LOBBS

I was hoping that the ZR1 LS9 setup would work as that would be fairly straightforward. After seeing these pics, there is quite a bit more scratching to be done. The upper part of the manifold for sure. I'll have to pick up a ZR1 and see how that kit's pieces are laid out to see if it'll make a good base to start from.

Thanks for the heads up on the differences.

Yes, Klaus is using the angled-face 18" x 24" opening dimensions in his calculation which is correct. But, the point you both have missed is that the actual cross-sectional area of his booth is around 17" x 24". So when the air leaves the opening of the face and enters the body of the booth the airflow is actually slightly accelerated by being forced through the smaller area. By calculating for the slightly larger opening you can ensure that the column of air through the booth maintains a sufficient velocity. Air is not empty space. It is full of molecules that have to be treated like a fluid where motion is concerned. So in the case of a booth you have to move all (or a great deal) of the molecules that are in the space between the fan and the opening. In the case of this booth, you have exactly the opposite scenario of Klaus' example. You have an extremely small opening and a large cross-sectional area. Once the air passes through the inlet filter into the box, it will decelerate rapidly as the molecules coming in have to fill the much larger column of the booth. That 100 cfm fan has to move all (or a great deal of) of the molecules in that 2' x 3' column before it can exact a draw on the smaller inlet. To actually obtain 50 fpm at the fan in this case of the enclosed booth, the air may have to hit the inlet filter at nearly 100 fpm to overcome the inherent deceleration of hitting such a large working column. If you want an example, take a drink with a straw from a glass and see how easily it pulls. Next take the large end of a funnel and put it over your face and try to take the same sip with the same effort. It's not going to happen. The straw has the same inlet and working area so it is relatively simple to draw your column of fluid through it. The funnel has the same roughly the inlet size as the straw but a much larger working column and as such requires a great deal more pull to achieve the same effect. Quite simply put, you have to maintain the rate of flow through the largest cross-sectional area of the column of air. It does not matter whether that is the opening (as it is with the angled opening of Klaus' example) or the large working area of the booth in this thread. On the exhaust side or second part of the equation, the ducting is so much smaller than the area being vented that the molecules of air can get stacked upon each other and create a back pressure. So in picking a fan you have to have enough pull to maintain velocity on the inlet side and overcome back pressure on the exhaust side.

With this dropping Monday, and I have no doubt that it will be a success, what do you guys want to see next? We've already added the automatic version and the exhaust manifolds into the mix based on feedback from here. I think that the supercharged LS9 from the ZR1 would be a no brainer. Or a carb'd intake. Perhaps the flatter dry-sump oil pan that is used in some 1:1 builds. Manny has briefly mentioned in one of our conversations wanting to do more with this based on the buzz that he's seen here on MCM.

I will respectfully disagree with that logic. Greatly exaggerated to make my point, following the method you stated, one could in theory properly exhaust a full-size 8' x 10' x 8' room through a 1' x 6" filter with a 25 CFM fan as that combination would have a proper rate of flow at the filter. There is no respect to the area being cleared and outside of the immediate area of the fan the pull would be virtually non-existent. I have read and re-read Klaus' article many times over the years and have exchanged communications with him several times. In his guide, he always refers to the square area of the box dimensions when calculating the first portion of the flow needs.

I almost forgot. There were a couple of guys that asked about exhaust manifolds and these from the Revell '10 Camaro SS I felt were the best option of all the various Revell LS motor-in-kit-form options. I cut them off at the flange to remove the cats and I think they will serve well to fit a lot of different configurations.

Very cool concept.

Good looking build. Love the black on black.

That's a great shade of blue for the Vette. It looks like it's coming along nicely.

I was just over at VCG's site finishing up the bits and pieces I want to add to my order and noticed they've added the LS7 to the top of their page. Manny is planning on sending me some more pics to post here but you guys can get a sneak peek there. http://vcgresin.atspace.com

Both great looking builds.

Absolutely no fault to that logic. As I said before, I think it's a brilliant design. Safety is the top priority and if you can eliminate the ignition risks and ensure that your system can keep the box cleared of fumes you are golden.

Masters for the T-56 six-speed manual. And the 6L80 six-speed auto. I just have to clean up a little flash and drop these in the mail.

That article by Klaus is the best. I've built a couple of booths following those guidelines. All of mine have been of the downdraft variety as they tend to be cleaner and more efficient.

VCG's website is here. I know that the crate motor with the manual tranny is ready to go as I have seen the test shots. The automatic will be ready soon. He had me post next Monday as the official release date so that he has this week to build inventory and be ready. http://vcgresin.atspace.com

I just got off the phone with VCG. They had sent me some pics of the first parts out over the weekend but the email never made it to my phone. Everything looks good in the pics he sent me and he wants to get some better ones to post here. They will be ready to take orders on Monday the 24th so that he has some time to build an inventory to fill the first rush of orders. After talking with him, they will be available as the full motor with a manual, full motor with the automatic as well as having the two trannies available as a stand alone item. I'll get the new pics up as soon as they hit my inbox.

I can only hope for your safety that the 100 CFM rating listed for your bilge pump is given at an extremely high static pressure and that it's airflow abilities within your system (possibly lower SP) are much higher. The flow rate for this application is not a cubic calculation or the "air changes" that you keep referring to. It is quite simply the square area (in your case 2' x 3' or 6 sq ft) by the desired face velocity or FPM. Because your booth is a downdraft booth you can safely maintain a minimum of 50 FPM which would require at least 300 cfm blower (6 sq ft x 50 FPM) at the static pressure of your total system. Again your bilge pump, given its original application, may be able to support 300 cfm at a relatively low static pressure. The biggest issue that I see with your setup is that your pump is already questionable and you are using, quite frankly, the worst possible solution for your ducting with those long sections of flexible 3" duct. 3" ducting is already fairly restrictive and the flexible type is around 3 times worse than that. That combination would produce an extremely high static pressure and it is very likely that your pump is not even producing anything close to the advertised 100 cfm. It is all in the article that I posted and Klaus has been a very respected member of the modeling community for a long, long time. With a sealed system like you've built, it is possible that you could be filling a confined space with an excess of volatile solvents (an explosion hazard) and your best warning device (the ole nose) is taken out of the equation. I've built three booths using Klaus' instructions and they have all served me well for years with no incidences. The only reason I've built as many as I have is to improve on the materials in which they were originally constructed in (spare wood->MDF->sheetmetal) or to tweak minor things that I wanted to add to the previous generation. Please give the article that Klaus published years ago a read and do the best that you can to verify that you have sufficient "oomph" in your system to safely exhaust the fumes.

While I can appreciate the design and execution of the box, the 100 CFM bilge pump is greatly underpowered to properly clear the space even with its downdraft layout. The industry standard is 100 CFM for every square foot of area that the fan has to clear. For your 2' x 3' box you would need a minimum of a 600 CFM blower even before you began adding the exhaust ductwork. The sheer length of flexible 3" hose you're using would add a great deal of airflow resistance. Not trying to step on any toes, it's about safety. I've attached an article that Klaus Raddatz released years ago about building your own booth and how to properly calculate which motor is required for the size of the box and the attached duct work. http://www.mediafire.com/?6wffygg65u98eo6

That's a whole lotta great looking Ferraris.

Nicely done. Great color combo.

Just got word from Manny at VCG that the master for the LS7 has finally arrived at his shop. As soon as the molds are a go I'll get up some pics and they'll be ready to take orders. My wife's grandmother passed away this week so I've been tied up with family business. I will get the masters for the six-speed manual (T-56) and automatic trannies (6L80 from the '10 Camaro SS) out as soon as possible along with the exhaust manifolds. The trannies will be correct for not only the LS motors but also traditional SBCs and BBCs.

The thread police are probably going to come get me for dragging this one back out. One of the big projects I was working on before I stepped away for awhile was this booth. In the new house, my hobby room does not have a window. My plan to get around this was to use carbon filtration to trap the VOCs and odors. The big hangup back then was the fact that these activated-carbon filters were still a relative niche item and the only reliable source I was looking at would be Grainger. This carried a pretty healthy premium at around $30 a pop and you had to order a multi-pack to obtain them. That all changed tonight when I had to stop by the Walmart on the way home from work to pick up some filters for the house. Up on the top shelf, I found these: Carbon filtration has finally hit the mainstream and they aren't too expensive at around $16. As I illustrated in the OP this is the second stage in my stack of filters with primary filter above this one in the stream to capture the bulk of the overspray. That method should protect this one from having to do much more than just capture the nasty, dangerous stuff. I built in extra airflow capacity by going with the larger Dayton blower to account for the multiple stages of filtration and the expected resistance. I'm really excited now to get my booth finished up so that I can prove my concept correct.

Looks great. I've always had a thing for Montes and never understood why this kit doesn't get more love.

I'm not quite sure which way I'll go with the paint just yet but I may incorporate the matte black into it.