Managing overspray
 

So, I do a bit of painting in my shop and overspray is always a problem. I can cover cars an such but it's not practical to try to cover the entire shop so, subsequently, I have some overspray on pretty much everything. The vast majority of it is of no real consequence as it is extremely light and not a big issue on things like my lift and sand blasting cabinet for instance. Still, it's annoying. A buddy of mine was showing me his solution and it works like a hotdamn. His shop is half the size of mine and is exceptionally clean and he has been doing small painting projects in there for years and there is NO overspray on anything. What he does is he bought a 36" drum fan and covers it with quilting from the fabric store. Sets the fan a few feet away from what he is painting and the fan pulls the overspray into the quilting where it is captured. I just painted an engine and you can see the amount of overspray that was captured that otherwise would have been floating all over the shop. I'm sure others have come up with idea as well so might not be a revelation to everyone but for those that haven't, it seems to work great. Here is after paining one engine, two coats.
[IMG]http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL159.../414091954.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Managing overspray
 

Now that is a great idea which I will steal!

Re: Managing overspray
 

Now that is a very good idea.

Re: Managing overspray
 

Will do!

Re: Managing overspray
 

Thanks for sharing that. I used to have a yellow tinted concrete garage floor that I finally fixed with muriatic acid and grey floor paint!!!:eek:

Re: Managing overspray
 

Make sure the fan you use has a sealed electric motor in it, as paint
over spray and fumes are very flammable. :eek::eek::eek:




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Re: Managing overspray
 

Ditto on Lanny's post. Make sure the fan is running BEFORE you pull the trigger on the spray gun. Also if you have a heated shop, turn the furnace on a high enough temp that the furnace will not quit running. Have the furnace running BEFORE you start painting. Keep your shop well ventilated. I have been a painter for over 40 years.

Re: Managing overspray
 

Thanks for sharing.

Re: Managing overspray
 

small spray jobs (spray bomb, outside paints) that may be okay.... Airborne paint, certainly when you get into heavy metal stuff you need to contain it when inside or have very good ventilation. Lots of threads on building some 2x4 and painting drop plastic "booths". Can't say I haven't done some.

As Lanny mentioned its one of the serious concerns, of it igniting on larger projects or the serious later health concerns. Wear good respirators, protect yourself (for your health).


If you are a small shop you could use one of these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpyobmR2xrA




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Re: Managing overspray
 

Cool, Thanks for sharing that.

Re: Managing overspray
 

knowledge is power. i'm sure the fan draws all the overspray.


Be kind to your health.

Re: Managing overspray
 

Good advice. I made this same post on a hotrod sight and had someone warn against the explosion hazard and another member made gave this response "Depends on the motor. If it's induction wound there will not be any sparks.".

Re: Managing overspray
 

I make a temporary booth inside the shop with cheap plastic sheets. Put some long hooks in the ceiling, hook the sheets to them so you have an air gap up by the ceiling. Make a wide three-sided box from cardboard or cheap panel, put some furnace filters or quilting on the open side to trap the overspray and install an exhaust fan on the opposite side. Put the box on the floor at the exhaust side of the booth. The fresh air will come in over the top of the plastic sheets and carry the overspray out the exhaust side.

Re: Managing overspray
 

And then on the other hand, I absolutely can't see inside even with those new LEDs and
this shop is bright. Some of my best jobs was done outside the shop door. A nice calm
kind of warm cloudy day. For me a cloudy day casts no shadows. I will never forget my
wifes 1977 Town Car I used Cordavan color, PPG concept big big bucks. The paint guy told me to ground wire the car to earth ground. OK not going into electronics but somehow
the body has some kind of current connected to the spray static electric. Can't answer
that But we all know spray guns are candy to moths bees bugs and this repels bugs.
Anyways this Lincoln came out absolutely perfect just like glass. Made short she got
scraped in Walmart so I took it to Lincoln dealer, they said its a 1977 tough to match,
I said I painted this a month ago. say what, looks factory to us: no I painted it outside.
thats my story. And I can not do this new stuff with ozs this and that.....sam

Re: Managing overspray
 

I was talking to the brother of the guy )he owns a machine shop)that gave this idea for overspray. He also adopted this idea and was amazed at how well it prevented overspray from getting on anything in his shop. I mentioned the concern about the fan possible being an ignition source as well as the comment about induction wound motors. he said that they actual DID have a fire in the shop but it was not due to the fan. The used quilting spontaneously combusted when they had balled it up and threw it in the trash. No damage done as it was a steel can with no combustibles anywhere near it. So, if you are going to use this, treat the used up quilting like you would a rag used with linseed oil. DON'T ball it up and just throw it in the trash. I would recommend putting it in a 5 gallon pail of water or leave it spread out until you take it to the dump.