# My Paint Booth build job



## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Disclaimer: This paint booth probably doesn't meet OSHA safety requirements or other government regulations protecting me from myself. But, for now, this little paint booth is serving me well, and it didn't break the bank to build it.


As many of you know, I make routed signs and cribbage boards. I live in northern Wisconsin, and it's cold here right now. I would normally do my spray painting and spray on my finish coats outside. When it's really cold out, it's quite difficult to get a good consistant finish on my stuff. Trying to spray in my shop has been destructive to a lot of expensive equipment with the overspray all over everything.

A buddy of mine gave me a blower motor from a home furnace to move the air. I had the 5" swivel casters laying around waiting for a worthy project. The rest of the needed supplies cost me less than $150.00 for the build. With the casters, I can move the paint booth around the shop with one hand tied behind my back.

I didn't think to document the build until I was almost done... sorry. I mounted the blower motor in the bottom (below the bench) and have it exhausting out the bottom through a mesh filter.

There is a 6" plenum behind the back wall of filters (which seems to be just the right size) and opens to the bottom where the blower is housed. I have only tried it a few times so far, but it seems like I've got just the right amount of suction to the filters. Nothing escapes the booth area, and yet I'm not having any troubles applying my paint or finishes.

The foam honeycomb filters on the frontside of the filter wall are just tight enough to be held in their openings by friction. The mesh fiters behind the foam filters (accessible by removing the top half of the back panel) are held onto a wire grid by welded on nails, and the grids are held in place with little rubber feet.

Anyways... it has completely eliminated the overspray from the shop. Here are some photos.

Eric


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Here are the rest of the photos.

Eric


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Nice!! Just out of curiosity, and I'm definitely not being critical, but how do you isolate the blower motor from evaporated solvent fumes? Probably not even an issue except for spray lacquer(?). For _that_, brush arcing would certainly be hazardous!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I was going to say about the same thing, sparks that come off that type of motor/blower could be a real danger . most use the type of blower below and duck it out a hose..

Amazon.com: Can RS6HO High Output Centrifugal Inline Fan, 440 Cubic Feet Per Minute: Home Improvement

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DaninVan said:


> Nice!! Just out of curiosity, and I'm definitely not being critical, but how do you isolate the blower motor from evaporated solvent fumes? Probably not even an issue except for spray lacquer(?). For _that_, brush arcing would certainly be hazardous!


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

I appreciate the input on the safety issues.

I did give it some consideration before constructing the paint booth. After seaching the internet for all the information I could find on homemade spraybooths, and factoring in the type of spraypaint and finishes I'd be using, I determined my explosion/fire chances were pretty slim at best.

I saw guys using box fans and the like for makeshift spraybooths achieving great results with an even higher likelyhood of mishaps than I would have. I'm not spraying any laquers or any high-VOC product. I would think the burner in my garage heater would be a larger threat for a mishap... but maybe not. I'm not an expert.

I will look into the inline (spark-free) fans that you've linked up for me Bob. I appreciate the time you took to point those out for me (and others). I certainly don't want to blow my shop up.

Eric


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## dick in ia (Jul 23, 2007)

I have been tempted to make a semilar booth as yours. The only time that I can spray is in the summer. The only thing that has heald me back thus far is the space to store the booth. Osha would want an explosion proof motor used (expensive), but as long as you don't use a universal motor (with brushes) the risk is reduced. I will be intrested in seeing some of the other posts on this issue.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Eric

I want to talk to you and not about you, you see it on the news all the time, garage burns down, the norm it's a home work shop (woodworking or auto type) that's the 1st.thing that goes though my mind,is this the time I blow the doors off my shop.  with a simple spray can of paint or my spray setup, I always turn the furn.down/off and open the big door and step out side..so what I'm trying to say put some wheels on your new spray booth and roll it outside and do your spraying outside then roll it back into the shop.. 
I just saw that you have wheels on it now ,,good job bud.

Think of it this way with that type blower you just made a jet eng. and it will light anything up with the right air mix with it..  it just needs a spark..to fire it up so to speak..

Play it safe bud..take care 

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kartracer63 said:


> I appreciate the input on the safety issues.
> 
> I did give it some consideration before constructing the paint booth. After seaching the internet for all the information I could find on homemade spraybooths, and factoring in the type of spraypaint and finishes I'd be using, I determined my explosion/fire chances were pretty slim at best.
> 
> ...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

We could expand this topic to include _most_ of us and our lack of regard for the extreme fire/explosive hazard associated with contact cement solvent fumes. I'm just as guilty as the next guy; just because I'm _aware_ of the danger doesn't mean it _won't_ happen to me!


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## Woodshaper67 (Jan 13, 2012)

Great job. Just a note on the fire issue I use to paint cars and trucks in my shop and never had a problem with a fire in the fans I use ( I use all kinds of fan ).I have a friend that has a body shop and uses a 3 phase fan in his shop for the last 30 years (he is spraying 10 times the fume we are in our wood shops) with no problem. Keep in mind you are still in a well vented shop not all the fumes are going to go through your fan. Most wood shop fires happen from saw dust build up.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Keyword: venitilaion 
Keyword: concentraion 
Question: how much are you willing to risk on your calculations?


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

BTW VERY INNOVATIVE BUILD I AM IMPRESSED!!!!

I would suggest a dryer vent cap thru shop walls and venting a discharge plenum on blower motor to the outside.


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