Finishing room

[hackberry jake]

I have just made due with what I have for a while, but every project I finish makes me want a finishing room more and more. A room free from airborn dust and contamination... Maybe even just the right temp year-round. Do any of you guys have one? Or ideas for one?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I have just made due with what I have for a while, but every project I finish makes me want a finishing room more and more. A room free from airborn dust and contamination... Maybe even just the right temp year-round. Do any of you guys have one? Or ideas for one?

I don't have one Jake, but if I did, I would want it under ground like a basement. Cool temps., very little dust in a basement if sealed right and no windows.

I think this would be pretty cool!

[hackberry jake]

Basements aren't probable where I live. If you dig a hole more than 5 or 6 feet deep, they fill up with water in a hurry. One out of maybe 500 houses around here has a basement. And they payed dearly for waterproofing to have one. I was thinking about just a insulated shed with a window unit hat has both heat and ac and put extra filters on it or a seperate fan/filter setup.

[Greg Brown]

Jake I don't have a finish room either. For twenty five years I have finished my kitchen cabinets and smaller jobs under a pecan tree behind my shop. I spray lacquer to finish most of my work.  Dries real quick so I'm able to get a great looking finish without a paint shop. But it would be nice to have a paint shop. I guess you could call me a shade tree cabinetmaker. ;D

[Larry]

Pecan tree for shade...now that sounds like a luxury finishing room to me. :D :D

This is my finishing room.  I have the oak cabinets facing away from the sun because I was afraid of bubble pops in this heat.



It would be hard for me to allocate space for a finishing room.  But I hardly ever spray poly and very little enamel.  Lacquer or wipe on finishes are my game.

And I'm known as the sun burned cabinetmaker. :D

[Tree Feller]

I don't have one, either although I'd love one with a large, intrinsically safe exhaust fan to get rid of overspray.

[WDH]

I have an old house that I inherited from my parents estate.  I load up everything and haul it over there.  I use one of the rooms that has a window AC unit.  This is quite a luxury because I used to finish everything outside, and it was very difficult to get everything right.  The gnats were especially challenging outside.  Gnats in the finish is not a desirable thing.  Too hot, too cold, too humid, too many gnats, too much wind, etc  .

[Lud]

I use the upstairs of my bankbarn...with the doors closed....the exhaust fan on.....on a  quiet day .....late at night or early in the morning.

Minimal airflow makes for the best finishes.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Jake, there's no doubt if you build one, it'll be top of the line. Just document it with pics to show us.

[Brad_bb]

The subject of safety should be carefully considered here.  When you atomize an oil or solvent based finish, you create a potential explosive condition.  I have a binks crossdraft paint booth for the classic car restoration I do(personal).  I haven't done any wood spray finishes yet because I haven't built many furniture type projects. 

At 17 yrs old by parent said no way was I doing any spraying without proper personal and explosive safety.  Booths have explosion proof lights, wiring, and exhaust fans.  Electric lines are gel filled to prevent solvent laden air from entering and becoming a potential explosion hazard.  A booth, besides providing a clean environment for an improved finish, evacuate the solvent laden air to protect the user and the shop.  I also use a fresh air system(I bought used).  Breathing many automotive and other finshes can cause nervous system problems or cancer.  I also wear eye protection and often a paint suit.

House fans are not explosion proof and actually arc and create sparks.  Booth fans are enclosed and located outside of the air stream.  They also have aluminum blade fans that will not spark.  In a garage or basement, regular light fixtures or shop heaters are a high potential ignition source.

Locating a spray booth also often requires a minimum of 3 ft clearance from walls and sometimes more ceiling.  There's also a minimum clearance from shop heaters etc.  Lastly it's important to keep the booth relatively clean to prevent build up of paint residue that could lead to spontaneous combustion.  It's happened a couple times at a family business there tractor parts were painted regularly.

Please be safe fellas.  It may seem expensive up front sometimes, but what is your health worth in the long run?  Consider a fresh air pump with hood even if you're spraying outside.

[WDH]

I don't spray.  I apply varnish with a foam brush.  Spraying is another animal.

[Brad_bb]

I figure even if you are brushing, but are in an enclosed space, the same safety hazards/rules apply as a spray booth.  The fumes can be just as dangerous to someone.

[hackberry jake]

I use mainly polyurethane and tung oil. The fumes never reach explosive ratios as long as you keep a little air flow. I don't skimp on safety, but I don't take it overboard either. There is a big difference between tung oil and automotive clear coat/paint.

[Brad_bb]

It's not just for explosive ratios, but bad breathing also.

[metalspinner]

I have considered something similar - a  small insulated building outfitted for spraying and finishing.

My woodshop is in my basement.  Anytime I finish the entire house get inundated with fumes.  Finishing also stops production in the shop until the finish has cured.  And it seems that when the day comes to put a finish on a project, the humidity is in the 90's or it's 40 degrees outside.

Brad,
Do you have more specifics you can share on the proper set up of a spray booth?

[Brad_bb]

   I would propose 2 options to someone else.  1. Buy a professional booth, either used or new.  2. If you are determined to build one, do it with concrete block, sealed.  You can still buy a new proper fan(like a Dayton from McMaster Carr or Grainger- one of them sells them) and find explosion proof lights.  You'd still need to build light window frames and filter frames.  But remember you MUST comply with all the safety requirements, some of which I have listed. 

Be forewarned, sometimes insurance companies and local fire departments/or local government have issues with spraybooths, even if you are doing it right and making things safer.  Often they will not distinguish whether you are a hobby person or a professional.  They will try to apply the same rules to you.  Government officials usually will not think for themselves and apply reasonable judgement.  If you live near "those kind of neighbors", and they hear the exhaust fan and don't like it....you may have some problems.  I'm on a farm, so I'm not going to have complaining neighbors.  At most I only paint the equivalent of 2 cars per year, which is hardly anything compared to a body shop, but it really comes in handy for all the small jobs I do and the few big ones.  It's all personal use.  I don't do anything for anyone else.

You'll have to have an electrician do your wiring for hazardous environment conduit and switches etc.  if you build.  There are industrial booths both open and enclosed sold used, that are smaller than automotive booths.  Build one, you don't want to use anything burnable.  You may want to build a finishing room within a building so that you can heat it.  The heater must of course be out side of the finishing room at the required minimum distance.