[Mruffatto]

I just ordered the 7 tail kit and I'm trying to get my garage setup. I realize this is a touchy subject but I'm leaning towards the sherwin williams rattle can primer and only doing the mating surfaces. Mainly because I have a buddy that can get the stuff for me quite inexspensively.
I live near chicago and it is freezing out. I'll be in a two car garage with no windows or service door. So here is my idea: I build a small booth and a vent system that would go out of opening the garage door a few inches. I have an old leaf blower and a router speed control that i could use for moving the air. Definately not explosion proof. I would get fresh air back into the garage because the top of the garage door instantly pulls away when raised.

What size booth/box would be optimal?
Am I overthinking this? It will be warm out soon.

One more question if I still have your attention. What size/thickness of a back riveting plate would be the best if I can get my hands on some steel plate?

thanks in advance

 

[Kyle Boatright]

I'd say you're overthinking. Build a wooden frame with chicken wire tacked to the frame. Place your parts on it, run it outside and squirt it with primer, then return everything into the garage so it'll dry. This works in any weather unless you're getting precipitation.

 

[BSwayze]

I agree with Kyle. I built my entire airplane without a paint booth. All primed parts were sprayed outside using the chicken-wire-on-a-frame method he describes, or simply shooting them on a piece of cardboard or newspaper. I shot paint in some cold temperatures, and brought them into the garage to dry. My entire interior was shot using water-based JetFlex paint, so there were no fumes to worry about.

 

[rleffler]

I did the same as Bruce and Kyle. When weather permitted, I painted outside in the side yard. When I painted in the garage, I hung tarps from the garage door rails and covered the floor to covert a single bay into a paint booth. Depending on how much you are painting, overspray can be a PITA. I found that the tarps helped me to keep the over spray contained. I didn't have an exhaust fan which would have helped significantly. Make sure you have a good respirator, especially if you're shooting epoxy like akzo.

Bob

 

[rzbill]

+1 with above.
But I was a bit more minimalist because I just used my garbage can and placed expanded screen wire over the opening.

For some of my build, my garage was unheated so I used a kerosene radiant heater (the kind with the wire cage all around it). I used to set the freezing cold parts on the top of the heater cage to speed up the drying. I learned that the self etching primer cured with better adhesion with a baking cycle so ultimately put an old drawer style toaster oven into normal use.

In a few bad weather instances I painted inside. I had a box cut into a 4 sided "theater" shape. Screen wire held a little off the bottom. Used an air brush with a mixable primer. The overspray was minimal for doing small brackets.

 

[bret]

It is cold here this time of year, I used the fuse shipping box to make a down draft paint thing, only need to open the garage door two feet.

 

[pdecraene7a]

7 kit

Mike,
Congrats on pulling the trigger. I did all my priming as others describe with the chicken wire box. I started with the rattle cans and then bought an HVLP sprayer and swithed to a self etching primer. Overspray is very minimal with the HVLP if you are set up right. Tlak to Bill about which primer to use I sure he will have an opinion.

 

[N546RV]

Another driveway rattle can primer here. Though I have been known to do small touch-up type work inside the garage when outside conditions aren't good, like after dark and/or rainy. If I shoot inside, I open the door about halfway and set up right by the opening.

I probably won't be able to do this once I'm working on the wings, due to space constraints...

 

[Av8torTom]

I use garage

I've sprayed a lot of parts in the garage. Two considerations:

1. you NEED a high quality respirator that filters out VOCs
2. enough isolation so that fumes don't get into the rest of the house.

 

[Iluke]

Here's a different opinion. Take it for what it's worth. I too spray primed in a cold climate and I'm glad I built a down-draft spray booth. I can prime one or a bunch of parts, inside the heated garage, and not get a bit of paint smell in the air. Cost me a few dollars.. About $60 for the two marine bilge blowers (intrinsically explosion proof and cheap) and a few bucks for 2X3s and fiberboard, but it sure works well. Here's a picture:

 

[fixnflyguy]

Roll it

Believe it or not...a small foam roller and good 2 part epoxy or urethane primer is as easy as it gets. It will flow out,and be hard to tell it isn't sprayed. I did all of my -4 inner skins, and most other pieces this way. I work in heavy aircraft overhaul where spraying is prohibited, and we roll everything. Try it and you will see how clean and simple it is...no messy clean up either.