another paint booth

[A2022]

I'm feeling that a saga is beginning but I'm not sure how it's going to end.

I have a small T-hangar. My plan is to learn how to paint with HVLP: 1) piece parts , 2) then paint fuselage and empennage, 3) then one wing, 4) then the other wing.

Paint booth to be moved around and expanded when needed. This is the piece part size booth. Seems narrow.... 7 ft.

[Kyle Boatright]

Make sure you have good filters on the exhaust. I've had to buff my airplane out twice due to careless neighbors (one of whom had a booth).

Oh, and however many lights you have, buy more.

Finally, buy some scrap aluminum sheets and try your spray gear and materials out in your backyard. You can learn a lot without having to go all the way to the airport.

<This advice from a guy who taught himself to paint on his airplane's tail feathers. I learned a lot about sanding and buffing paint defects too.>

[A2022]

yes, I'm concerned about over spray on neighbors. I'm pulling air thru these, doubled. Any experience?

and yes, I probably need more lights.

[Kyle Boatright]

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

yes, I'm concerned about over spray on neighbors. I'm pulling air thru these, doubled. Any experience?

I can't speak to those filters, but they are probably as good or better than what I used in my garage. I used 3 box fans in parallel, with a cheap air filter taped to the upstream side of each fan. My cars were parked 50' from the exhausts and I never had overspray problems.

[Larry DeCamp]

The filters will get coated with paint very quickly and require replacement. Consider cheap glass filters and cover them with disposable non woven fabric. A little tape will old the disposable fabric in place til fan suction nails it to the filters.

My experience says you don't need a "wind tunnel". Go easy on the fan.

[A2022]

thanks for that comment. I was concerned about air change rate. with the exhaust filter in place, the fan should change the air once per minute for a booth this size. will that be enough? I may need to experiment with the filters.

[PTI Paint]

Did you end up providing an air intake? I had to keep the plastic from getting sucked in around the plane and getting weird airflow.

[A2022]

no, I did not have an air inlet fan. I wrapped the plastic around completely and overlapped on the floor. I needed to put something on the floor or it would rise. I used a 2x4 but a thin floorboard over the entire floor would be better. I have a 7 ft. wide booth. 8 ft wide would have been better. then use 4 x 8, 1/4 inch floorboard.

[A2022]

I left some green Imron primer (interior painted with Imron) around the screws of the canopy side and they bubbled with PPG DPLF primer. PPG primer has acetone as a thinner. If you don't use acetone to thin the primer surface is not as smooth. Washed off with acetone and repeated, 15 minute delay, another lesson. the can-o-pee got three coats of paint. first time to paint three coats. I let the second coat flash for 20 minutes before painting the third coat. three coats looks slightly smoother but I used a more paint but this is a small part. two coats would have been fine for this part but I had extra paint in the gun. for the wings and fuse I will use two coats. DT885 reducer, booth temp at first coat 80F, end of third coat 68F.... warm today. outside air temp 58F.

















big rain today

[A2022]

this was the end of the second coat


end of third coat, no significant difference