Small shop spray booth ideas.

jesse theis posted on 02-08-2010 1:29 PM

rated by 0 users

Hello all.

I was wondering if any of you had ideas/solutions for setting up an effective and safe spray booth in a small basement shop. Thus far I've managed to apply finish by hand with good results. However, the need for an effective spray system has become an unavoidable necessity. I've thought of other options such as finishing out of the shop (on site, subcontracting a finisher, outdoor options, etc.) and have decided that the benefits of in-house (literally) outweigh the drawbacks. So, that being said, here's the scenario;

My shop:

I produce small projects in conjunction with my carpentry business, i.e. bookcases, mantels, desks, doors, small casework and the odd architectural element. Occasionally I get a commission that requires more finesse, but for now I need a workhorse that is time and cost effective and produces acceptable results.

The total area of my shop is 428 square feet. It is replete with all of the machinery (on wheeled bases), lumber and hand tools needed to do the job. Excluding my 300-pound workbench and lumber storage, there's no dedicated space for ANYTHING!

That said, I have an alcove which is roughly 8' wide X 5' deep X 7' high in which I park my planer, band saw and drum sander on their mobile bases. And I'm planning to use this space for a finish area. I've thought of using a curtain or some other light weight panel system to seal off the finish area from the rest of the shop as the need arises. Hopefully this approach will contain most of the overspray and fumes and provide a small area which I can thoroughly clean and keep clean until the finishing is concluded.

Venting:

Okay, I know that I need to exhaust fumes and overspray out of the space. I'm considering an exhaust fan connected to an appropriately sized duct that I can fit through an opening in my rim-joist to the outside. A 5" duct is probably the largest diameter that is practical.

Note: I will not use lacquer or any other noxious finish. I know that this arrangement will require water-based, low V.O.C. finishes and that's fine with me and my clients anyway.

Spray System:

I have a Titan HVLP turbine sprayer which has met my needs so far. It seems to do a good job.

I'm sure that I've missed many details, but the length of this post has gotten out of hand already. Any suggestions you folks may have about your experiences with similar situations would be greatly appreciated.

I understand the implications of proper material disposal and ignition hazards. I am not sure of the needed exhaust output for the system to keep my house fume free. Obviously there'll be a learning curve, hopefully with your ideas it won't be too steep.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Jesse