I have been wanting a good spray booth for airbrushing for a while now and I knew I could make something as good as I can buy. I am a cnc laser/press brake/ saw operator, machinist, welder, cad operator all in one... I guess. I just show up for work most days not knowing what I'll be doing for the next 8-12hrs! I'm a lucky guy. I absolutely love it.
First thing I did was decide on a size I wanted for a booth. I decided on 27x15x15 and ordered a blower motor sized accordingly. I purchased this motor:
https://smile.amazon.com/Centrifugal-Blower-Replaces-Dayton-7063-3277/dp/B07DWVHVJF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=p-tech+273+cfm+blower+motor&qid=1568603894&sr=8-1
I got the motor in a couple of days later. I then sat down and took measurements off it and began my cad drawings:
spray booth iso
spray booth bottom
spray booth top
spray booth side
I then uploaded my dxf files to the laser to cut the parts out of 14ga steel and then bent them on the press brake. This is what it looked like all tack welded together:
Untitled
I then welded it up and brought it home. the fan fit like a glove. I threw some paint on it I had laying around. It's in the garage drying now. I'll post more pics later this week. Other than the fan, all it cost me was $18.75 in steel. Fun project.
Ed
Semi newbie HO scale modeler coming from the O scale world
Nice and neatly done, but I often wonder why yours (and most commercially-available spray booths) place the exhaust in the back of the booth, where it's often subject to paint sprayed directly at it.
The purpose of the exhaust fan is primarily to remove vapours created by the thinners as painting occurs. With it in line with at least some of the sprayed paint, the filter will clog rapidly.I also built a homemade spray booth, but used materials which I had on-hand: part of the top of an old end table as the base, with sides, back, and top cut from leftover 1/8" Masonite, joined together using pop-rivets and some aluminum angle left-over from a drop-ceiling installation.The exhaust, in the top of the booth, is a plinth from heating duct, with a surplus fan from an air hockey game installed in it.
The ducting shown is flexible plastic clothes-dryer duct, but what I use now is regular aluminum heating duct. Mine is vented directly to the outdoors, and I have a closeable inlet in the paint room to allow for make-up air when the exhaust is running. The original set-up was in a workshop in the basement, and the fan sometimes struggled because the house is rather tight, with little air leakage able to get in.
The current set-up is in a dedicated room in my detached garage, so I can paint at any time, day or night, without disturbing anyone in the house or the neighbours.
I use one half of a standard-size fibreglass furnace filter in the top of the booth, changing it when necessary. It does collect some paint particles, as I'm usually holding the item to be sprayed, rather than having it sit in the booth, but I never have need to spray directly towards the exhaust.
I'd say the total cost was zero, but only because everything used was on-hand. It's been in use for close to 40 years, including some commercial model painting.
Wayne
Ed, your spray booth looks very nicely done. On Dr.Wayne's question, my motor/blower wheel is centered on the back of my hand made sheet metal booth like Ed's but I put a metal baffle (closed on the top and bottom and open on the sides, 3'' wider then the hole, so if the hole is 4'' diam. the baffle is 10'' wide) standing out from the hole maybe one inch. The air flow is greater along both side walls then directly in the middle of the booth. My smoke test showed the air flow. This baffle keeps the paint from going straight into the blower wheel. Of course I also have a furnace filter in front of the baffle. I like my metal booth, easy to clean off spilled and overspray paint and magnets with pinchy clips stick to it to hold whatever needs held.
Anybody else reading this, remember it's best that no paint/vapors go though the motor, only the blower wheel.
You have given me one more reason to be jealous of all the cool stuff professional welders and fabricators can build for themselves.
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Very nicely done, and quite impressive.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
When airbrushing (or rattle can) with petroleum based paints (i.e. Floquil, Testors, etc.) the fumes are not only toxic, but highly flammable / explosive.
The thing is, you certainly don't want an open flame nearby, but you also don't want any electrical device that can "spark". So make sure your fans are sealed and suitable for this kind of work.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44 When airbrushing (or rattle can) with petroleum based paints (i.e. Floquil, Testors, etc.) the fumes are not only toxic, but highly flammable / explosive. The thing is, you certainly don't want an open flame nearby, but you also don't want any electrical device that can "spark". So make sure your fans are sealed and suitable for this kind of work.
While there is always a possibility, I think way too much is made of the “explosive” factor on the internet.
When airbrushing, or even applying some dullcoat, you are just spraying a fine mist. If your fan is sized appropriately, the fumes are being evacuated quickly. Even if there were a spark to combust, it wouis only be a flash. It’s not going to blow the roof of your house.
this is designed where no fumes pass through the motor
My use of the term "Explosive" is meant to denote a "sudden ignition" - which is not referring to size - be it "whole house" or cubic foot spray box.
I've worked at various refineries for 40 years, served on fire teams, endured a house fire, and got "blown" on my butt by ignited fumes. So I speak from experience, and urge that common sense and caution are warranted.
What a professional looking spray booth. What you made should encourage others to do likewise.
I don't use one since I use dry brushing. Call me old school, but if I need to do any spray painting, I do it outside or in the garage. Of course I keep the door open!
kasskabooseWhat you made should encourage others to do likewise.
This is the thread that encouraged me to build my new spray booth. Thank you for getting me off my duff and getting to work on it.
It is different from yours. I hope to post something about the build in a couple of weeks.
Most spraybooths are side draft or down draft to eliminate dirt above a painted (wet) part. Filters are meant to collect dirt as such shouldn't be above the painted subject nor should the fan and ductwork.
As for the exagerated concern of exposive vapors, ignore all paint safety stds at your risk.
Rambo2Can hood fans used above stoves be used
When I had my kitchen remodeled last year, I did some quick experimentation with the old range exhaust hood.
From what I found, no, it would not work. There was just not enough air flow through the small fan.
My old paint booth had a small Dayton ventilator fan, my new one has a much larger Dayton fan.
What CFM rating is best to use?
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
Erie1951What CFM rating is best to use?
I did a fair amount of research online before starting my build. I found a couple of designs I really liked, and modified them into the final design I decided to build.
I hope to have the booth up and running by Thanksgiving Day, so I should be able to give you much better feedback after then.
I decided on the Dayton model 70633777 blower. This is reported to be well matched to a 12 by 24 inch filter inlet.
The volume rating is 260 CFM at 0"Hg inlet restriction, and 135 CFM at 0.5"Hg inlet restriction. I plan to install a 0-12"H2O inlet restriction gauge to monitor inlet restriction.
This is the blower motor I decided upon. It is Grainger catalogue number 6FHX9.
Thanks, Kevin! I don't know if I still have the blower motor from my old booth and may need a new one in the future.