Home spraying - booth necessary?

[princhester]

I've had a good look through past threads but can't find any discussion on this: where do you folk do your spray painting?

I've been thinking about getting a spray setup, but where do I spray?

I have a moderate sized garage to play in, but that's all. And of course it has all my toys in it, which I would prefer not to have to cover up each time I spray, nor do I want them to slowly turn white (or whatever).

Do you have to have a special room set up to spray in, or to spend an hour covering everything in the whole room each time?

In the past, I've done very small spray jobs (just with cans of spray paint) just by covering the walls and floor in one corner of the garage with newspaper and spraying into the corner, and that's been OK. However, I suspect that doing a whole piece of furniture using proper full size spray gear is a whole other story.

On the other hand, in all the discussions about spraypainting I've seen on here I've never heard anyone talk about having to set up a homemade booth.

How do you guys do it? What's the minimum setup?

[MajorPanic]

I spray in the workshop (shed).

There is a little trick I use that makes it a viable proposition though.
With a 3 bay shed, I have set up so I can spray out the door of the third bay. To aid in pushing the over spray out the door I have an industrial fan positioned behind me. I usually set the fan on the lowest speed so as not to set the lacquer off too quick. I also use a HVLP gun (Star) which limits airborne over spray.

This set-up works well & I don't have any white machinery!

[durwood]

What type of paint you use will depend on what problem you will have. Up until about 20 years ago there were hardly any booths.

The worse paint is enamel, it drys so slow (the overspray is wet for about 20 minutes) so anything it lands on in that time will get a drop of wet sticky paint. The method to successfully do an enamel job is to do it outside in a clear area. If you have a big back yard or even better a few acres then you are at an advantage if you live in a unit you are in trouble. Neighbours are your problem they won't like the smell.

The best time is first thing in the morning before the wind comes up. you can then spray the job without getting overspray over yourself or everything else. you can then put it in the shed and lock it up to dry which is usually a few hours. If you water the area down to lay the dust you can get good results ( though water is now a problem!!!!)

Lacquer on the other hand can be sprayed in any normal area with ventilation. It dries so fast it will dry before it gets to the job if you hold the gun too far away. You have a problem with the fumes so you need to have a breeze to exhaust the fumes but a fan will do this Ok.

If you spray when the weather is warm and not wet or humid it will be easy to spray. ou can keep the fumes down if you do a bit at a time and as spraying is fast even a big job only takes a few minutes.

Use a mask, the better the mask the safer you will be but no one used a mask when lacquers and enamels were used years ago and had little or no problems health wise until until 2 pack paint came out. The hardener in the 2 pack is the poison and using it outside a booth is a bit stupid as it costs so much for the paint if it messes up due to dirt etc you have wasted your time.

We always used a wet hanky over our face and covered up to stop the overspray getting up our nose and onto us when using enamel but not if using lacquer. Ventilation and containment of the overspray is the main reason for booths ( though having a booth makes the area dust proof for better finishes) Panel beating shops used to spray in lousy conditions with massive dust problems but were able to turn out perfect work as you could polish and buff any muck out of the paint if it got into it. They used lacquer mostly, if they did an enamel job it was wet the floor move out everything from the shop or cover it up.

Major panics suggestion for a HVLP gun will also keep down the overspray, and save you material. A turn table is also handy as you can keep up wind from the fan as you spray.

So if you have an area away from the SHMBO's washing line,the dog and and next doors house then you should be able to do the odd spray job.

[echnidna]

Ido most of my spraying outside exactly as Durwood suggest.
Though I'll only spray lacquer or shellac outside.

I've recently brushed some Cabots water based floor finish and quite like the finish even though it takes half an hour to dry. Might experioment with it in the gun.

I also have a portable (supercheap) carport with walls (its actually for my market stall) and could set it up as a removable sprayt booth if I need to.

[princhester]

Thanks for your answers, fellas. Outside may be an option, as may MajorPanic's blowing out the door suggestion. I am but a grasshopper at this. I need to do much reading on paint types, by the sound of it.

[greenie512]

I use the front quarter of my shed as a both and drop clear plastic dust sheets from the roof and walls + floor see http://www.greenie512.net/greenie512...ray_booth.html Its not intended to create a dust free environment but is does reduce overspray

[princhester]

I think I may be able to rig up something like what you have there, greenie.

Do you keep the garage door open when spraying? I guess so. How much overspray goes out the door? I ask because I have neighbours quite close.

I suppose with the door closed you'd suffocate?

[MurrayD99]

Outside is good - and wear a good mask is good too. You don't necessarily get a lot of drift...... but the hedge can change colour from day to day!

[Bleedin Thumb]

Spraying slow drying stuff like poly outside turns the peice into an insect and leaf magnet.:mad:

I rigged up a huge tarp at the back of the house like a humpy that helped. also kept the spits of rain of that also wasn't predicted. You also dont want direct sunlight on the stuff.

The wife never said a word about the overspray on the backwall! But I know I'll pay one way or another!

[greenie512]

I think I may be able to rig up something like what you have there, greenie.

Do you keep the garage door open when spraying? I guess so. How much overspray goes out the door? I ask because I have neighbours quite close.

I suppose with the door closed you'd suffocate?

Very hard to tell how much overspray drifts outside but there are no apparent paint clouds on the drive in front of the shed. I only do this due to the fact I am surrounded by trees and if I sprayed outside I'd get leaves/twigs and stuff dropping onto my work.

[echnidna]

It just occurred to me that with a little thinking one of those elcheapo gazebos could be set up easliy as a spraybooth when needed.

Fans would be essential to remove mist and vapours but that shouldn'y be too hard.

[Harry72]

For polyU I use my whole shed doors closed, clean up the day before by vacuuming the big areas and hope not to get a windy day. For lacquer no need it dries real fast...
Don a good mask(Sundstrom)fully covered do the job then come back when its dry enough for dust not to stick.
When I used to do cars I had a plastic booth like greenys except I had an filtered inlet fan and a outlet hole for the overspray/fume to escape.

Use a mask, the better the mask the safer you will be but no one used a mask when lacquers and enamels were used years ago and had little or no problems health wise until until 2 pack paint came out.

No paint was ever safe, ask any old spray painter... if cancer hasnt taken them by now.

[Bleedin Thumb]

No paint was ever safe, ask any old spray painter... if cancer hasnt taken them by now.

Not just spray painters - how many old house painters have lung problems or are pushing up daisies.