I am getting ready to paint the F100 and have run out of options for a spray booth so I decided to shoot it in my garage at home. Since the neighbors aren't real keen on the idea of the smell of catalyzed urethane paint blowing around the neighborhood, I built this air recirculator to handle the overspray and fumes. 2 stage filters in the base to handle the overspray and 2 stage activated carbon filters in the top unit to handle the fumes. The 1 HP blower really moves the air and since the air continually recirculates withn the "booth" (plastic sheeting around the garage perimeter), no spray or fumes leave the garage to bother the neighbors.
Are you using a fan that is designed for painting? Paint fumes may ignite if you use an improper fan from the spark in the motor. Let us know how it works, something like this might make life easier!
Since the truck is being painted in pieces, there will be no large amount of spraying being done at any one time. By my calculations, using the CFM rating of the blower and the measured cubic feet of the booth, this system will turn over all the air in the booth 3 times a minute. Seems like you always hear about "explosion-proof" fans and lighting but I know of no case of anyone blowing themselves up in a spray booth because of a spark from a non-xp motor or light fixture. I think that if one was to be working with a high density of highly flammable materials that more care should be taken, especially if the air circulation was lacking, but in this case I don't see the density ever reaching a point where combustion would be possible.
I think your going to be real surprised as to how much fumes are going to be unfiltered, seeing there is no exit until you open the door. Where is your hot water heater, what do you have that has an open flame. If any, cut the gas off to the entire house. Clean air has to enter, dirty air filtered and pushed outside, drawing more clean air in. What your doing is circulating fumes until something bad happens, or you open the door. Which makes it nothing like a paint booth. More like a bomb.
Is your garage attached to your house? If it is, don't do it; you'll have the smell of paint fumes throughout the house. The other suggestion, to shoot it at night is a good one; the only other thing that I would add, is to shoot it either on a rainy or windy night.
Suggest you read the first write-up more closely, 2 stages of filteration to remove particulates (13 MERV rating filters) and 2 stages of activated carbon to remove any vapors. I have been painting cars for over 35 years, not too many surprises left.
Then do it. Its a great idea. I would think if you have been painting cars for thirty five years, then you would have a paint booth, wouldnt you think.
Personally, I don't think the carbon filters are going to remove anywhere near "all" the vapors. If it is all just recirculated, then where does all the toxic liquid vapor material go? I don't think the carbon filters can absorb all of that and not let any pass. I definitely admire you for being considerate of your neighbors, absolutely, especially if they have kids who don't need to be subjected to toxic crap while they are sleeping, but just not sure this will actually do the trick. Looks like a hell of a respectful fabrication on it though.
I like that set-up How much was it to build it? Do have prints or plains on it? If so I'd like a copy please.. Thank you.
Thats why i dont like neighbors. My closest neighbor is across the road and thats about 1000 ft or more from me. I cant see them they cant see me. Its all good. I do as i please. I painted my cutlass right in the yard at 1:00 am and nobody around to complain. And no its not a show quality paint job. My first one.
Ok lets clear this up a bit, in a normal paint booth you only have one type of filter on the exhaust side, it is usually a styrofoam of fiberglass filter. This exhaust filter does nothing to filter any fumes, it mostly just filters overspray. Most large body shops have a portable booth like this for prep/prime/small parts. The whole booth theory is completley different with something like this, with the carbon filters will remove anything toxic from the fumes, thus eliminating the fumes (this is exactly how a respirator works, carbon filters). Instead of pulling fresh air and filtering that, the air is recirculated and filtered even better. Anyone who is skeptical of this design has no idea how it works and has no professional painting expirience. CharlieLed, I think that you have done a hell of a job building that. I can honestly say that I have never even thought of something like this for at home painting, this is a much better way than pulling fresh air, this should cut down on dust big time! You have me inspired, I know need to make my own.
Keep us posted, let us know how it works. Shoot us some pictures of it in use. Looks simple enough to build.
You really want to gamble with using non explosion proof fans and motors? Like others have said, neat idea but I think it would be worth it to simply rent a real booth to paint parts.
Great idea Charlie! You are right on the fan, how many of us have used common box fans w/o blowing up. Some of you should go buy Volvos so you are safe. Sheeesh.
looks very nice, i have a friend who does alot of painting in his shop with no fan at all, mostly a fender or a door, hood, this would work well for him, so i know most booths are negative pressure but some are positive pressure, what if you added a little makeup air maybe just a 1-1/2" tube just to add a little positive pressure, i think it might help keep your plastic walls a little tight and keep any dust from finding it's way in, just a thought. also arent all non-brushed motor explusion proof?
While the air recirculates and does not change the equilibrium of the air pressure, the air from the spray gun does introduce some positive pressure into the enclosed area. I have held a bath towel out in front of the exhaust section at the top of this unit and the air pressure will push the towel out almost horizontal. The 3-spd blower is rated in the 2400 to 2900 CFM range so it moves quite a bit of air. This week I will be finishing up the fitting of the fenders and hood so I anticipate the first use of this setup some time next week.
I give you some great ideas about your filter system . I was painting in a booth laying down on a creeper spraying underside of a show van in 1977 with urtahena clear and had a resperator on ! Short story the resperator was a cheap one and didn't work right . Luckly that night had a hard time breathing and went into ER . They told me if I would have went to sleep that night i wouldn't of been awake the next morning ! Was put on a ventalator for three days, isocynaide poisning !! Still to this day when I am near paint I can feel my lungs tighten up ! I was young just like you new it all !! Well this shit does not go away ever ! Play it safe your future is ahead of you and the paint stuff is dangerous more than you know ! You don't see a lot of old painters around !!!!!!!! Hmmm!!
I like the idea...looks like a nice quality system! Better than nothing at all...and a damn sight better than what I use...I work next to a heating and AC place and get the old furnace fans once in awhile....they move a lot of air but probably are not very explosion proof ....hope I don't die. Taz...buy a quality filter or use fresh air or pay someone else to do your work...we all know the dangers of living.
I can vouch for that, even on a lesser scale. I painted the backside of a fender last week, out in my yard. At least a good 20' from the house. STILL made the house stink all night. And I don't mean a mild odor, IT STUNK! I'm lazy... I just paint outside after a good rain... My neighbors pretty much think I'm a kook anyway, so no one cares. No one really can, I did some body repair work on one's car, keep the lot one owns behind my house mowed, and let another use one of my parking spaces in front of my house. Keep 'em happy!
Hey Charlie, 'sounds like a winner to me! Given that you're probably using an HVLP gun, and not an old Binks #7, and you're shooting parts, and not a complete, and given that the biggest part of an F100 is what? maybe a hood or box side panels, we're not talkin' production painting, here! Thanks for the great tech. lesson. Swankey Devils C.C. "Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Compassion!"
REALLY! Did you and Shawna move back for good or is this just a short stay? I have a 2,000 sqft garage out in Campo now with the 50 Merc ready to go up on the rotisserie...just got to get this 56 F100 done first. Good to hear that you are back in town...I am retired now so I'm home almost every day, stop by any time.
and another thing, if you wanted to get more air movement you could make an air tunnel hanging down from the ceiling, i have seen them inside reefer trucks to direct the cold air to the back of the trailer. here we go there reefer chutes.
I live in a neighborhood with lots of immigrants. It seems like immigrants care a lot less about this sort of stuff - like it would never even cross their minds to question what you do on your own property. They don't seem to give a shit about paint fumes, tuning my engine with no exhaust at midnight. The old Italian lady next door complained about my hedges getting too long, so guess what? I keep 'em good and trimmed and haven't heard jack from her since. -JJ
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