Iv got to do some flakeing tonight in a shop with no heat. The temp is getting to a high of 64 and I kind of like it a bit warmer when I flake. We have a kerosene heater that works great, but iv never sprayed with it close, do I need to wait for the heater to cool before spraying? Or just turn it off and go? Thanks fellas -Andrew
You have to wait until it is no longer glowing or the element has gone black. Or if you have an exhaust fan which you should vent away from the heater so that the fumes are drawn away from the heater. Or both.
Back when I was young and fearless I used kerosine heaters to warm up the whole shop prior to painting. Both on laquer and acrylic enamel. Never had any problems other than plugging up the air filter with overspray. I used it once on an Imron job and got fish eyes from the diesel fuel floating in the air. Now adays with the low VOC paints, I think there would be less reducers in the air.
I had a shop with poor heat so I used a 100,000BTU propane heater. I would let it run until the paint fumes glowed red all around the unit and then I shut it off for safety sake. (My theroy was, that I was buring off all the flamable vapors before they exploded!) Looking back, I can't believe I am still alive to tell the story!
Friend of mine paints in his shop with a wood stove. When he's done cleaning the gun, opens up the door and sort of throws any left over naptha into the fire. He did this 100s of times. He never had a problem until he did. Naptha exploded and lit his hoodie on fire. He's still dealing with the skin grafts.
"Naptha exploded and lit his hoodie on fire. He's still dealing with the skin grafts." Goes to show you that hoodies are bad to wear in a bank or a paint shop.
I never could hold the heater long enough to paint with it. Plus where does the air hose hook to? Lippy
A friend had a new shop built with one of those suspended heaters in one end of the shop. He didn't have a spray booth built in it yet but he decided that he would blow etching primer on my car anyway, so he lit the heater and opened the big door. he said everything felt spakely and he figured that it was time for a breath of fresh air and stepped out about the time the fumes ignited. He told meit was pretty cool other then it blew all the dust from building the shop all over everything and he had to scuff and repaint.
Besides the obvious FIRE thing, this ^ ^ ^ is the other. Kerosene is just a more refined version of fuel "OIL", and oil is a bad thing when it comes to paint. When that heater kicks on there will be unburned fuel oil blown all around the garage making fish eye a guarantied thing. The bottom line.... If the explosion doesn't get you the ruined paint job will.
I think you will have much better luck painting with a spray gun or a brush rather than a kerosene heater.
Quote, "When that heater kicks on there will be unburned fuel oil blown all around the garage making fish eye a guarantied thing. " I own a heavy truck paint shop and often we get a truck that spits out a white fog of unburnt fuel when cold. Sometimes we have to open the doors to clear the air. We have NEVER had a problem with fish eys because of the oil fumes. It's definatlty an old wives tale.
I have painted smaller items in the shop with a kerosene heater, but Iwas taking a big chance. Wouldn't do it again. Tom
All I can say is I've had problems with it. It left a residue that wouldn't let the primer (high build at the time) stick and I ended up sanding it all off and repainting. I had better luck with a propane furnace after that. Just my two cents. Mike
I would say to make sure you use a reducer rated for the temp you are spraying in and go to the campfire after you paint to worm up.
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