Spray Booth Plans

[jmoonan]

Does anyone know where I can find a set of plans or a kit for building a spray booth that I can set up on my workbench?

Thanks, John M

[jeffers_mz]

No plans, but I'm about to embark ona similar project.

I want it light and strong, so I'll build a five sided box, back, top, two ends, and a floor from luan, (1/4 inch plywood), with 1" x 1" blocks at the joints for strength.

In the top will be a large skylight made from plexiglass (easily cut with a skill saw), and I may run a width of plexiglass across the front as sort of a partially closed "hood".

Some kind of fan, probably a computer fan as I have many of those, feeding a dryer vent hose, and I'm ready to paint.

[modelmaker51]

QUOTE:
Some kind of fan, probably a computer fan as I have many of those, feeding a dryer vent hose, and I'm ready to paint.

A computer fan isn't going to remove enough air fast enough, you'd be better off using a cheap ($15.-) bathroom fan mounted in the back. You should also use a furnace filter to remove the particles before you vent to the outdoors instead of polluting our atmosphere.

[rolleiman]

Make sure whatever fan you use it's BRUSHLESS.. A Squirrel cage fan is best as it will isolate the motor from the particles. A computer fan isn't going to cut it.. Stop by Grainger.com (I think) and look up Dayton exhaust fans.

Jeff

[Anonymous]

I made a spray booth last year.
i had thoughts of a computer fan also.
but
i've made mine from a cheap range hood used for kitchens
that i bought a home depot.
it ends up being quite large but i kinda like having the room inside.
i made a frame for it and inclosed the sides with that hardboard that is painted white on one side.
it draws quite a bit of air on high but is quite loud.
bonus is that it has a light fixture on the inside as well.
and comes pre wired with switches for all.
they are suppost to be hardwired in but i put a cord on mine
by cutting the female end off an extension cord.
[B)] SAFETY NOTE.
I was informed that spray booths are expensive because they
have an explosion proof fan mechanism.
I guess vapours from spraying oil based paints can cause fires or worse.
This is just what i was told i don't know for sure but i'm not going to try.
as i precaution i only spray waterbased paints in my homemaid booth.

[dgwinup]

Computer fans are ideal for use in spray booths if they are large enough. They can be in the air path coming out of the booth. The furnace filter should be mounted in front of the fan to filter particles out that could eventually clog the fan.

If you have a lot of old computer fans, use the largest fan you have, or use more than one fan. You want good airflow, but not so much that the fan draws the paint spray in before it reaches what you are painting.

All of the other fans mentioned have brushes that can create sparks. If you are using paints with organic solvents, the fumes could build up inside the spray booth and a spark from the motor could ignite the fumes. At best, you will get the daylights scared out of you, but, more likely, you will have a fire and sustain injuries.

Just a precaution. Safety first, you know!

Darrell, quiet...for now

[rolleiman]

What you Don't want to do is suck the paint through the motor.. That's why Squirrel cage fans are used in most commercially available paint booths.

Jeff

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dgwinup
[All of the other fans mentioned have brushes that can create sparks. If you are using paints with organic solvents, the fumes could build up inside the spray booth and a spark from the motor could ignite the fumes.

I've been using my home made spray booth for about 20 years now, with a bathroom fan. Bathroom fans that I've seen and use have brushless motors, so they are not a sparking hazard. I've been using flammable Floquil paint for this time without any problems.

Making your own booth shouldn't be too hard. I had dismantled an entertainment center that I had made from half inch plywood, and used this to make my booth. Here's what my well used one looks like:



The bathroom fan on top is fitted to the flexible plastic ductwork that goes to the plywood insert in the adjacent window. I remove the insert when not painting. The booth was painted white inside to make it brighter, and this also seals the plywood from absorbing spilled paint - a possible fire hazard.

I sized my booth's width to that of the local newspaper (2'), and I used pages from it to line the bottom and back of the booth to catch the overspray. I change the paper once in a while.

There is a fluroescent under the counter light mounted on the top entrance to the booth, which gives me good visibility. The light, fan, and the compressor (under the workbench) are all connected to the power bar so I can ensure everything is turned off when I'm done painting. The booth is removable from the workbench if I need more room to work on.

Not seen in the photo is a furnace filter mounted at the back inside, over the fan intake. This captures some of the paint particles before they go out the ductwork.

Also not shown is a piece of panelling that I use as a door for the booth when it's not in use . It is held in place with some Velcro strips. This helps keep the dust out.

The booth with the fan seems to keep fumes out of the rest of the house. I always wear an approved respirator when spraying Floquil type paints. It has cartridges for organic solvents. I cannot smell the paint when I'm using it, so it must be doing its job. Inhaling these fumes is something you do not want to do.

Even when spraying water based paint it is a good idea to have some sort of protection from inhaling the particles.

Bob Boudreau

[jmoonan]

Since I posted this I have been doing some searches and came across this spray booth that is made by Badger: http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=922-989&go=814337. Looks interresting and at $199 not too expensive.

However, I think I'll continue to look for some plans or design my own.

Thanks, John M

[Anonymous]

HEre is a simple plan

Take a big box and cut it up add a light ontop and you have a spray booth

[onetrack64]

I just finished building a spray booth. I used 1/2" plywood.

I have a good farm type hardware store nearby that carried Dayton fans with a squirrel cage blower attached. A 100 cu ft per minute ran me about $75.00 I wanted something that would draw the fumes out. I checked some of the bathroom vent units online, and wasn't satisfied they would be powerful enough. And for the price, it was almost as cheap, for twice the airflow.

It is my understanding that paint thinner fumes are heavier than air...so I put a baffle, (think pegboard), on the back wall with triangular pattern of holes in it. I wanted to make sure I got ALL the fumes...I have no intention of playing russian roullete with the gas furnace and hot water heater!! Behind the holes, I stapled some generic "cut-to-fit" A/C filter material. And I found a cheap under the counter light at WM, so I can see what I'm doing.

All told, I figure I have $115.00 in it.

Now if I could figure out how to post pics here, I could show you the darn thing!

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by onetrack64


Now if I could figure out how to post pics here, I could show you the darn thing!

http://www.photobucket.com

Free account, upload your photos there, post a link here..

Jeff

[jeffers_mz]

Good info in this thread, it will save me some effort, expense, and who know, maybe the odd residential explosion as well?

Thanks.

[onetrack64]

Thanks for the tip rolleiman. Now let's see if I can do this.

[onetrack64]

Hey! What do you know!!! It worked!

Pardon the poor color quality. It was really sunny that day, and it confused my digital camera.

[rolleiman]

Set your white balance on your digital..

Looks like a solid unit but I have a question.. How will you change the filter?? Does the baffle work well? Inquiring minds want to know.. I'm considering a rebuild of mine for smaller bench space or even a collapsable one (not much space left in the shop).

Jeff
[8D]

[onetrack64]

Well, the baffle is held in place with 4 screws. and the filter material is stapled to the back side of the baffle. As for how well it works...I don't know yet. I am still working on getting a basement window closed off, and a 4" dryer vent set-up finished.

Can't ru***hese things you know[:D]

[JohnT14808]

IF Santa gets me my airbrush, I'll do something like onetrack has done. I've seen plans around the net, but can't find them right now. I could have sworn I had one in my Favorites... I like Bob's idea of the newspaper liner....sure would keep you from painting and repainting and repainting the interior of your spray booth. I also see a lazy susan type of device in Bob's...another good idea.
Boy, the ideas and suggestions I learn at this place.....