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Paint Booths & Safe Ventilation?


Synister

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Be careful and use a brushless motor to avoid the risk of spark-ignition of paint fumes.

​With that said, as mentioned many good sources of info all over the web. I bought a Harbor Fright unit years ago and it's OK, but a bit small. I use a dryer vent set-up mounted to a wooden plank I slip in a window to vent. When airbrushing the amount of overspray and fumes (even the "hot" stuff….) is minimal anyway.

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According to the paper I read (link below) 75 cfm is optimal. You make the call to determine if 50 cfm will work for you. Also, while researching various blowers I found that cfm varies from one manufacturer to another. One may say 75 cfm, but really doesn't pull that much. You might want to try to find blowers recommended by someone that has already put a booth together.

http://modeltech.tripod.com/booth1.htm

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Belugawrx - Thank you for the link. many good points were brought up especially about starting fires which is clearly not on my list of priorities :unsure::D. I did not really think about the paints vapors and overspray being able to start fires. I'm going to have to keep doing more research I would really like a safe paint booth but do not want to spend $100+ on a booth.

Fastback340 - http://www.amazon.com/Broan-Model-688-Ventilation-Grille/dp/B00004TTZZ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1424016040&sr=8-8&keywords=exhaust+fan+bathroom

This was the fan I was thinking of purchasing. It does not say if it brushless or not and I am most certainly not trying to start any fires.

MeatMan - Thank you for the advice, That is probably the best idea and see what other people use with paint booths they made. Also spraying from a can is different than an airbrush of course. That being said, what set up are you currently using? Did you make a paint booth for yourself?

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Belugawrx - Thank you for the link. many good points were brought up especially about starting fires which is clearly not on my list of priorities :unsure::D. I did not really think about the paints vapors and overspray being able to start fires. I'm going to have to keep doing more research I would really like a safe paint booth but do not want to spend $100+ on a booth.

Fastback340 - http://www.amazon.com/Broan-Model-688-Ventilation-Grille/dp/B00004TTZZ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1424016040&sr=8-8&keywords=exhaust+fan+bathroom

This was the fan I was thinking of purchasing. It does not say if it brushless or not and I am most certainly not trying to start any fires.

MeatMan - Thank you for the advice, That is probably the best idea and see what other people use with paint booths they made. Also spraying from a can is different than an airbrush of course. That being said, what set up are you currently using? Did you make a paint booth for yourself?

What type of paints are you using? I only use acrylics now, but I bought this spray booth over Christmas with LED's and it works perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NLQ019A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tim

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What type of paints are you using? I only use acrylics now, but I bought this spray booth over Christmas with LED's and it works perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NLQ019A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tim

I use duplicolor straight from the can. I believe it is acrylic lacquer. I also use a generic flat black enamel for the chassis and smaller items (walmart has a brand for 96 cents a can that works great.) for clears I either shoot testers lacquer clear OR rustoleum acrylic lacquer clear (tough stuff, I'm a fan)

Finding a fan that is safe for those paints would be great. Starting to second guess my choice of fan!

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First run in the new booth, covered the pegboard with cheap paper towels to make it easier to clean.

20150216_094320.jpg

a couple of 34 sedans, one for a client, the other for me.

You can see the paint is drawn down all over the paper towels and you just pull them and toss for a clean booth.

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Steve, here's the link to my booth topic. It'll show you how I was able to match everything up. It's gone through several modifications since I first posted this. I've added lights everywhere and moved the filter location. The bilge blower, ducting and hook ups remain the same except that I don't use the board under the door as an exhaust any more. I put a vent into the door. The blower I have is adequate but I'd buy more capacity if I had it to do over. You can get 170 CFM blowers for about the same price that I paid for the 100 CFM on eBay. I can spray continuously for about 3 minutes before the cloud of spray is visible in the booth. After a couple of minutes, it's clear again. I still haven't decided whether to change it or not.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76088

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Tom - That really is a very impressive setup. I would love to have that one day but currently a smaller one ( about large plastic bin size) would be ideal. (Still live with parents). Nonetheless I hope to one day be able to have a set up similar to yours.

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My 2 cents worth...iv been using the same bathroom exhaust fan in my homemade booth for over 4 years now with no issues whatsoever iv sprayed acyrlis enamels laquars thinners u name it through this thing and nothing. Its 120cfm I got for 30$ at the depot. Vented out the window it sucks like a mother.

Unless your a super newb and spray and entire can in one pass you should be fine. Just a note the fan I'm using is an all plastic unit (other then the motor itself)

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Steve,

The fact that you still live at home makes me believe that you are a younger modeler or a college grad that is having a hard time finding employment, I hope it's that you are a younger modeler!!! Anyhow it is great to see you on board!!!!! You will find a great bunch of people here who are always willing to help!!! Good luck with all your projects! Jimmy "Rass"

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Heroncustom - I will be sending you a pm about your booth later today!

Jwrass - I am a younger modeler (23) just getting back into it since a very very young age. I am employed and do have a degree, but the time being staying with my parents still works and plus I save a good amount of money (instead of wasting it on rent, I would rather pay a mortgage) for when I do decide to buy a house. Anyways, Thank you for the welcome! I always turn to this forum for advice, tips, and to see peoples amazing builds that boggle my mind! This is a great model building community, and I hope to see some of your projects as well!

Edited by 1hobby1
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The way I made my first few booths was easy and cheap. I went to Michaels and bought a bunch of poster board. I cut to the size I wanted and duct taped it together into a box. This is nice because you can do literally any size and configuration you wish. After I duct taped it together, I cut a hole in the back. I tried one through the top, but it draws better from the rear. You mount the bathroom fan here. Then I installed a small fluorescent light on top, just in front of the box opening. This way I had light and a fan.

Then I cut out a piece of thin wood to fit snugly inside the window opening when it was open. Then I cut a hole. I ran the ducting from the fan through the hole in this wood so it would vent outside but had no chance of coming back in.

It's a little flimsy, but you can double up on the poster board if you want.

Don't go 50 or 80 CFM. Either 120, or 2 80 CFM fans, one on top and one in the back.

I was at my friend's engraving shop a few months ago and saw the coolest spray booth I have ever seen. It took up a lot of space, but it had ducts on both sides and a large one in the back. It had a huge squirrel cage fan. So it pulled all the paint out to the sides away from the model and into the back. They were using it to lacquer up some projects. She's had it for 15 years she said, she has no idea where she got it.

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Steve, I'll go ahead one more time and emphasize the fact that bathroom fans are not brushless. In order to have a nice explosion all you need is a combustible mixture and a spark source. You'll have a spark source if you use a bathroom exhaust fan. If you're only going to spray acrylic paint, you're fine. If you spray any lacquer or enamels, you may not be.

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There is alot of info here on the site just type into your browser...

modelcarsmag.com spray booth

notice this space

I would like to give you more info ,...but that topic has been done to death :huh:

also you can use this search line for anything on this site.

Good luck,.....don't make mama mad :D

Cheers

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