Daida

Daida

Well Known Member
Hi Folks!

I am rearanging my workshop into a paintshop right now. I live in the netherlands and temperatures are around 0*C / 32*F at least until end of February. I want to prime my Fuselage with a 2 component primer and use a 2 component top coat on the visible cockpit surfaces.
According to the factory informations the best temperatur to bring the stuff on and let it cure is above 15*C/59*F.
I will use a gas-blowpipe-heater to heat up my workshop (two car garage).

Now here is what i am concerned about.
As the heater has an open flame, how likely is it that you produce a flameable air-primer/air-paint mixture while spraying and the whole shop will blow up?


Or am i way too "Hollywood" on this one?

I was thinking about heating up the shop, turn off the heater, spray for a little while, wait a little while, turn the heater on again, wait a little while...............and so on and on......

Any recommendations or experiences on that one?

The heater itself will not be in the paint-booth. I will hang plastic shets/foils from the ceilling, seperating the Fuselage physically from the rest of the workshop and the heater.

How did you guys in the northern countries did yours?

Thanks for your inputs!
 
Yes I would be concerned about a couple of things. First do not paint or prime with an open flame. Second heaters like this that run on diesel or kerosene will produce a residue that can settle on the aircraft and cause fish eyes in the paint. At a minimum heat the shop and then turn off the heat. Also check your lighting. Not an expert but my opinion.

Pat
 
Pat Stewart said:
Yes I would be concerned about a couple of things. First do not paint or prime with an open flame. Second heaters like this that run on diesel or kerosene will produce a residue that can settle on the aircraft and cause fish eyes in the paint. At a minimum heat the shop and then turn off the heat. Also check your lighting. Not an expert but my opinion.

Pat
Click to expand...

Dont forget the production of carbon monoxide-------that stuff will kill you.
 
I had a basement "flash fire" when a water heater kicked on while I was doing some formica work with contact cement. I think the chemicals in paints are as least as flammable as contact cement. Lucky the whole house didn't burn down, but I had to spend a bunch of time cleaning soot off everything and re-painting. Be careful.
 
You also said 2 component paint. What does it contain? isocyanates? Two ways to harm yourself, flame and chemicals.

The only way is to heat saturate, paint, finish painting and leave it to cure. Next day, purge the air, then you can fire the heater and finish the cure.

Read about your paint components and use appropriate measures for breathing air. Fresh air (from outside) or self contained breathing filtration for organic vapors.

Good Luck!
 
Paint booth?

Are you building a paint booth? Easy to do.
Keep the paint and fumes out of the Garage as well as dust out
Of your paint.
I built one recently and it worked out great.
Basically wood frame with 3 mil poly, a zipper door,
2 filtered box fans air in, and a home built exhaust
Plenum with two filtered box fans and in line 8" duct
Fan at the end of the 10' duct run. Vented outdoors.
Lights outside the booth. Bought the duct and duct fan at Harbour freight.

Heat the booth, shut off the heat, paint and exhaust, reheat.
I bought a tyvek hood and hobby air fresh air system.
I used a two part epoxy primer and polyurethane top coat. Very happy with the results.
 
The main thing that concerns be about the stovepipe heater is the amount of water it will produce into the atmosphere, as well as carbon monoxide.

I would get hold of some of these cheap halogen lamp type heaters - they are about ?10 off fleabay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/quartz-halogen-heater

You will be surprised how quickly an area or surface will heat up.

A couple of those inside your booth will soon bring the temp up and after you have sprayed they are excellent for curing - I use them a lot.

I am in the north of England but my 7 x 13m workshop is centrally heated :D

Still gets chilly though when I am painting and use the extraction under the roller shutter door. I used Tetrosyl Autoprime for the etch (50/50 mix, not cyanates) and then good old cyanate 2 pack for the top coat.

Have a look at Randy Lervold's build pages for ideas about the paint booth - that's almost the same set up as I used. Coped his colourscheme as well ;)
 
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Will the shop blow up? It might, paint fumes are explosive/flammable. No open flames and filtered air movement are important.

Bird
 
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