Darwin's Heros Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I'm sure many of you can relate when I say that bits of crud floating around in the air landing on, and thus ruining, our freshly laid paint jobs is not only a problem, but a real pain in the neck. So of course a spray booth would be a great idea... BUT FOR $260?! What exactly would justify this price? And worse yet is that's not even the most expensive, Check out this Aztek booth $434! I really don't get what makes these booths so special, can someone please explain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTH KUSTOMS Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 (edited) Ummmm It's metal? dunno, but that does seem pricy, for sumthin you could prolly build for under 20 bux... Edited August 7, 2009 by unforgiven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Tillotson Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 You can go that method but if you have any skills with wood (and I don't!!!) you can make one. If I can do it anyone can. My box is 24"x24" made of plywood with qtr round trim on the front. I believe it is 18" deep. I stained all the wood so it would be a slick finish and not promote dust. I cut a whole in the back for a shaded pole blower I bought from grainger to meet the specs I wanted for flow. I spent roughly $108 for the fan and if my CFM flow calculations are right I pull more than enough air and way more than most boxes on the market. About centered in the box I have a filter that measures 24"x24" that I slide in the top for filtration and I vent the gases out a window plug that I put in when I paint. I paint in my garage where my show cars are so fumes are not a problem its the overspray floating around that bugs me. My next step is two funnel the air after the filter to the fan opening by building some sort of plenum to channel the air. I do believe it will give me more suction at the filter, of course right now when it is running the filter bows in as it is. I can take pics if you would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Pace makes a fine looking spray booth at a lower price. I took Pace's design and built my own. There's a post(s) in here somewhere all about doing your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf15 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I'd venture a guess that you are relatively new to all this ? Hence, the sticker shock syndrome strikes again ! Custom built booths are a bit expensive when first considered. However , in the long run , they save a fortune in kits , paint , and aggravation. Most of these units are made of quality metal , are filtered , contain built in exhaust fans , lighting kits , etc , and with care, will last for many years to come. By not controlling you painting enviroment , you stand to lose a small fortune in botched paint jobs. Add that factor in and you are well beyond the original cost of your spray booth and you still have the same problem. Contact the Pgh. 3 Rivers IPMS chapter, ask them for the gontleman's name who vends every year at their show with his spray booths. They are welded units that are made out of light gauge stainless steel. The prices are fair and the units are made with top notch craftsmanship, complete with lighting , exhaust , filtering , etc. Put your money into your equipment first , your kits , second ! It makes for a more worth while modeling experience overall. Good equipment will serve you well for many years to come. Donn Yost Lone Wolf Custom Painting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E St. Kruiser50 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Most everyone I know builds their own - me to . Built this about a decade ago, and as you can see, well used, but still working fine after having two different homes . First I figured out the CFM ( Cubic feet per Minute ) I'd need, then looked in a Grainger catalogue and found a squirel- cage fan. I got a sheet of plywood, and built a 18" deep X 24" X 30" spray booth. I built an adaptor for the squirel-cage, and got some dryer ducting, two lights for inside, a place for a slide out filter, and she was done. Probably ten years ago about $100.00, and about a week in spare time, and she still works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAL Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I built mine for about $200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old low&slo Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 man dont pay those prices just build one yourself. I built one out of plywood and 2x4's and a bench to sit it on and got a nice blower and vented it outside. took out a pane of glass from our basement window and replaced it with a piece of wood and cut a hole in it for a dryer vent and hooked it all up oh and cut a hole in the top of the box and covered in clear plexi and stuck a aquarium light on it. and we never smell paint fumes anymore in the house. probably didnt cost more then 200 for everything. and now I can paint all year round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4BKT VET Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I can see the value in capturing over spray, but how does one of these prevent dirt from entering the area you are operating from? I built a completely enclosed downdraft unit, but had problems with the paint always being too dry. I built the entire thing from wood with a variable speed blower. It was basically like a small blast cabinet. It had a set of lights, gloves, 3 stage air inlet filter, 2 stage exhaust filters, a large viewing window and a thermometer. The concept was great, basically the air brush is inside a clean environment. The next attempt will be to build a small Clean Room. I built one at work for micro electronics assembly, but 20 people work in that one. I plan on a closet size set up and going for the down draft deal with dual door entry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E St. Kruiser50 Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 (edited) .... but how does one of these prevent dirt from entering the area you are operating from? I've found that most dust particles of any consequence came from my clothing, especially in the winter from my long sleeved winter plaids. When I switched to short sleeves or t-shirt's, what little problems I had, pretty much went away. NICE EASY FIX. What little dust I do get once in a while, is easy to polish out. No perfect paint jobs usually, so it's knowing how to do the finish work, which get's pretty easy with a bit of practice and patience. Edited August 10, 2009 by Treehugger Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drag Slot Builder Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'm sure many of you can relate when I say that bits of crud floating around in the air landing on, and thus ruining, our freshly laid paint jobs is not only a problem, but a real pain in the neck. So of course a spray booth would be a great idea... BUT FOR $260?! What exactly would justify this price? And worse yet is that's not even the most expensive, Check out this Aztek booth $434! I really don't get what makes these booths so special, can someone please explain? MICRO MARK have them for less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaronw Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I can see the value in capturing over spray, but how does one of these prevent dirt from entering the area you are operating from? I haven't had a chance to try mine out yet, but from reading others tips, I think the idea is to run the booth for a few minutes before you paint. This is supposed to suck nearby dust out of the air, providing cleaner air for painting. If you have a cover for the booth like I made for mine you can keep the air flowing with filtered air while the paint cures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helipilot16 Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Here is mine. I built it out of 3/8" plywood and 2x2s. I lined it with clear shelf paper. I used a cheap wire shelf and lazy susan to mount my models on. I used two under shelf lights on the sides of the booth. Below is shown my blower and ducting. I used a Toro weed blower, which pulls through a filter in the bottom of the booth. It pushes out a dryer vent to the outside. I mounted my airbrush hangers and manifold tothe front of the lower baffle, which channels all the air in around the subject model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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