Hobby paint booths

[LOBBS]

I'd already begun ordering supplies for my own booth when this idea hit me. Paints booths seem to be a fairly regular topic of conversation around here and other forums. Everything from the best commercially available to getting pointed in the right direction for a homemade one. I've decided to build the booth I've always wanted. It's a 25" W x 25" H x 16" D downdraft booth from 24-gauge sheetmetal with multi-stage carbon filteration for odor/fume removal. I've got my fan in from Grainger and I hope to get to the metal supply house within the week to pick up my stock. I've got access to and permission to use our sheetmetal equipment and Bridgeports at work.

If anybody is interested, I'd be willing to knock out a few copies. I'm not looking to set up a factory but wouldn't mind a second stream of income. The only downdrafts on the market with carbon filtration that I can find are the Artographs starting at $570 and working up to almost $900 but I'm working to see if I can get them done around the price of a good cross-draft/updraft Pace booth. Downdraft booths are the standard in the 1:1 community and carbon filtration reduces the need for external ventilation. I'm planning on getting a website up, my personal/demo booth done and final pricing by the Heartland Nats in June.

[KENNEDYJR]

What kind of fan are you planning on using?

[crazyjim]

Pace has been ot there for years and from what I understand makes a terrific product. I would think you being the new kid on the block would need to be significantly lower in price than Pace.

What about an option to have an outside exhaust? Using cheap furnace filters?

[Greg Cullinan]

I am curious as I have my eye on the Pace Peacekeeper. The inticing features to me are potent lighting and two external electrical outlets. Its 500$ shipping is free.

Will you have these features?

Edited May 26, 2010 by ponyxpress

[LOBBS]

I will be using Dayton blowers and the booths will have a standard 4" exhaust hookup installed if you choose to ventilate externally. I have considered offering just plain pleated air filters as a lower priced option to the carbon filters as my booth can except either. For instance, a carbon filtered booth includes one standard pleated filter as a prefilter stacked on top of the carbon filters. A booth with standard filtration only would have a second pleated filter in place of the carbon in the airflow. You would be able to replace the standard pleated filters with any 16" x 25" furnace filter available just about anywhere.

As far as competing directly with Pace with another cross-draft/updraft design I'm not interested. Down-draft booths are inherently more effecient in a number of ways and are a bit more complicated and therefore more expensive to construct. It all has to do with how they draw in and handle "dirty" air. A cross draft booth draws the incoming air directly across your work subject increasing the chance of dust contaminating your fresh paint job. An updraft is even worse as it can actually suspend a great deal of dust in the air that will later settle when the fan is turned off. Down draft booths are gravity assisted therefore you can run a smaller fan which is less expensive to operate, less incoming dirty air is drawn across your project and the overspray is pulled down and away from your piece reducing the chance of contamination later. These are the reasons that most modern paint booths, both the high end hobby booths and 1:1 paint booths are down-draft in design.

Carbon filtration is another technology that has gained traction in booth design and is an option on several commercially available booths. The activated charcoal aborbs odors and the harmful VOCs produced when using solvent based paints. There are several styles of carbon filters from the simple pads, to pleated furnace filters with charcoal dust bonded to their surface to granulated carbon in a honeycomb filter. The pads and pleated filters provide some odor absorption but the granulated carbon filters reduce fumes to a level that can reduce or eliminate the need for outside ventilation.

The $950 Artograph booth is the only one on the market that I've found that combines a downdraft design and sufficient carbon filtration to eliminate the need for outside ventilation. This booth is where I have set my bulls-eye and my goal is to construct a booth with the features of a 1:1 paint shop at a price that is within reach for the hobbyist.

[MikeMc]

Well thought out Kyle.

couple of thoughts. I have the micro mark booth and it uses the 3 filter set, including the carbon filter. I shoot a lot of lacquers and this booth still leaves that smell, unless I vent out the window or thru the inside dryer / water vent. Cost of replacement components kills me on this booth. I got mine well below the list price, but the filter media never seems to be on sale. I feel that the reason is the Drag the 3 filter setup places on the fans. As far as design a back/down draft

will make the solids and VOC removal quicker....for models(not 1:1 )The back draft pulled down (sorta badger/pace like) with a well thought out plenum design should work better if your in a small booth enviroment....good luck with your idea!!

[Kaleb]

I am curious as I have my eye on the Pace Peacekeeper. The inticing features to me are potent lighting and two external electrical outlets. Its 500$ shipping is free.

Will you have these features?

I looked at this one, I dont see $500 dollars in it.

@lobbs You should be able to buy metal from a sheet metal supply as in HVAC pretty cheap at 26 gauge is all you need as far as metal. You might even check at some Heating and air places to see how much they would charge for one. Most shops down here do walk in work like this.

I definitly will be building one now that Pace displayed the measurements

Do you have the tools or need a list of what you may need?

[LOBBS]

I looked at this one, I dont see $500 dollars in it.

@lobbs You should be able to buy metal from a sheet metal supply as in HVAC pretty cheap at 26 gauge is all you need as far as metal. You might even check at some Heating and air places to see how much they would charge for one. Most shops down here do walk in work like this.

I definitly will be building one now that Pace displayed the measurements

Do you have the tools or need a list of what you may need?

I work for an aerospace supplier. We're mostly a CNC shop now but our roots go back to a tool and die/fab shop back in the 60s. We've got no shortage of Bridgeports, shears, brakes and such from those days. Management doesn't mind guys using them for personal projects as long as you don't tear something up or let it interfere with your job. It's a nice perk to have.

We've got an awesome metal supply shop here in town that prices sheetmetal by the square inch and most other metals by the foot. I've talked with them a couple of times and they're willing to handle the bulk of my shearing work. I'll still have to nip the corners and fold flanges at work though. I decided to go with 24 gauge sheetmetal for the bulk of my booth with the exception of the fan mounting plate which will be 14 gauge to avoid sagging due to the weight of the motor.

[crazyjim]

So when are going to see pics and pricing?

[Klaus]

Good for you Kyle, and good luck, I hope your booth sets the standard for hobby paint booths!

Klaus

[Kaleb]

]So you know all about being a tin knocker lol, Secondly you could use the Inducer motor from a gas furnace to pull fumes out.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Kaleb

[LOBBS]

]So you know all about being a tin knocker lol, Secondly you could use the Inducer motor from a gas furnace to pull fumes out.

I'm using Dayton 273 CFM @ 0.0 SP blowers (1TDR3). With a 16" x 25" stage it'll give me 100 FPM. I only need 50 FPM for a downdraft booth but the carbon filters I'll be using are a bit more restrictive than standard filters so I wanted to have plenty of pull.

[LOBBS]

Good for you Kyle, and good luck, I hope your booth sets the standard for hobby paint booths!

Klaus

Thank you for the encouragement Klaus. It means a great deal, especially coming from you.

Kyle "LOBBS" Laubscher