Latley I've been doing a bit of painting. I really wanted to one of those fresh air systems, but It's hard to come up with the $$$, So... I searched the internet, and found several home made setups. None were exactly what I wanted, so I combined their ideas, and added some of my own. For the air supply I used a Home Depot Vacuum ($20 plus a Homer Bucket). The mask was an ebay purchase (try searching MSA respirator, I paid about $30). Here is the mask and hose assembly: And the individual pieces. The only special part is the adapter that fits into the vacuum. I made mine out of a piece of scrap UHMW I had laying around. The only important bit is that it needs to fit tightly into the vacuum outlet. Then just drill a hole thru the middle, and tap it for 1/2" pipe thread. The first fitting is a swivel. It's not required, but it helps keep the hose from twisting up into a mess. The next fitting is a pipe thread to hose flare fitting. The hose is just a cheap air hose I got from Harbor Freight. The other end of the hose goes to a 90 degree bulkhead fitting in the mask. Using two fender washers to clamp it to the mask where one of the filter cartridges was. The other side of the mask is sealed off with two more fender washers, and a small bolt. Then when it's not being used, everything stores inside the bucket.
Extra tip #1... I use two different styles of air fittings. One for my paint guns, and one for tools that require oil. That way I don't get my hoses mixed up, and contaminate my painting ones with oil. At my air supply I have an automotive quick disconnect fitting before my lubricator, and industrial one after it.
Extra Tip #2... My 10 year old son has been helping me in the garage, but he was having a hard time working my old quick disconnect (you guess which one that was). While I was at ACE the other day I picked up a new QD fitting. It stayes cocked when you take a tool off, so all you have to do is push it onto the next one. No more pulling the sleeve back with one hand, holding the tool with the other, and pushing the hose on with a third hand. I'll never admit to having a problem with the old one, but I won't be changing back to it. Also notice the hydraulic hose style hose end. It's a screw together one like you see with braided hose. It's nice to not have that sharp hose clamp just waiting to scratch a car.
Extra Tip #3... I like having a regluator and air filter on my spray gun, but it always hangs down so far that I bump into fresh paint with it every so often. Here's my solution, add a short whip to it. The end of it is right about where I hold the hose with my left hand anyhow, so it doesn't bother me. After seeing those digital Sharp pressure gauges at the paint store I knew I needed one, but at $70, that would be double what I paid for the gun. So the regulator is from grainger for about $25, and the digital gauge comes from Harbor Freight on their digital pressure regulator (actually just a needle valve) for $12.
It works great. I set it outside my shop door, plug it in and let it run. I find myself wearing it when I'm mixing paint, and cleaning my gun too now.
definitely something I wouldn't have thought of peoples inventiveness is amazing. On the subject of air fittings what fittings have other HAMBers found to be best mostly from a leakage standpoint?
The biggest problem I've found with leaky quick connects is with cheap stuff. Milton makes a good product. Also, those Chinese male fittings are also trash, as I've measured them and they are smaller and don't seal up in even good quick connects.
I'd take a little plastic odor over a face full of organic solvents any day. How much air pressure does the vacuum generate in the mask?
It doesn't smell any different than any other paint mask I've used. The wife has one of those breathing masks she sleeps with. She tried it, and said it didn't have quite as much pressure as her mask. I think if the hose were much longer I would try a garden hose. I tried that corogated plastic, like a shop vac comes with, and it blew so hard I couldn't breath.
Nice ideas, thanks, many of us could use this I also keep a Reg and filter at my gun, I REALLY like the whip!
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