# How important is a spray booth?



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I just bought an Earlex HV5500 spray station. There is a lot of helpful info on this unit in the LJ reviews and also some on this forum, but one question that has been nagging me is whether or not I will need some kind of spray booth with an extraction fan, etc. I have seen these booths in various magazines and on the net. They are usually made from some cardboard boxes and put together with hook and loop tape. Simple and cheap. My concern is more about the need to have a window open in the winter as most sprays don't work well with cold temperatures. I do have a space available in the loft of my shop with a conveniently sized and placed window where I could spray small stuff like the projects I normally do, and the loft is insulated and heated, but I'm worried if that open window at freezing temperatures will be an issue. Another point is that small things like boxes, etc. I would rather just do the spraying downstairs in my shop. It would be easy enough to make a mini spray booth from cardboard for that, but do I really need an extraction fan for something that will be sprayed for just a minute or so?


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## emart (Mar 16, 2011)

The thing to remember is all the fumes you inhale stay with you forever. Once those chemicals enter your lungs they do not leave. Will one use hurt you? Not really but it will over time. An extraction fan would be best in my opinion


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for your replay emart. I will be wearing a fume rated face mask whenever I spray, so I hoped that would be good enough for those small jobs. Maybe not. In the end I might find it best to just set up the booth in my loft with a filtered fan in front of the window. I will probably be spraying mostly water based finishes and perhaps some shellac on occasion.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

I would think that a small, shop made disposable booth(?) to set on the bench, would suffice. The booth will contain most of the over spray, if any, and a mask will protect your lungs and glasses.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Definitely get some sort of exhaust fan, even if you're using a breathing apparatus. just my .02


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Stefang,I asked the same question on another woodworking site,the best solution for a portable or stowable booth came from a member (Marty from Kingston ,Ontario)who has been using his booth for while and highly recommends it,other members find that a furnace fan, the type with a squirrel cage fan, to work great.I'm planing to build a smaller version of it in my small shop,
,here's a few pics:


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Mike
I think it makes a difference what kind of material your shooting whether its oil base material or not and how big of projects you spraying. It could be an even bigger problem using a set up like Ken shows if your shooting a flammable material and use a fan that is not rated as explosion proof. I shoot some good size projects with out a booth but still have to resort to opening my shop door to let the fumes out for a short time. So if you stick with some kind of fan set up an use water base material you might have less heat loss and less worry about using an expensive explosion proof fans.
Enjoy your new spray station .


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

This has got to be one of those things that hinge on the amount of exposure and the nature of the fumes. I know absolutely nothing about this topic, but one axiom undoubtedly applies:

Everything in life is dose related, the dose being a function of the concentration of the agent, and the time of exposure to the agent.

The other axiom is about humans:

We are all different, and become more different with age.

For some people, a minute exposure to certain agents will kill them, and not affect the next person at all.

Other than that, I am just reading along…........(-:

Must be in my gothic mood….......(-:


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

*Roger* I will be taking your advice with the fan

*Ken* Thanks, I doubt I will need anything that extensive, but it looks like a really good setup.

*Jim* Thanks. I am not planning on spraying anything but waterborne finishes mainly for the very reason you mention, which is the need for an explosion proof fan for oil based finishes. I definitely prefer oil based finishes for brushing since they level out nicely, but I understand that quite good results can be gotten with the Earlex with WB finishes.

*Jim Bertelson*
I think it wise to go with the safest bet as I already have more than enough ailments (even collectors don't want a lot of them).

I have pretty much realized now that a booth with extraction will be what I need and I do have a pretty good dedicated space in my shop/garage loft with a fan in front to the window up there. Should be great and the finished pieces can dry without interrupting my woodworking downstairs.


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## BenhamDesign (Jul 6, 2014)

If you are spraying small projects it is not so critical, but large pieces I would use a good fan. The fan serves 2 purposes. One to get rid of the fumes and two, is to create an air current to draw the over spray away from the piece. When no fan is used the over spray will drift around dying before landing on your project creating a rough surface, causing more sanding between coats.

To keep the cold air directly off the project you can set up your booth on the opposite side from the intake window so the cold air has time to mix with the warm air. once you think most of the dangerous vapors are out of the room close the window so it can warm back up. Usually even large pieces of furniture only take me a few minute to spray so I can get in and out before the temp drops to far.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

*BD* Not sure what you mean here. I was thinking of having a window open with the fan in front of the window (with a filter in front of it to catch the overspray) and then the booth behind the fan with a hole about the size of the fan in it. Are you saying that there should be another window open to pull fresh air in?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Mike this might explain how different types of spray booths work.

http://www.boothbrothers.ca/2013-06-25-17-38-26/spray-booth-types-airflow.html


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

To get airflow that is going to transport fumes and overspray out the window, you will need another window open somewhere. You can place a filter in front of your fan that blows out the window. This way fresh air is filling you spray area. For a large project I made an actual booth in my garage. I was spraying oil based paint. For smaller jobs I set up at the edge of my garage with the door open and have a fan blowing out behind me with a window open behind the fan. Earlex will say you can just spray inside your house and have little overspray, but when spraying small things, there's a lot of overspray. By the way I have the 5500 and love it.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks Jim, that link pretty well answered my question. With my tiny projects I think my setup should be pretty straight forward and I'm sure the one window will work fine.

One of the main reasons I bought the Earlex was to refresh some of our white furniture. We bought a very nice round pedestal table and four chairs for our kitchen a few years ago and it turned out that while the build quality is excellent the finish is not, and so I want to repaint that and the tops on some waist high cabinets and other pieces we have in our living room and entry. That work will have to be done in the garage next summer as it's way to large and heavy to drag upstairs into my loft. It should be interesting to try and find suitable finishes for the sprayer as they sell only Norwegian and European brands here, so I can't benefit from LJ members advice on good brands. But I feel quite lucky to get all the info that is available on spray.

*Bill* Thanks. I do have a another window which is at the other end of the loft directly opposite the exhaust window with no obstructions, so it wouldn't be a problem to open it, but not for long on those really cold winter days. Why did I leave California?


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## FancyShoes (Aug 31, 2014)

My uncle has a old attic fan he wants to get off his house, it is about 6 sqft. I think I will set that up in a shop once I get settled in somewhere.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

You may come to regret hauling something that big around, but it sure sounds like it would do the job.


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## retfr8flyr (Oct 30, 2013)

I have an Earlex 6900 and I don't really have the space for a real spray booth, so I decided to only use water based finishes for my work. I still use a good respirator but with water based finishes I don't have to worry about the fumes. I made a kind of booth, just to keep over spray down, by hanging drop cloths around one bay of my garage. I installed hooks in the ceiling and grommets in the drop cloths. I move the car out of the bay and just hook up the cloths and put a cheap plastic tarp from HF on the floor when I am gong to spray. I just fold the cloths and tarp up and store them when not in use. I used cloths instead of plastic to keep the static electricity down. This system work well for me in my garage shop and keeps any over spray from getting on everything.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Does that mean I don't need an exhaust fan Earl? I can't keep my garage door open in the fall and winter months, so any garage painting would have to be in summer, so I will be working in an insulated and heated room during the bad weather time. That's why I thought an exhaust fan would be necessary.


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## retfr8flyr (Oct 30, 2013)

I don't use one because of the volume of the booth but remember I am only spraying water based. I keep the Earlex unit outside the cloth so it's always sucking in clean air. I haven't had any problems from not having an exhaust fan but I don't spray real large items either. I would imagine if you are going to spray large items you would need to exhaust the air to get some air movement and keep the over spray cloud down some.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for your input Earl. That sounds pretty sensible to me. I have been using oil based spray cans up to now and I do wear a mask, but not good ventilation, however this is only spraying a couple of small things maybe once or twice a year. I use a makeshift mini booth too and I leave the shop right after I've sprayed. Not ideal I know, but no other options. After thinking it over some and reading all the advice I do think I will make a spray booth for my shop loft and also use and exhaust fan (for waterborne products only). I think that will encourage me to use my new sprayer more too. I can use the garage in the summer with a spray booth in front of the open door and probably the fan too since I will need one for the loft anyway.

*Thanks again to all you guys who contributed here with your experience and advice. I feel good that I now have a plan that should work well for me. and keep me healthy, or at least not worse than I already am*


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Mike, I just ordered some tinted water based lacquer from target coatings. I did this in an effort to avoid oil based paints but keep the quality of finish. Cleanup is with warm water thru the gun. You may not be able to get product, but I would look for something like it. Should have all the benefits of oil based paint and none of the negatives. That's my hope anyway. I will let ya know after I've used it.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I have read about that and I will see if they have anything like that here, but judging from past experience probably not. Norway is modern, but such a small market that things commonly available in the States can be difficult or impossible to find here. Not complaining, just saying.


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## retfr8flyr (Oct 30, 2013)

Mike, if you can't find anything decent locally, Target is basically one man company, run by Jeff Weiss. I imagine he would ship to you as long as you pay the costs. Target has some fantastic products and I don't think you could go wrong with them.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Yeah, I spoke to him just the other day before I ordered. Nice guy.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks guys, I appreciate the thought, but You have no idea what a can of paint would cost to ship from the U.S. to Norway, not to mention the custom duties, handling fees, and added value tax at 25%. I will just have to find something here.


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## timbertailor (Jul 2, 2014)

Having a permanent or temporary spray booth will also greatly improve your finishes. If you can avoid saw dust getting into your paint areas, you are ahead of the game. Ventilation is great, as long as it is not disturbing any possible dust that could once again become airborne.

Good luck with your painting and congratulations on your new acquisition. Should serve you well.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks Brad. I will definitely be making a booth and I will have a dedicated dust free space for it. The ventilation is desirable but not critical for the small stuff I will be doing. I have two opposing windows that will carry a draft right through to air out if i find it necessary. I will be spraying only water borne finishes.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

I own a photographic studio and have for 37 years. We used to have a spray booth when we had an on-site color lab. We sprayed laquer every day. We used furnace filters to pull the laquer through and rest the prints on….you can not imagine how fast those would fill up. I was always astonished at what would have gone into my lungs. I would use both an expolsion proof fan and a respirator. 
Mike


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## Gshepherd (May 16, 2012)

> The thing to remember is all the fumes you inhale stay with you forever. Once those chemicals enter your lungs they do not leave. Will one use hurt you? Not really but it will over time. An extraction fan would be best in my opinion
> 
> - emart


I honestly did not know that…. I will be sure to start wearing a respirator when I spray lacquer or anything else. Luckily I do not do it all that often.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks Mike, I appreciate your advice. Having a fan and furnace filters was my original intention until I started looking around for the fan and the filters. We don't don't use gas fired heaters here, so no filters to buy. Box fans don't exist here except for weak ones to use around the house. I won't be spraying oil based finishes, so an explosion proof fan isn't necessary and I will be wearing a proper face mask, so I don't think anything will get into my lungs. I will spray a small item then leave the booth to go downstairs. Plus I'm using HVLP spray equipment, so minimal overspray. I can always buy the fan later from England if needed and maybe the furnace filters too. I'm still waiting for my spray station to come from England in the post.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

Mike,
I have an Earlex 5500…if you don't already, you are going to love it!!! Keep us posted
Mike


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I haven't got it yet Mike, I received and email from the net store in England where I ordered it saying it would be delayed a few days because they had to order a 1.5mm needle set from Earlex which I told them to send with my order to avoid extra freight charges. No hurry.

I was up in the loft taking a look at what I have to do to set up a spray booth. I insulated and paneled the shop/garage loft about 4 years ago so it is pretty nice, but it has become a catch all for anything discarded that was too valuable to be thrown away, so I have my work cut out for me to make that space available for spraying. At least I now have some motivation to get it spruced up. I took my son's old kitchen cabinets when he remodeled his home. They are nice quality cabinets, but somewhat wear worn. I have them stored right where I want to have the spray booth. My plan is get a lot of practice spraying those cabinets to set up in the loft as part of a major effort to get things organized up there. I think I will need that fan, now I just need to find some kind material for a filter. I have seen some spun glass looking material that comes in rolls that might work. This would all be a lot easier if I were young again, like 70 or less.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

I made "Roman blinds" (roll up from the bottom) using 6 mil plastic sheeting attached to the ceiling of the shop. Each one is 10 ft long, providing a 10'x10' booth. I have a rear and each side. A 1000 cfm squirrel cage blower is mounted in a metal/wood box with 20"x20" filters on each side. I use electrostatic furnace filters (not electric) and cover them with disposable painting filters. The blower discharges through an 8" duct 18" long that sticks through the plastic. I have a duct I can connect to run it outside if I want. The blower pulls air in the open front, and keeps overspray in the booth. When finished I just roll up the walls and have the full shop. I have pics posted in my workshop. I shoot waterborne and shellac. I wear a charcoal type canister respirator when spraying.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for the tips OSU55. I checked out your shop photos. I guess the blinds must work in connection with those trapeze looking things hanging from the ceiling? Great idea.


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## emart (Mar 16, 2011)

> The thing to remember is all the fumes you inhale stay with you forever. Once those chemicals enter your lungs they do not leave. Will one use hurt you? Not really but it will over time. An extraction fan would be best in my opinion
> 
> - emart
> 
> ...


it isn't just lacquer sawdust does the same thing. most of it will not make it past your nose and throat but anything that gets into the lungs generally stays there. I have been trying to stay in the habit of using my respirator but on days that I forget I regret it a few hours later


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

They discovered spots in my lung by accident. The respiratory doctor told me nearly everyone has spots in their lungs from something. They didn't know that until recently with modern imagining showing things never seen before. The ones I have probably came from being in a chicken house when I was a kid on the farm. They don't hurt anything, but it would probably be best to avoid them if possible ;-)


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

That is very interesting Bob and I guess proves that what goes in stays there.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

At least chicken poop does! ;-)

Working construction all my life I seldom wore dust masks or respirators. In my specialty, I was fortunate to be in late enough in the process, the building was fairly clean when I was doing "my thang." I always avoided fumes, ect.

I do remember one day I decided the best thing was to take the day off. A laborer was vacuuming concrete dust and was creating quite a cloud. I suspected he did not have a filter in the vacuum. He took a break shortly after he started. I waited until the "dust settled." ;-) Sure enough, no filter. When he returned, I told him. He went to check with his superintendent, the guy in charge of building a several million dollar building. When the laborer came back, he said that was all they had and was told to continue. I asked what is the point taking dust along the walls, blowing it into the air and scattering it over the entire space. He said just doing what he was told. The owner had a lot of issues with that company before the job was finished. As Einstein said, ignorance has no limits ;-)


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I think most of older guys were not so aware of health hazards as they are nowadays. I breathed a lot dust including asbestos dust in the Navy and I smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day too until I was 26 yrs old, so my lungs probably aren't to pretty either. I'll probably wind up dying of an ingrown toenail or something else mundane just to baffle science.


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