Now that its warming up here, around 18 Celsius today, I think of this?! Anyway... When wanting to paint when it's a lot colder, say 10 degrees Celsius, would those halogen work lights aimed at the workpiece be good enough to warm it up enough for proper paint curing? I know pros use infrared lights but I'm not getting one of those.
Propane heater won't work very well around paint fumes if you want to stay out of the burn ward. I've used 500 watt halogens as work space heaters a lot where the space was rather small and enclosed. had one mounted over my work bench in my little shop/shed when I was working on a dairy (my own shed) that sure kept my hands comfortable enough to work on something that needed repair that would fit on the bench. It would take several of them to do what you are thinking of though.
Back to regular scheduled programming... This thread is about heating up a workpiece with halogen lights so that paint will cure properly. It's not about being cosy in the shop. And I would use an open flame heater while painting only if I wanted to make the local news! This will probably be mute as I intend to finally hookup my radiant heating system before it gets cold again. But still, I'm curious.
I would doubt it would work. IR works because it cures from the inside out. Direct heat cures from the outside in. Not what you want with paint. Also quality IR lamps used in body shops cycle to maintain a constant temp a halogen light would just keep getting hotter and hotter also not good for painting.
I didn't mean to run it while painting! Use it to warm up the shop before painting. That's how I did it when I painted the roadster. Once the shop is warm open the door partially and fire up the fan. 10C = 50 degrees so it doesn't take more than 10 minutes to get my shop into the 70's.
In the 55 years I have been painting cars, the most trouble I have had is trying to paint in a shop that the temperature cannot be kept constant with the exhaust fans going. Runs on rocker panels because the floor is cold even though the air is 70 degrees. Start painting at 70 degrees, exhaust fans bring the temp down to 55, paint runs. Painting in the winter, if more than a fender can be a real challenge in the colder states, in the smaller shops most of us have.
Depends on the size of the space. I use lights and space heaters sometimes to warm up the booth prior to painting. I want the metal temp of what I'm painting to be at least 65 degrees. If the outside air is less than 70ish degrees though, all your heat will be lost as soon as you turn on the exhaust fan. This is why body shops have heated air intake for their booths.
used theses guys many times heat up the shop and metal, turn off, paint and let flash, vent fumes, turn back on no issues.
I am speaking/typing in English and many other languages as well. I thought I'd let the southern brothers do the converting as an exercise in Math/Science. Once a teacher always a teacher! LOL
I have used halogen lights and radiant electric heaters to warm up small items for painting. It should also work for spot painting. Not so sure how it would work for a whole car unless you had radiant shop heaters. Once I put an electric heater inside a wood stove I wanted to paint in a cold shop.
I've used a propane heater to heat up my shop prior to shooting paint. I just get everything ready and then heat the shop up. Then shut off the heater and spray the car. Works fine, and avoids any change of igniting the paint fumes.
I think he means using an electric heater to heat a non burning wood stove because the stove is probably cast iron and radiates heat better.
Well. I don’t know what 60* I’m bama translates for BC but, if you can keep it above 60 bama degrees and you have mixed it correctly you should be ok. It doesn’t need to be forced cured unless the paint maker says so. I’ve only been around one clear that had to be heated. It was direct from a car manufacturing plant. Had to be 190 bama degrees to cure. Automotive paints are designed to work outside or not in a manufacturing environment. 70-80 is about perfect in my opinion. Force drying is done to speed up collision work. Many new clears dry fast enough without that to save $$$$ on heating bills.
PAINTING WITH WORK LIGHTS I usually use a spray gun. I hope you all realize that the OP posted this in 2019.
Sure, pick on the Mopar guys...LOL I did realize by the way that it was an older thread, but what he said just threw me off and I know he is still on often LOL
It's still a relevant topic. Get your paint done in the next 2 months. Yes it works. Doing bodywork in a cold shop, you have to get creative. You're always taking a gamble doing it though. Aim the halogens right at the area, Lay some filler, aim the halogens right over it with an electric space heater under it. Gets the panel up to temp then keeps it there while it cures. Paint, keep it inside, warm the paint by sitting the can in hot water until its warn throughout, mix it, keep you mixed inside, can also set yoir mixed paint in hot water bath. Try to get the panel up to temp, shoot it, get your halogens on it. Don't use a torpedo heater, even with clean kerosene it throws enough oil residue into the air your chance of fish eyes goes up dramatically.
If I had to paint in a cold shop, I would wait until the next summer. It NEVER turns out good. If you want a good paint job, the car and shop need to be around 70 degrees all through the paint job, with the exhaust fans running. Unless you are just painting a fender. But what do I know, I have only doing this for 55 years.
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