare as I lay down the clear. The lights will be a dozen or so feet away from the table I plan to spray on. I also have flourescent lights (8 ft) on the ceiling of my shop, hopefully the fumes/overspray will exhaust before traveling up that high in the air, or would it be advisable to turn those lights off and just use the halogens? I have also heard of using incandescant bulbs, housed in clear glass fixtures. I think the halogens put off way more light.

   I was under the impression that a filter was needed to keep overspray off of the motor/fan, or is this not necessary?

   Thanks for your advice,

   Lee

1. 
   oldusty | Nov 13, 2006 08:22am | #5

   Lee ,

             With an explosion proof exhaust fan there is no need to protect it from fumes , this is what it is designed to do . Don't halogen type lights produce high heat ? If so the fumes could be a bad deal when in contact with exteme heat . The professsional booths I have seen have flourecent bulbs enclosed in explosion proof like boxes , often times the lighta are mounted low near the floor .

          I know it sounds strange but the big booths I have seen do nothing to filter the air being discharged into the enviroment , but only filter the fresh air entering the enclosed spray area or booth . Depending on the size of the area a series or a wall of intake filters can be used , I have seen standard say 20" X 20" filters the same as you use on an electric furnace .

      My shop is a similar size at 28' X 45' I have an electric furnace with an air handler squirrel cage type of enclosed blower to move the air . 45' away is my exhaust fan on the opposite wall . I only spray lacquer and I use an airless so imo I have less overspray then some other systems create . For me along with the air flow from the heat source I either crack window or crack a door slightly to assist in creating a good draft . The thing that works for me is to keep the fumes and ambient dust moving always towards the exhaust fan and never giving anything a chance to settle . Lacquer flashes off quickly and is only vurlnerable for a very few moments .

         I use Rudd brand of Catalized Lacquer and have excellent results in temps ranging from freezing to about 85° after it is warmer than that it dries too fast unless I use retarder and I would rather not

2. 
   aaronb | Nov 14, 2006 12:28am | #6

   I built a 10x10 booth in my new shop. The booth consists of sheetrock walls and ceiling and a double set of doors that give a 8' wide opening. The door side is set up to have furnace filters installed to filter the incoming air for dust. I have mounted an explosion proof fan in the wall with it venting outdoors. I use a halogen stand light now but plan to build some plexi-glass and caulk sealed fluorescent lighting boxes in the future.

   I haven't yet installed, but will install paint filters in front of the exhaust fan to help remove excess finish before exhausting. It keeps the finish from building up on the fan and exterior of the building.

   I know there is a lot of hype in spray booths regarding the needed safety, all of which is good advice but in a lot of home shops overkill. My approach was to move the finish out as quickly as possible using an explosion proof fan. I have more of a fire concern from spilled finish than I do from an explosion happening provided my spraying habits and CFM moved by the fan. I used to spray shellac and lacquer in my old garage using two standard box fans, (I know what many of you would say, I was lucky) but even with those I doubt that I ever came close to an explosive situation as I had very good air flow and no build up of vapors.

   I am not able to spray easily in the winter and maybe not at all as I don't have a make up source and my shop has radiant floor heat.

   Aaron

3. 
   cowtown | Nov 14, 2006 10:22am | #7

   now I ain't a fireman, but I do know what I have seen and based on that, done....

   I have a box on casters made which encompasses two furnace fans, and an output port which slips under the garage door.

   I lift up the garage door, and slip the output port under the door, and block off the rest of the door with styrofoam. bout 1200 cfm is going out.

   turn em on and air is going out the base of the door , and the gap at the top allows fresh air to enter.

   I blow the heck out of the shop before finishing to ensure that minimal dust can be stirred up

   The top of my box lets me use 3 16x25 filters to catch the overspray solids.

   Now, I used 1 1/2' ABS pipe and fittings to make me a little tent frame over my ad-hoc extraction fan.

   used cheapo blue plastic tarps clamped to the abs to make a tent.

   A workmate coupled with a turntable on top lets me turn a swivel finishing platform which clears the top of the exhaust box.

   Clearly a portable kludge, but substantially more utilitarian and effective than the exhaust systems used in finishing new houses. (read "none")

   Surplus exaust fans are available for peanuts from funace installers. And two of em will move a lot of air. You do however have to clean em from time to time.

   Wanna picture of my kludge en-situ? lemme know. No warrantees it would be considered safe though, but perhaps safer than my landscaper shop-mate who stores gasoline cans under a radiant heater.........

   Eric in Cowtown....

1. 
   questtools | Nov 14, 2006 04:17pm | #8

   Hello Cowtown,

   I would be interested in seeing some pictures of your portable spray booth. My garage is my shop and space is at a premium - so a knockdown spray booth is a definite plus.

   Thanks

   [email protected]