Homemade Paint Booth

[Zeek 2,284]

I finished making a paint booth of sorts in the one bay of my garage. Because I need the bay on a regular basis with the cold weather, I made it easy. I attached (4) 1x2 strips to the ceiling with 4 mil plastic attached. I attached another 1x2 at the bottom that holds it in place. When I'm done I roll up all four sides to the ceiling and keep them there with bungees. The box is about 9 feet long on each side and closed from floor to ceiling.

It works rather well, but the next thing I need to address is ventilation. It's ok for keeping over spray in check if you are doing small pieces, but I can see if I have to paint big pieces I'm going to have to move some air.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can take them.

Anybody else make a booth or something similar so they can paint indoors in cold weather without over spraying their whole garage?

[Horse'n Around 22]

That sounds like the booth will work great. If you take a small box fan and place it on a milk crate at a opening in the wall of the booth and turn it around so that it is blowing away from the booth area it helps a lot, but you dont want to turn it on high, use the lowest setting, just so it will draw excess overspray and fumes away from you.If you use high, it can make stir up dust. (caution....The only down side to this is that the fumes are flammable and the motor in a fan is always a potential for a small spark. Ive used a small box fan many times in the past with no problems.Just be aware that there is always a chance.) Make sure to leave a window cracked open tho. One things for sure, the EPA wouldnt approve of any of this Also take a water hose and wet the floor inside and the surrounding area, that will keep dust and other particles down while your spraying.You have to be carefull when moving the air hose around so that any water that gets on the hose doesnt get flung onto the painted surface and make a mess .Also paint will not stick to the wet floor so it will clean up better if its factor.

John

[Zeek 2,284]

(caution....The only down side to this is that the fumes are flammable and the motor in a fan is always a potential for a small spark. Ive used a small box fan many times in the past with no problems.Just be aware that there is always a chance.

I've heard that. My original plan was to put a ceiling fan in the attic (vented) that I have easy access to. I've since scrapped that idea due to the fire hazard. I'm not next to a window so I was thinking of running a 6" duct with a duct fan out the window.

I heard about the hazard, however I haven't heard of any incidents of a fans causing a fire. I would think that the very nature of the speed that the fumes are traveling coupled with the lack of extreme concentration (ie - spray can over a lit match) would prevent it

I figured others have tried something similar. It's not like I'm painting a car, but it's enough I have to do something.

I was thinking something like this (not my photo, but similar booth) - have the fan blowing in instead of sucking out.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Friend of mine had all the explosion proof fans & lights in his furniture factory...a light ballast still cause a fire to the tune of $150,000.00 So be careful, as the OSHA approved items will fail.

[300zx 7]

zxert, I was just thinking today about a makeshift booth. I usually only paint in the spring and fall, but I need to do some painting this winter on a 520. Your idea of rolling it up with a 1x2 is a good one. I plan to build 3 sides around the overhead garage door rails and then one at the garge door (which I will raise while I am painting) where I will put a box fan with a filter to catch any over-spray going outside. I have other toys sitting on the patio that I don't want to get over-spray on. What did you do at the corners? Did you try to seal them up?

[Zeek 2,284]

[300zx 7]

Tom, my shop is in half of my basement. Besides the 2 registers from the house system, I heat it with an in-wall electrical heater to about 65. I will have the same problem when I open the door. I could open the door partially and exhaust though a narrow box at the bottom of the door and block the rest without losing much heat.

I am rattle can painting some small parts inside today with just an old tarp on the floor to catch over-spray. Outside temperature was 14 F when I got up this morning!

John

[Redbirdman 7]

My neighbor built an almost exact duplicate of the framed booth in his hanger last year and has been rebuilding a Piper Cub in there one piece at a time ever since.

The only difference is he added an actual frame and a cheapo-front door just big enough to roll a fuselage in and out so he is not always folding the plastic back. But his ventilation system is a large louvered wall vent from Home de-pot near the ceiling in back to let air in. (I think its called a 'return register') And a piece of ductwork (called a transition) that holds a 20 x 20 something filter that mounts low on the front wall and transitions to a round flexible piece of floppy ductwork that runs out the hanger 'man-door' and attaches to a large house-hold floor fan. Some times the main hanger door is open, sometimes not, but he always opens it at least a foot to let air in.

In the filter box he stuffs at least 2 household type filters and throws away the most exposed one, (moving the other one up) as it collects dust.

I have to say I have never smelled any fumes or odor from that booth and he is sanding, priming or painting in there everyday. The filter is not for his comfort but to prevent paint dust from blowing 'out'. Believe me, if this did not work so well there would be other people letting him know it since there are homes close by.

Two things: He DOES wear the paper space suit with some processes and he always wears that rubber full mask with the filter at chest level (from Northern Hydraulics I think) when he paints. And he cuts a piece of plastic and fits it to the floor to catch overspray and dust that he neatly folds to the size of a shoebox, tapes up and throws away in a Seven Eleven dumpster with other hazardeous materials.

btw....re: a 6" duct. His ductwork to the outside is only about 6 to 8 feeet max but at least 18" diameter!. The fan is about 2' x 3' and I have seen them at Walmart for only about $30 bucks...It moves a tremendous amount of air.

[Zeek 2,284]

My neighbor built an almost exact duplicate of the framed booth in his hanger last year and has been rebuilding a Piper Cub in there one piece at a time ever since.

The only difference is he added an actual frame and a cheapo-front door just big enough to roll a fuselage in and out so he is not always folding the plastic back. But his ventilation system is a large louvered wall vent from Home de-pot near the ceiling in back to let air in. (I think its called a 'return register') And a piece of ductwork (called a transition) that holds a 20 x 20 something filter that mounts low on the front wall and transitions to a round flexible piece of floppy ductwork that runs out the hanger 'man-door' and attaches to a large house-hold floor fan. Some times the main hanger door is open, sometimes not, but he always opens it at least a foot to let air in.

In the filter box he stuffs at least 2 household type filters and throws away the most exposed one, (moving the other one up) as it collects dust.

I have to say I have never smelled any fumes or odor from that booth and he is sanding, priming or painting in there everyday. The filter is not for his comfort but to prevent paint dust from blowing 'out'. Believe me, if this did not work so well there would be other people letting him know it since there are homes close by.

Two things: He DOES wear the paper space suit with some processes and he always wears that rubber full mask with the filter at chest level (from Northern Hydraulics I think) when he paints. And he cuts a piece of plastic and fits it to the floor to catch overspray and dust that he neatly folds to the size of a shoebox, tapes up and throws away in a Seven Eleven dumpster with other hazardeous materials.

btw....re: a 6" duct. His ductwork to the outside is only about 6 to 8 feeet max but at least 18" diameter!. The fan is about 2' x 3' and I have seen them at Walmart for only about $30 bucks...It moves a tremendous amount of air.

Boy it would be nice to see pictures of that!!

[Redbirdman 7]

Boy it would be nice to see pictures of that!!

Yes, I agree and was thinking the same thing. But I have to be careful. How do I say: "hey dude, I'm gonna take a few pictures of your 'non-osha' approved probably illegally zoned paint spray booth where you work everyday while telling your boss you are at the computer in your home office working"?? and that I am gonna post it on the internet where people around the world from the largest Wheel Horse site are gonna see it .

but ..........I think I'm gonna try

[MyOtherCarisaWheel Horse 10]

Naaaa... you guys are way over thinking this. All you really need is a good tent and some scuba gear. :D

[Zeek 2,284]

"hey dude, I'm gonna take a few pictures of your 'non-osha' approved probably illegally zoned paint spray booth where you work everyday while telling your boss you are at the computer in your home office working"?? . . .

Roger that :ychain:

[Zeek 2,284]

Naaaa... you guys are way over thinking this.

[Redbirdman 7]

ZXERT....................

I just realized where I recognize your avatar from.......

no wonder your wife don't want you in a paint booth!!!!! :ychain:

[jwilbt 0]

I have built many make-shift paint booths over 30 years or so; some worked better than others. I don't want to clutter this thread with a bunch of my personal successes and calamities; it would be long, and highly dependent on your circumstances as to providing any real help. I would just like to echo a few suggestions very strongly. 1) You need flow through the booth; do this as suggested using the furnace filters....big help. 2) 6" duct-work is very small, try to go to at least 12". 3) Based on your pictures, I might be concerned about light if those fixtures you have isolated from the booth are the only source. One last suggestion is to think about a supplied air respirator. I picked up a fairly cheap unit on eBay years ago and it works really well. Feel free to PM if you'd like to discuss further; I'd love to help. As noted; EPA concerns, fire hazards and neighbors are amongst the many things to think about. I'm not trying to throw roadblocks in your way; paintin' is fun! Good luck - Denny

[Zeek 2,284]

I just realized where I recognize your avatar from.......

:ychain:

[Zeek 2,284]

I have built many make-shift paint booths over 30 years or so; 2) 6" duct-work is very small, try to go to at least 12". 3) Based on your pictures, I might be concerned about light if those fixtures you have isolated from the booth are the only source.

Thanks for the info. I was going to take cruise to Home Depot and see what they have in the way of duct work. I agree, bigger is better.

I have portable lights I add depending what I'm spraying.

I'm glad I read the forums because I scrapped an idea or two based on flammability (ie - venting to the garage attic)

[Zeek 2,284]

Ok, had to make some refinements to the paint booth. No ventilation where it was at and I couldn't make any practically. So I moved it to the side where I have a window. Made a filter box that will sit one the floor on the inside as an intake to the booth. Fan fits in the window. A filter will be fitted the back side of the fan to filter the outgoing air as well. Sides velcroed closed. Placed hooks in the ceiling to hang parts.

I will post pictures of it on operation when I do some painting in the near future.

[squonk 38,947]

I saw somewhere on the internets that a guy's wife died who was into gardening but he wasn't. He converted her greenhouse into a booth! :ychain:

[Zeek 2,284]

Well I put it into use today painting some parts on a motorcycle project I'm working on. Worked great!!

I gotta get this project done before I start the Raider <_<

Just for a test I sprayed directly in to the fan - doesn't get any more concentrated than that . . . me and the fan are both still here The fan has a "weather shield" motor to keep moisture out and hopefully fumes too. Either way, similar fans have worked well for years for me. Moves plenty of air to get the fumes out and stays dust free

When I was done I had the whole thing rolled back up to the ceiling and put away in about 10-15 minutes.

Hope fully the interior will be red next time you see pictures!

[earlleecliffton 37]

are them green kaw parts ? ive had 3 green kawasakis

[Zeek 2,284]

are them green kaw parts ? ive had 3 green kawasakis

Why yes, it's is my 2002 ZRX1200

That project:

Project Powder Coat