[Beenaway2long]

I recently retrofitted 2 bays on my garage to convert them into a pseudo paint booth. It worked pretty decent, but like always, "pretty decent" is not good enough ! Perfect is close enough, though..

Can anyone tell me how a PRO booth is set up?

Negative or positive booth pressure?
Air intake position: high or low?
CFM? (I now that question is pushing it...)
Air output position: high or low?
Type of light bulbs: FLourescent, but what model ? Cool? Daylight?


I have a few pics of the car and the converted booth in my Project Journal. I want to do it as best as I can, for my next attempt. My brother has lower standards than I, so he was more than happy. I came to the realization that anything less than a Riddler winner paint job wasn't good enough. They make paint every day, and the skills I learn everyday, grow. No reason not to excell. My "booth" will suffice until my skills are much higher, but I want to eliminate all the variables I can. Charlie Hutton: Eat my shorts, here I come brother !!

[milo]

These guys have some flouresent lights that'll will surprise you...
http://www.mecareerinfo.com/pg11_balSpec.htm

[cornfieldcars]

A question I would like to add is ... those of you who set up booths in your garages, do you wet the floor down before you paint to keep the dust at a managable level? Also, is the air filter and dryers from Harbor Freight any good? Thanks

Barry

[Beenaway2long]

I wet the plastic on the walls, and the floor. I also have the H/F dryer. No water, so it might have helped. I had 3 drains in line the way my plumbing is run, and I also cracked the compressor drain after each gun full. Used a new air line. Have 3/4" black iron pipe running through wall, up and over, inside the wall, and back down to the outlet where the dryer is. Any vertical leg has a cleanout T with a ball valve.

[BondoKing]

Wetting the floor raises the humidity around 5-10% but it does keep down on dust..

[OneMoreTime]

I believe if you look in the "Uniform mechanical Code" there will be a section on how many "air changes" per hour is required..Then knowing how many cubic feet there is in the booth you can then calculate the CFM of the blower or blowers that is needed..

From what I have seen over the years of some guys that are after "the best" paint..they do not allow any dust creation activities in their paint booths..The booths are completely lined or painted and all the seams and joints..like wall to floor are caulked or sealed so there is not any seams or joints where dust may have an opportunity to collect..

Most "clean rooms" I have ever been around use positive air flow..

I would think it all depends on just what is satisfactory to the individual..

Just my 2 cents..

OMT

[baddbob]

If you can't afford a desicant drier purchase a disposable hose type (looks like a 1.25" diameter air hose that's about 3 feet long and is full of desicant). They run about $15 and last a long time if you keep it sealed when not in use and use it for only paint work. Wetting the floor helps urethanes cure faster, my floor is heated and when I spray in the winter months I usually wet the floor to bring the humidity level up. You should have a small amount of positive pressure to keep trash from passing the door seals. Intake is better at medium or high heights so it doesn't move any contaminants that may be on the floor. JMO's

[Paintguy]

Originally Posted by Beenaway2long

Can anyone tell me how a PRO booth is set up?

Negative or positive booth pressure?

Neutral to very slightly negative.

As said, positive pressure inside a booth would prevent dirt ingress through the doors etc, but it would also force ISO fumes out - killing the poor preppers

[mrcleanr6]

my booth flows around 10,000 cfm, with clean filters of course. i have seen boths a little lower than that and higher as well. for the average size booth 10,000 is a pretty nice flow and clears out fast. if i am spraying primer or base at one end someone can stand at the other safely without a mask and barely smell it. clear is another story. that makes a cloud. my intakes are on the cieling and the exhaust is in the walls at floor level and go around the perimeter of the booth. i usually hose the walls and floor down before spraying anything.

[kenseth17]

Most booths are set up with more exhaust then intake. Downdraft style booths are the best set up. Takes intake air from ceiling and exhausts it through grates in the floor. This draws paint and dirt toward the floor and away from the car and painter unlike crossflow which goes against the car. I am thinking about making a booth somehow I can put together and take apart with a platform so I can exhaust out through the bottom and try to get a downdraft setup. Just something I want to start messing around with when I get some spare time. I've painted in poor conditions for awhile. Just bought a big fan. Its only 3000 cfm, but just sprayed some jambs and stuff last night and it does a lot better job then the junky house fan I was using before. The better set up you got the cleaner job and easier time you will have. I don't care how long you have been painting. When you don't have enough light and are trying to see through overspray It is tough. Not to mention having a good exhaust will be better for you then sitting in a iso filled room. If I ever get extra mone which is hard to come by, I am gonna break down and buy an air supplied respirator. Too many painters can no longer go near the paint, and some have nervous system damage or other health problems. I know I've gotten my share of exposure both through jobs and at home.