Author Topic: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth  (Read 7716 times)

Offline TrakHor

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DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« on: January 24, 2007 - 09:07:17 AM »
Does anyone have any tips/suggestions on building a "temporary" paint booth. I have quite a few ideas, and thoughts on how to make one. I'm just curiouis if anyone else has done this before and if so what worked or didn't work for you.
I am sorta forced into this. I bought the car from a friend who was having a mutual friend do the body work and paint. This mutual friend has fallen on hard times and can't continue with the body work. Since I just shelled out all of the cash for the car I don't have enough left over to take it to a shop and let them continue where he left off, the guy doing the body work was letting my friend make payments, and he would have done the same for me.

I'm not exactly a stranger to bodywork, and the guy that was going to do it is willing to help, he just cant have the car keeping him from his normal work, as we all know body work can be very time consuming. Doing the work ins't a problem, it's keeping my tool box and walls from getting overspray etc.

Thanks
Jason




Offline TreeFrog

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2007 - 11:12:33 AM »
try and keep your electrical points (lights fans etc) out of the paint mists.. one spark can go boom.  They do make a fire retardent plastic (can not remember the company's name...do a search).

Someone asked this a while back and one posted a pick of 2x4's framed in the back yard...another had dividers in their garage...
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Offline TrakHor

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2007 - 01:12:45 PM »
My initial plan is to use PVCfor the frame. I've seen a few and talked to a few people on other message boards who have done this with success. Good comment on the fire retardent plastic.

Offline 4Cruizn

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2007 - 02:21:33 PM »
Our Admin Rev-it-up made a paint booth in the garage with 2 x 4's and plastic.  Check the Pixie Duster thread and there may be some pic of it.  Also try a search and see what threads come up as I think we had a thread on that subject once before!   :grinyes:   :thumbsup:

Offline dougs bs23

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2007 - 03:00:44 PM »
I remember seeing something on this a while back where  temporary walls were built and poly applied over them and the over head doow was lifted maybe a quarter of the way and furnace filters lined the openings and some sort of exhaust fan was also set through the door opening
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Offline Aussie Challenger

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2007 - 03:33:40 PM »
Did this myself many years ago, make sure you wear a breathing mask, that will stop the paint getting into your lungs but you may still get a bit drunk on the fumes. I used a small steel garage we had built for this purpose, just sealed up windows and especially over head so that nothing over head floated down. I also dampened down the concrete floor to keep dust from being blown up when spraying the lower areas. Before starting I made sure garage and panels were warm because little bubbles seem to appear a few months later if you don't. Hope this helps :2thumbs:

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Offline Bullitt-

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2007 - 04:21:18 PM »
I've been studying this idea for a while & believe I have a pretty good concept for a temporary ventilation system. From what I have read a downdraft system is preferable in that you don't want overspray or any dust that might be stirred to be lifted and possibly fall back onto the work surface. A tube, I'm thinking something like what vinyl flooring comes on, with numerous holes on either side slid under the car & attached to a plenum that would have a filter & a blower of a design that the ventilated air would not come in contact with the motor then discharging into the atmosphere with a fine mist of water to keep the odors down for the neighbors sake.
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Offline TrakHor

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2007 - 05:56:55 PM »
Did this myself many years ago, make sure you wear a breathing mask, that will stop the paint getting into your lungs but you may still get a bit drunk on the fumes. I used a small steel garage we had built for this purpose, just sealed up windows and especially over head so that nothing over head floated down. I also dampened down the concrete floor to keep dust from being blown up when spraying the lower areas. Before starting I made sure garage and panels were warm because little bubbles seem to appear a few months later if you don't. Hope this helps :2thumbs:

  David

I found a hood at my local paint store that seems to seal up nicely under the "throw away" jump suits they have. Then there is a filter unit that you wear on a belt and hook shop air to. This filter has a regulator that will let you pressurize the hood. I've seen guys in the high end paint booths wear this stuff and it's OSHA certified for what that's worth.

Quote
A tube, I'm thinking something like what vinyl flooring comes on, with numerous holes on either side slid under the car & attached to a plenum that would have a filter & a blower of a design that the ventilated air would not come in contact with the motor then discharging into the atmosphere with a fine mist of water to keep the odors down for the neighbors sake.

I think your idea has some merit.

Controversely I've read a lot of people arguing wetting the floor. Claiming that the humidity causes the final product to look dirty due to paint "clumping" between the gun and the surface. I suppose there could be some truth to that, but I would think that if air is flowing properly it wouldn't be an issue.


I plan to have 3 fans pushing air in and 2 pulling air out. This will pressurize the the booth just slightly, enough to keep any dirt from coming in any small leaks that exist. In a professional booth this isn't an issue since its designed to be air tight. I forget the details now but my paint store also had some fancy filters they tried to sell me, I don't know if they are better than a nice furnace filter or not, but they are supposed to help eliminate the fire hazzard.

Something else I've read that seems to be in aggreance among many is the use of endust on the walls, your clothes, and even the car. Rumor on the street is that it's an anti static that doesn't leave a residue so there's no harm in using it. I think i'll stick with the PPG product on the surface on the car.

Jason

Offline 70challengerrt

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2007 - 06:35:21 PM »
I paint 1 to 2 cars a year. I wish I would have seen this a couple of weeks ago when I had mine setup. I just use plastic in the 100X10' rolls and 2x4s to make one then I cut 3 holes for fans (home depot box fans) on the floor so over spray does not settle on the paint. I cut 3 more holes about a foot of the ceiling and duct tape furnace filter over them for fresh air. I let the service door open and that seems to work for me. Just make your booth big enough to move around. I also have plastic on the ceiling and I lay plastic on the floor and roll the car in. I tack the floor plastic to the 2x4s. I use a paper/cloth suit from any paint store and a very good respirator.

Offline TrakHor

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Re: DIY/Homemade Paint Booth
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2007 - 07:28:46 PM »
I paint 1 to 2 cars a year. I wish I would have seen this a couple of weeks ago when I had mine setup. I just use plastic in the 100X10' rolls and 2x4s to make one then I cut 3 holes for fans (home depot box fans) on the floor so over spray does not settle on the paint. I cut 3 more holes about a foot of the ceiling and duct tape furnace filter over them for fresh air. I let the service door open and that seems to work for me. Just make your booth big enough to move around. I also have plastic on the ceiling and I lay plastic on the floor and roll the car in. I tack the floor plastic to the 2x4s. I use a paper/cloth suit from any paint store and a very good respirator.
That's my basica ides but i'm using PVC Pipe, partially personal preference and partially b/c it will be easy to assemble and store in the upstairs of my garage.
J