Paint Booth

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Paint Booth

lloyd II · Model Overlord

I don't have any plans, but I remember one I saw that I liked. Using a plastic storage container, with lid on it's side, use computer fans for the venting the fumes out a hose to the outside. Make something to put in the window, so when you close the window the fumes go out the hose. After you paint, you can put the lid on to to keep dust out, and fumes in til dry.

Some where I have the info saved, which I need to find. If I can find it I will post.

DocF225 · HMFIC

As for plans I don't have any but the best booths are relatively small. When dealing with ducted fans remember that for every "diameter" you get away from the inlet source the air flow is halved. For example, if you're using standard Dryer vent (4" nominal pipe). For every 4 inches you get from the inlet of the duct the "suction" is halved.

Here is a basic set up.

Start with a box approximately 18 inches deep by 18 inches high by 2 feet wide. I suggest 1/2 inch plywood. Leave the front open. Build the back out of "peg board" (1/4 " thick will do here). Makesure all the edges/seams are sealed with silicone and/or Duct tape.

Buy a handful of "Muffin Fans" for computer cooling and mount them to the pegboard using a spacer about 1/2 inch thick. Build another box same size high and long as the first box but only an inco or so deeper than the fans stick off the bacK of the booth. Cut a circular hole in it for a dryer vent. This becomse the "plenum" it creates a negative pressure that draws the air from the booth. Hook the small "plenum box" to the booth with duct tape to seal the thing but allow access to the fans for maintenance or replacement as needed.

Hook up dryer vent to the hole you cut and find a convenient window and box the outlet into the window.

In the back of the booth cut and fit a forced air furnace filter to prevent liquid overspray from hitting the fans.

I have a small "lazy susan" in my shop that I place the models on so I can paint them from all sides without touching them.

BY going with a plenum arrangement you eliminate the fluid dynamic issues with the single fan approach.

I can try to draw one of them up and scan the drawings in.

Doc

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Thanks Lloyd and Doc.

1/2 inch plywood and 1/4" pegboard standing ready. I'd be very much interested in seeing that description drawn up. I can visualize most of what you said, except perhaps for the placement of the furnace filter (and perhaps it's relations to the fans). Thanks for the input and If you could draw that up and post it I'd very much appreciate it.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

OK, here's my take on the situation. Please correct me where I've gotten it wrong.

Design Sketch #1

lloyd II · Model Overlord

Just my opinion, since I have yet to build one. But I think in should be a full box, to keep all the overspray from getting out into the Fortress ,and into the filter.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Well I really like the idea of having some arm (elbow?) room there. I'm also planning on having a plexiglass cover so things can dry without worrying about dust. However I can see that the depth of the sparying area could be increased.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Thanks for all the input so far. I've settled on a general design as you will see in the upcoming image. While the image shows the overall design, the likely hood that the booth itself will be wider than what you see is high. In order to increase the light coming into the booth the top will be made of plexiglass.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Something more like this perhaps...

BigPolishJimmy · Skill Level 3

That's a nice design! I think I will make something similar since I've got a chunck of plexi and a lot of extra wood laying around. I was just going to hang shower curtains in the basement, but the overspray wouldn't be contained very well. Does the furnace filter trap all the overspray? The major problem I have is that I don't have access to an opening window in the basement. I guess I could vent to the crawl space under my living room, but I dont know if the fumes will be a problem there, guess there is only one way to find out.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

Well I'm not entirely sure how well my design will work at this moment but it all depends how much negative pressure the computer fans can generate on the back side of the filter. If what I have is insufficient then I'll probably track down a vent fan from somewhere and mount it at the base of the exhaust pipe. Time will tell on that score.

As for venting under your living area, I don't know if that is such a good idea or not. Perhaps some investigation into other filter types. I know in my aquarium days that activated charcoal was used to absorb various impurities. Perhaps something like that could apply in your situation?

lloyd II · Model Overlord

4MM, I like the design, but like you, I wonder if the fans will suck enough. I would try a test, if possible, before you build it, to see how the fans will work. You might have to redesign it.

It is a shame you have not taken the time, to build the replicator for your PC, so you can design it, and it materializes as a finished item.

DocF225 · HMFIC

4MM that booth is spot on. I would make one design change. Take the air outlet directly out the back and not out the top. Every 90 degree turn cuts airflow in half.

Otherwise you drew what what I was talking about.

Doc

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

lloyd II wrote:

4MM, I like the design, but like you, I wonder if the fans will suck enough. I would try a test, if possible, before you build it, to see how the fans will work. You might have to redesign it. It is a shame you have not taken the time, to build the replicator for your PC, so you can design it, and it materializes as a finished item.

Well the replicator is proving to be more of a challenge than I first thought. One day.

Four Mad Men · Model Grand Pooba

DocF225 wrote:

4MM that booth is spot on. I would make one design change. Take the air outlet directly out the back and not out the top. Every 90 degree turn cuts airflow in half. Otherwise you drew what what I was talking about. Doc

In half?! That's not good. Taking it out the back will eat up more table space than I'd like. I'll run some tests on the top outlet design and if that does not work out I'll change it. If you are right then I may just try to find a blower motor of some sort from the outset.