# Just bought a hvlp spray system have some questions



## Billp (Nov 25, 2006)

Can anyone give me some advice how to best setup a spray booth in the basement? I was wondering what types of setups you have for dust control and exhaust if you have a basement setup. I have two windows in the room I will be using. I bought a Fuji Q3 Pro, I think I will be using water based products for safety reasons. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks,Billp


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

I did a little spraying in my basement shop. It has an unfinished ceiling. I used plastic painters drop "cloths" to create the booth. Stapling the plastic to the over head joist. When I was finished, just took it down and folded it up.

As for ventilation, I made an exhaust fan out of an old hot air furnace blower and replaced the "fold in" basement window with the fan assembly. I open the other basement window to allow for plenty of fresh air to enter. This system has its' dangers because if the furnace turns on while the exhaust fan is running, it can pull furnace fumes into the basement.


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

Best advise. Don't spray in a basement, especially large items. For various reasons starting with Lew's furnace backdraft problem, and in cold weather it will exhaust all the warm air leaving your basement cold thereby slowing the drying process and so on.
If you do it anyway make sure your fan motor and connections are spark proof, even with water base products. Have good filters to keep the spray from coating the fan and ducts.
I would suggest creating a portable enclosure (framing and plastic sheeting or plywood) and use it outside. Yep I know it is hard to do that in cold or wet weather (water base products don't work well in high humidity anyway).
I have a HVLP sprayer and seldom use it because of those challenges.

Wipe on finishes are a good alternative.


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## Billp (Nov 25, 2006)

Is there anyone out there who likes thier hvlp system and is able to use it in a basment?


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## davidpettinger (Aug 21, 2009)

My friend and neighbor down the street, Frank, who builds lawn ornaments, built his spray booth from an old wooden bar stool with a lazy susan seat(got it at a second hand store for 5 bucks, 2 box fans (also purchased at the second hand store), two cheap blue type furnace filters and a heavy card board box. Now the box, he said, is from an appliance store and was for a 48" wide French door fridge. It is pretty big but he has the room in his basement for it. The box is open on the bottom and one side, so it has a top and three walls. On the back about a third of the way up he cut the hole Slightly smaller than one of the box fans and used wire to hang it over the opening. Inside he attached one of the filters. He had some ice and water shield he wrapped around the opening so he can duct tape the filter to it with out tearing up the card board. He painted the inside of the box white and has a 60w fluorescent bulb in a jelly jar fixture poking through the top. 
The other fan gets hung over a basement window. That is where he used the other piece of cardboard to close off the window and make an opening just for the box fan with the other filter attached to is back side.
He created a room using heavy plastic from the floor joists overhead to the concrete floor below, from the box to the window about a foot wider than the box on either side. The stool has two circular tops with a lazy susan type bearing between the two. The top one he cut kind of square and has built a couple of fixtures for that drop over the top seat so he can turn what he is spraying.
He claims he never sprays in the winter, and I have been over there in the summer when he has sprayed and he says he never has to run the fans over medium to get them to work properly. He doesn't have an over-spray problem. and he uses water based finishes.
As all the others have stated, it is safety first. He has a 10lb ABC fire extinguisher hanging 3 feet away from him. He has other lighting (sealed quartz lamps) to help illuminate his projects. I would have one of these booths too, but first I would have to dig myself a basement. So for now I will have to stick to my old ways and use my garage.


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