Finally bought paint booth (Update 12/21/12)

[dougp]

We are finally going to do it. My wife and I are buying ourselves a paint booth. Too much building going on to wait until spring to be able to paint again. We've read through all the paint/spray booth topics and have narrowed it down to these two:

The Micromark 15X20 http://www.micromark.com/15-Inch-x-20-Inch-Standard-Spray-Paint-Booth,8034.html

Pace 24" Mini-plus http://www.pacepaintbooths.com/pace/

The booth will be used in a 8X8' very well lit laundry room. It will sit on top a dryer and vent into a homemade bucket filter (no easy access to vent outside).

Our concerns are: Is there a lot of overspray that escapes from the booth? Does anyone know much do they weigh? We would like a 30" booth but are concern they would be difficult to move.

We would appreciated comments from builders who own either booth. We're not going to build our own and the price difference between the two is not an issue. We want this to be our first and last booth purchase, so we would appreciate your feedback and please only from those that own these particular booths or earlier models of each.

Thanks for you help.

Edited December 22, 2012 by dougp

[Miatatom]

Both are the same links.

[High octane]

I used to spray in the "laundry" room also and then realizing that with having the furnace and hot water heater in the same room, it was NOT a good idea to spray paint there anymore.

[dougp]

Both are the same links.

Link fixed, thanks...

I used to spray in the "laundry" room also and then realizing that with having the furnace and hot water heater in the same room, it was NOT a good idea to spray paint there anymore.

Our laundry room only has the washer and electric dryer. Both will be covered and not used while painting. We're aware of all the flammability issues. We just wanted feedback by users of the specific booths. I don't want this turning into a discussion on fire and inhalation hazards like the other threads.

[Aaronw]

I don't think the 30" Pace would be a big problem to move unless you have a very tight hallway to go through. Standard doors are 32" wide, so it should just squeek through even held the wide way. I have a homebuilt booth about that size made from 1/2" plywood with a blower nearly twice as powerful and I can carry it by myself, although 2 does make it a lot easier. The Pace booths are made from sheet metal, so should weigh a fair bit less than mine.

I don't have personal experience with either booth. Pace has a good reputation here, but I would be hesitant to buy the smaller Pace booths. The size and design seems very constraining, it almost looks like trying to paint in a microwave. You might try finding a cardboard box about that size and pretend to paint a model in it and see if that works for you.

Mine is designed more like the one at Micromark with an angled open top, I like having all that room above the work area to move around in.

If the booth is working properly you should get no overspray.

I have no experience with indoor vented booths, but the Micromark booth does have a charcoal filter which would be a plus for you as they are supposed to help contain the paint fumes. Pace uses standard HVAC filters which are cheap and easy to get, but only stop paint particles, they won't do a thing for the fumes.

[CadillacPat]

We are finally going to do it. My wife and I are buying ourselves a paint booth. Too much building going on to wait until spring to be able to paint again. We've read through all the paint/spray booth topics and have narrowed it down to these two:

The Micromark 15X20 http://www.micromark.com/15-Inch-x-20-Inch-Standard-Spray-Paint-Booth,8034.html

Pace 24" Mini-plus http://www.pacepaintbooths.com/pace/

The booth will be used in a 8X8' very well lit laundry room. It will sit on top a dryer and vent into a homemade bucket filter (no easy access to vent outside).

What type paints will you be using, solvents or water based?

Your "homemade bucket filter" may suffice for short bursts of waterbased paints from an AirBrush but using solvents or AirBrushing for extended periods of time might be too much for it.

Especially in a small 8 x 8 enclosed room.

Our concerns are: Is there a lot of overspray that escapes from the booth? Does anyone know much do they weigh? We would like a 30" booth but are concern they would be difficult to move.

Overspray escaping from the Paint Booth will be dependent upon,

A) The psi emitting from your AirBrush,

The induction and exhaust strength of your fan or even better, fans

C) If you are using Rattlecans

D) The length of time that you AirBrush or Rattlecan

We would appreciated comments from builders who own either booth. We're not going to build our own and the price difference between the two is not an issue. We want this to be our first and last booth purchase, so we would appreciate your feedback and please only from those that own these particular booths or earlier models of each.

So far replies seem to be from those who do not own the types of Paint Booth you're interested in.

Thanks for you help.

CadillacPat

Edited December 7, 2012 by CadillacPat

[Chief Joseph]

I don't have personal experience with either booth you've presented. But, I will be in the market for a spray booth when we downsize next year. I would choose something more like the MicroMark booth; I like it because it is more open and it's a downdraft design. What I don't like is that it uses a proprietary filter. I don't think you'd have to worry about overspray with either one unless you are use big industrial-strength spray cans. They should handle an airbrush with no problem unless you are blowing out a jar of paint at high pressure.

Not to get into a discussion about safety, but you mentioned using an indoor bucket filter. This bucket filter is designed to work with moderate amounts of solvent paint:

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/pa_booth.htm

Edited December 7, 2012 by Chief Joseph

[george 53]

Joseph, the link didn't work. Years ago Model Cars Magazine did a story on how to make a charcoal bucket filter. I made one, and have used it in my spraybooth ever since. I paint in my model room in the basement, and my wife can't smell the fumes, so it works for me!

[Chief Joseph]

Joseph, the link didn't work. Years ago Model Cars Magazine did a story on how to make a charcoal bucket filter. I made one, and have used it in my spraybooth ever since. I paint in my model room in the basement, and my wife can't smell the fumes, so it works for me!

Fixed it. Somehow got a space at the end that didn't belong.

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/pa_booth.htm

Hmm, still acting weird by loading sometimes and sometimes 404'ing.

Use this direct PDF link: http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/CoMMiESPaintbooth.pdf

Edited December 7, 2012 by Chief Joseph

[dougp]

I don't have personal experience with either booth you've presented. But, I will be in the market for a spray booth when we downsize next year. I would choose something more like the MicroMark booth; I like it because it is more open and it's a downdraft design. What I don't like is that it uses a proprietary filter. I don't think you'd have to worry about overspray with either one unless you are use big industrial-strength spray cans. They should handle an airbrush with no problem unless you are blowing out a jar of paint at high pressure.

Not to get into a discussion about safety, but you mentioned using an indoor bucket filter. This bucket filter is designed to work with moderate amounts of solvent paint:

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/pa_booth.htm

Chief Joseph, thanks for the link. I had found the info on it while searching the site about booths. We're already picking up the components.

As to the filter that was my concern too until I read the individual filter descriptions. It stated the top filter is usually the only one that needs to be changed. It also appears to be made of the same aquarian filter material I used on my homemade booth which you can buy a lot cheaper elsewhere.

We mainly use rattlecans. Painting is usually done in short cycles. I had made a booth before from a large plastic storage container at it worked well, just didn't hold up. The laundry room is used because it has a bathroom type ceiling fan used to cycle the house air (newer, very air tight home) and runs for 60 minutes every 6 hours. When painting in the past we would turn on the ceiling fan on for additional venting, but we're thinking about using the new booth in our craft room (converted bedroom), the reason for the concern about the overspray.

And thanks for not turning into a discussion about safety. I've been painting for decades and am aware of the hazards and didn't want this thread going south like so many others.

Thanks for everyones comments. We're now leaning towards the 30" Micromark.

[CadillacPat]

Don't forget to purchase a Respirator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Art Anderson]

I have the 30" Pace, and love it, one of the very best pieces of equipment I've bought for my hobby in the past 60 years. Being an apartment dweller, exhausting the fumes of airbrushing from my apartment is a critical issue, especially as this apartment is in a converted house with central HVAC (NO way do I want to upset either of my neighbors, expecially the elderly woman downstairs!).

In the past, I have used my old Badger spray booth (talk about spraying into a microwave!!!), and hooked it up to the dryer vent (that apartment had a laundry room, but given that there was an open laundry facility just down the hall, no point in my buying a washer and dryer), with no problems whatsoever.

My other parameter has been, for years, the removal of particulates from the surrounding air in my home--I hate the fine overspray dust that happens--I prefer to build model cars, not dust dried overspray off of everything--that is an interference in my free time for building model cars (and were I married still, I am sure I would get a ton of interference from the distaff side if I wasn't doing something about all that colored dust.

Art

[scalenut]

I would be most concerned about a lint emmiting dryer in the paint room ,it's not the ideal paint area but we do what we have to sometimes

[dougp]

I have the 30" Pace, and love it, one of the very best pieces of equipment I've bought for my hobby in the past 60 years. Being an apartment dweller, exhausting the fumes of airbrushing from my apartment is a critical issue, especially as this apartment is in a converted house with central HVAC (NO way do I want to upset either of my neighbors, expecially the elderly woman downstairs!).

In the past, I have used my old Badger spray booth (talk about spraying into a microwave!!!), and hooked it up to the dryer vent (that apartment had a laundry room, but given that there was an open laundry facility just down the hall, no point in my buying a washer and dryer), with no problems whatsoever.

My other parameter has been, for years, the removal of particulates from the surrounding air in my home--I hate the fine overspray dust that happens--I prefer to build model cars, not dust dried overspray off of everything--that is an interference in my free time for building model cars (and were I married still, I am sure I would get a ton of interference from the distaff side if I wasn't doing something about all that colored dust.

Art

Art, how heavy is the Pace 30? Is it ackward to move around. Yours is the kind of feedback I'm looking for, Thanks.

[crazyjim]

I've been using a Pace 24" unit for the past year and love the thing. I can go to Lowe's, Home Depot, Even Wal-Mart for a 24" x 12" pleated filter. None of that extra special filter garbage. Mine is vented outside and I don't move it around - but I did buy a wheeled cart from Northern Tool or Harbor Freight so I could put the compressor underneath and make some hard air lines and electrical connections. I would guess the whole unit weighs about 40 pounds. Give Bob pace a call - I'm sure he could tell you the exact weight.

[scalenut]

here's my pace mini plus 24" , I painted the yellow using the don yost technique just this morning.. it captures all the overspray and nearly all traces of fumes very well.

it's not "microwave-like" at all

[CadillacPat]

Scalenut do you find that slanted rear design takes up a lot of space in the Booth?

I have to imagine if someone is using hand held stands and turning the Model as they spray, upside down and inside out, that touching the body to the filter might take time to learn to avoid.

It's very different from having a veritcal rear wall, but if your Model is sitting still then probably not a problem.

[Foxer]

I have the Micro Mark one and am happy with the draw on the paint. Mine is in the basement but there is nothing like over spray anywhere .. the only paint around it is from my messy mixing. I'm not completely happy with the bottom feed for the fan .. the filter gets paint on it from my spraying down at the parts and they have to get changed often.

Don't know about the weight .. it's anchored down now.

[scalenut]

Scalenut do you find that slanted rear design takes up a lot of space in the Booth?

I have to imagine if someone is using hand held stands and turning the Model as they spray, upside down and inside out, that touching the body to the filter might take time to learn to avoid.

It's very different from having a veritcal rear wall, but if your Model is sitting still then probably not a problem.

It does take a bit of caution to paint a full body , and I use a stubby holder to be able to turn the model in any direction . I normally spray my bodies in the garage but it's very possible to do within the booth.

even from the outer edge of the booth the fan draws the overspray into the filter very well ... the grey primer in the back floor of the booth was from me forgetting to turn the fan on

[Guest G Holding]

I have an Artograph and love it...I would buy a PACE to replace it, due to the cost of filters for mine. It uses 3 separate filters, and the top filter never lasts long, but the "roll"adaptor. The back is angled, and I added a 24" long light inside, I never had any issues touching the back when painting

[dougp]

Thanks for everyones input and suggestions. Thanks Scalenut for the comments and pics about your Pace, they were the deciding factor. We need open space around our projects because we still primarily use rattle cans. We bought the Artograph booth (same as MicroLux) from Amazon. Saved over $100 between the free shipping and lower price on Amazon. Thanks Chief Joseph for the suggestion and supplied link about the secondary filter. We went out to collect the parts and while at Lowes we found these Dryer Lint Trap kits. They included 8' of ducting and two snap rings.

Since we're limited on space I felt these would make great secondary filter containers and they solved my problem of having to fabricate a 'Y' connector to the 5 gallon drum (booth has two exhaust ports). I picked up two 4" aluminum collars and a 30X20 generic HVAC filter. Total for all the parts was about $35.

I pressed fit and hot glued the aluminum collars to the inside of the lint traps.

I then measured and cut 4 circular pieces of filter material and placed them in the traps. The filter material presses and seals against the collars in the traps. The tops snap into place and the two traps are connected together by gluing their wall brackets together.

Here is how they look assembled together and in use.

Booth and filters got their first work out tonight. We couldn't be happier with the results. The booth has plenty air flow, work space and is well lit with the clear top. I found I will be able to use polyester batting material for filter replacements in the future. My wife makes quilts and has a ton of the material laying around. I used it before as filter material in my old homemade paint booth.

Now we don't have to wait until spring to paint again. Thanks again to everyone.

Edited December 22, 2012 by dougp