Paint booth/painting tips

[Zac Weidner]

I have been thinking about what to do for a temporary paint booth. I read about someone making one out of PVC pipe and plastic sheeting in one of the newsletters but it seems like it would take a lot of time, PVC pipe, and sheeting for one big enough to do a fuselage. I saw this temporary garage that seems like it would be a good fixture because I could also hang some flourescent lights in it to fix my lighting problem in our shop. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=349300 I would cover the floor with plastic sheeting and the zippers seem like good doors and good ways to "seal" it up. Also, I have an HVLP gun set that I got from a NAPA paint store, which I will look up the brand and some details about the tip later and post, and I would like to know some tips about them. I have only used them for Randolph enamel (for aluminum) so far. I will be using Poly-Tone on the fabric and Aerothane on the cowlings.
Thanks in advance

[jay heil]

hmmmm 10 x 20' for 179.00 that looks like a pretty good deal to me and should be a good size to paint a short winger cant beat the price and you can use it for a shed when your done to boot

[Glen Geller]

Does the $179 include the security system shown in the middle picture of the ad?

[Zac Weidner]

Does the $179 include the security system shown in the middle picture of the ad?

Hmmm? I'm not sure about that one. I'll have to ask about that. ;)

[SuperPacer]

Zac,

We purchased a similar "Portable Garage" from Cost Co for about $250.00 three years ago. It has been used as a "comunity Paint Booth" around the airport and has worked really well. I got to use it a year ago and have done everything from sand blast fuselage & parts to re-cover and paint the entire Pacer. I added a 24" door & frame for easy access and a 12" exhaust duct & fan that keeps the booth well ventilated while painting. I asdded several light units overhead and that makes painting nice, without shadows.

I have added acouple of photos to show the booth in action.

John
801 499-0413

[Zac Weidner]

Zac,

We purchased a similar "Portable Garage" from Cost Co for about $250.00 three years ago. It has been used as a "comunity Paint Booth" around the airport and has worked really well. I got to use it a year ago and have done everything from sand blast fuselage & parts to re-cover and paint the entire Pacer. I added a 24" door & frame for easy access and a 12" exhaust duct & fan that keeps the booth well ventilated while painting. I asdded several light units overhead and that makes painting nice, without shadows.

I have added acouple of photos to show the booth in action.

John
801 499-0413

Thanks for the pictures. I was hoping someone else had done this too, as it seems like the cheapest and easiest way to do a good job. Also, it will be useful for our siduation because we can take it down when we're done until next time. How does it work with keeping the dust, etc. out of the paint? Another question I have is, what is the best way to protect a finished interior (less seats and carpet) from overspray while painting the outside and still getting paint into the window channnels? I've been "pondering" on this off and on for a month or so and cardboard seems to be the best way but then cannot get paint into the channels very well. Just thought I'd throw the question out there to see what some of you have done.

[Frank Green]

Spend about 3 days and a lot of masking tape and paper. I use cardboard for the large openings and then tape EVERYTHING. The overspray will get thru. Setting it up so you can rotate is very helpful. The paint is very thin and shooting flat will help with not getting runs.

[Jim]

Hi,I've only done a little painting in plastic boxes, but did learn a couple of things that might be worth passing on.

I made what looked like an upper case Y out of plastic along the outside floor. I'll see if I can explain. In the upper right of the Y, facing down, I placed a fan blowing into the Y. The top left of the Y was inserted into the plastic tent. When the fan was run it would venturi effect the air out of the tent and blow it out the bottom of the Y. Using something along these lines kept the electricals out of explosive air/paint mixtures. On the opposite end of the tent I had those sticky paint booth intake filters that most paint supply places carry.

If you need to heat the room a little, place a heater outside, in front of the intake, not inside the room.

The plastic walls of the tent worked pretty well as a static electric lint/dust grabber as long as it was kept charged. Wetting the floor dissipates the static but rubbing the outside of the tent with a rabbit pelt restores the static.

After a coat or two dries on things in the tent, you'll find touching the plastic walls or anything you've masked with plastic sheeting may let loose with whatever is on it as most things don't stick to it very well.

These rooms have a volatile air/fuel ratio, be careful with sources of ignition.

[Zac Weidner]

Spend about 3 days and a lot of masking tape and paper. I use cardboard for the large openings and then tape EVERYTHING. The overspray will get thru. Setting it up so you can rotate is very helpful. The paint is very thin and shooting flat will help with not getting runs.

Frank,
If you don't mind, I have a few questions for you. First, where did you get the brown paper? Second, since I have my interior fabric finished and painted, won't the masking tape stick to that paint after a day or two? I certainly don't want to take it all off after every coat of paint. Also, here is a picture of how I am rotating my airplane. The rear is just sitting on a padded sawhorse.