Building an Airbrushing Booth.
#31
Riiiiight.... forgot about the "built-in" 90* that may or may not require "correction" depending on the application. Wallbang

Thanks for the description. Sorry 'bout Princess Auto and Busy Bee.

Andrew
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#32
Why not mount it on the top? I have mine mounted at the top rear of the booth, gaining access to outdoors with only one 90 degree bend. Mounting it on the top will also shorten the run.
You could mount the axial fan at the top of the booth, or the squirrel cage at the point where you need to make the bend to get the duct to the wall - either way, only one bend.

Wayne
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#33
No apology necessary Andrew. I appreciate all the help I can get.

Hi Wayne,

I have a few reasons for not moving it to the top. I have no clearance to put the fan on top, my layout bench work is right there. From what I have read, including the article posted, updraft booths are not recommended as you have to work against gravity and particulate not trapped by the filter can fall down on to the painted parts once the fan is shut off. Although like yours I have seen other homemade booths built as updrafts and if they work then great...however, we are back to space limitations up top. There are some some limitations based on the workable area that I can build this in.

Going down below seems the best alternative as there is nothing underneath the booth. Down draft booths have the added benefit of using gravity to assist in venting, plus in calculating the CFM's required you can use a fan that does not need to move as much air as a an up or even cross draft booth.

The only reason I used the Axial Fan in the first place was because, it had more then enough of a CFM rating for my use...at least I thought it had. Secondly, the article although helpful as well as possibly perhaps a tad misleading mentions the use of Axial Fans in commercially available booths. So I figured why not use one for mine too?

The HVAC guy is not really a friend...more of a workplace "acquaintance". I would ask him, except in my particular job, things like making nice with contractors can come back and bite you in the arse if you know what I mean. :| I don't know when I'll see him again either as his trade comes by once in a blue moon these days.
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#34
One place you may be able to find a squirrel cage fan is from a range hood ( used over a kitchen stove ). My paint booth uses one and is setup as a downdraft type. The fan I used has two cages and two speed settings. It moves a lot of air on the high setting. I noramlly paint on the low setting and use the high setting to vent any remaining fumes quickly.



Wayne Reid
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#35
Thanks for the suggestion Wayne R. If I cannot find an individual unit, I'll start looking for used hoods that I can scavenge from.
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#36
Another thing to keep in mind is that your fan also requires "replacement" air for it to run effectively - many newer homes are so "tight" that you'd need to open a window to provide air to replace that exhausted by the fan.

Wayne
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#37
doctorwayne Wrote:Another thing to keep in mind is that your fan also requires "replacement" air for it to run effectively - many newer homes are so "tight" that you'd need to open a window to provide air to replace that exhausted by the fan.

Wayne

That's a good thing to keep in mind too...something I hadn't thought of either nor does anything I've read so far mention it. Opening a window to provide a source of fresh air could be helpful when I start using it.
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#38
Thanks for starting this post Tetters, being new to the game I have just started to mess things up with an airbrush, but I can see through the paint mist created that this instrument has potential. Goldth
So your journey to build an airbrush station has come at a critical time in my education, and I am following it with great deal of enthusiasm,and am looking foreward to the finished product...mk#2.
I must say your wood working skills leave mine for dead, and that you have produced a very professional looking product. Thumbsup
Keep the pics coming 'cause I need to know what this Squirrel fan looks like, and how you mount it.


Jack 219
LIFE....
..... Abandon the search for truth
Look for a good fantasy
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#39
Thanks Jack!

I feel like I should add a disclaimer here. Especially regarding fan selection. There is a lot of talk out there about "explosion proof" or "spark resistant" fans. The fans that I have looked at, linked to, etc... are not either of these. Most full sized paint booths like auto body ones will have externally mounted motors that drive belt driven fans. The motors are built outside of the air stream with this precaution in mind. There are a number of water based acrylics and enamel hobby paints which from what I can tell should be fine and relatively safe to use with my set up. Unless of course they are thinned with solvent based thinners. With a squirrel cage centrifugal blowers the motor sits outside the air stream, however as I've been cautioned it doesn't mean its bullet proof in this application when using solvents or solvent based paints.

A couple of articles I've read also suggest that the term "explosion proof" is a misnomer. Meaning that even an explosion proof motor can spark and cause an "event". They are just built to better contain said event as I came to understand it. Which I thought was interesting to find out.

That said, I am not the first person nor will I be the last person to attempt a home built paint booth. I've seen dozens upon dozens of different set ups over the last several weeks in my endless quest for knowledge regarding booth construction. Some designs are really good, some are really sketchy looking.

The point to all this is that from a hobby sized perspective I have no real world data to support whether or not this is a real concern. I haven't read about anyone having any "events" with a homemade unit, unless of course anyone else here has? So if you like me are planning/building a project like this, then know what you are getting into. A few people have their own home built units here on this very board and I'll bet money that they are not using an explosion proof blowers or fans and are still around to share their experience.

So. I am not an engineer, doctor or dentist. I am just an actor who plays one on T.V. Use the information in this thread at your own risk. Wink

P.S. Please feel free to correct me on ANY of this. I guess the ultimate goal is to disseminate as much information as possible and at the very least, the correct information.

P.P.S. I got my fan! I called the local Acklands Grainger and found out the reason I couldn't find the Dayton 1TDR6 blower on-line was because of a fault on their website. I ended up helping a sales guy trouble shoot it and got free shipping. Heh! Go figure! Thumbsup
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#40
I too have taken a likin' to this thread as I may have build one of these myself....So keep up the experimenting, and we'll all know where to step to keep from stumbling...

The reason you don't "hear" from guys that had an "event", is 'cuzz they're venting their fumes 6' under..... Goldth

Just kiddin'......
Gus (LC&P).
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#41
Steamtrains Wrote:The reason you don't "hear" from guys that had an "event", is 'cuzz they're venting their fumes 6' under..... Goldth

Just kiddin'......


I thought about that too! Confusedhock:


Icon_lol

Man I hope not... 790_smiley_picking_a_fight
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#42
On to the 2nd Chapter in this never ending quest to achieve elusive perfection! Yeah RIGHT!!! 790_smiley_picking_a_fight

I left off with the decision to redesign the airflow dynamic of the booth from a cross draft to a down draft. Man...if I only knew what work I was actually creating for myself. Icon_lol

In a display of what can only be one-up-man-ship of oneself I decided to cut the plenum using some more of that nice 1/4 ply I liberated from work. Except I decided that I could make it better cutting more notches and tabs in the individual pieces to add more structural stiffness. Now there are any number of other tools (myself included) and jigs out there that could do this job better and faster. I alas am only armed with my trusty pencil, 36" straight edge, and a very ravenous Black & Decker Jigsaw. So after some deep meditation and aligning my chi with the planets I had at it.

[Image: DSC02848.jpg]

I marked out the pieces with the tabs and notches the night before. Just looking at what I'd done I knew I was jumping in deep.

I also marked the opening on the bottom of the booth...then, after a sleep, the very next morning I took a big breath & cut it out.

[Image: DSC02852.jpg]

No turning back now....I cut out the four sides and the plenum bottom...feeling like I was making a large jigsaw puzzle out of wood. :? I cannot express how tedious this became by the end. However, care and patience was needed otherwise all my hard work would be for naught.

[Image: DSC02851.jpg]

I did do a test fit, and filed some of the tabs and notches to get the desired fit. However I was pleased with how well it all meshed together. Some shots of gluing, assembly and clamps...

[Image: DSC02853.jpg]
[Image: DSC02855.jpg]

And after much gluing and clamping, viola! I even cut an 8" x 7" patch which I simply bolted to the back to cover the hole cut for the Axial Fan.

[Image: DSC02858.jpg]
[Image: DSC02859.jpg]

I'll get my new blower fan on Monday. Until then, feedback, comments and drunken insults are always welcome! Cheers
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#43
very nicely done tetters Cheers ,i could never have enough patience to cut out that puzzle Misngth ,im cheap and use this fancy thing called "outside" and lighting is by the most powerful one on the market...the sun Icon_lol --josh
Women may not find you handsome,but they'll atleast find you handy--Red Green
C&O ALL THE WAY--[Image: chessie.gif]
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#44
Thanks Josh. I started getting sloppy towards the end when cutting the bottom and had to routinely tell myself to slow down and don't eff it up. It took me just as long to mark out and plot the individual pieces just to give you an idea as well. I've never attempted anything like this before so its been fun to see it come together.

I am picking up some plexi glass at the local Home Depot later this week. I'm going to make a lift off type front cover for it and cut another opening in the top to drop a piece into. Going over my future track plans I can get a light up there to sit on top of the booth. So yea me. I just have to select something low profile that can slide on top and just sit there.
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#45
Bigsteel Wrote:.....im cheap and use this fancy thing called "outside" and lighting is by the most powerful one on the market...the sun Icon_lol --josh

Well, at least at this time of year you don't have to worry about bugs getting stuck in the wet paint. Icon_lol Misngth

Wayne
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