Painting in garage

[plain garage]

My car is getting on in age (13 yrs), both bumpers can stand a sanding and respray (base + clear). I have a 20G compressor that flows 5.5cfm. Will this be sufficient to paint the bumpers in my garage? What is the trick to painting parts without a booth?

 

[SASORacing]

Clean up, mask, wet floor with water to control dust. Only one way to find out if your compressor is powerful enough to spit your paint, and that is letting your tank charge up and try. Worst case scenario it will not and atomize fine enough.

 

[countryroad82]

For bumpers your compressor shouldn't have a problem keeping up. Heck a few months ago I painted a dump truck at my buddy's place and that is what he had...... Needless to say the compressor an the whole time I was spraying. I painted in sections one day I sprayed the bed the next week I sprayed the cab. I was using single stage so I was giving it time to dry between the colors. As said sweep the floors clean, wet them down, cover up the stuff you don't want overspray on. I also prior to wetting the floor down go around and blow the dust out of the corners of the shop then sweep again.

 

[Dolfan]

You would be surprised what you can do without spraying in the garage! Look from post #117 on and I sprayed the door sections and front bumper right outside! Base coat, clear coat.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1727931-E36-M3-Buy-and-Build/page5

 

[lilredex]

If you are using two part paints, read up on "Isocyanates". Only protection is a fresh air supplied mask from that stuff.

 

[Bill Bowman]

Hopefully, your garage is NOT attached to your house. Also, be aware of normal safety (read breathing) protocol, not only for yourself, but for anyone else in the area. Most automotive paint is a killer when injested into your lungs. Bill

 

[Colin Len]

Personally I'd setup a "booth" outdoors opposed to working in the garage unless you have the ability to make a "booth" inside the garage. Even if you cover things the paint dust will get all over the place in the little nooks and crannies. Personally I'd want to keep as much of that out of my garage as possible With the time you'd take to cover everything really really well you could easily setup something outside. I used a 10x10 ez-up canopy with some cheap Harbor Freight tarps clipped/taped/zip-tied to it to create a booth. I even used a couple of box fans and a home HVAC filter for ventilation. For me all of this was stuff I had laying around but even if you needed to buy the supplies they are pretty affordable and much of it is stuff you'd find uses for later on anyway.

 

[Thumper68]

Some kind of booth is the way to go, I have had good luck with a cheap Canopie frame like this covered with 3 or 4 mil sheeting held in place with tape and spring clamps.

I also cover the ground with a sheet of poly and use a box fan with a furnace filter to draw air out and a couple more filters on the other end taped in place to allow clean air in.

My shop is big enough to set this up inside but have used it outside as well. If you want to get real fancy Grainger sells tape in zippers for a entry point, I usually just do a 4 foot over lap in one wall to enter by.

 

[RossABQ]

Any kind of enclosure makes the breathing air supply mask an absolute necessity. It only takes a couple of good whiffs of the fumes to do irreparable lung damage.

 

[GlenC]

Need to be careful of humidity when washing the area down before painting... When painting in the garage or outside, I have always tried to have things ready to go, then start early int he morning before too much stuff gets in the air...

 

[Colin Len]

Any kind of enclosure makes the breathing air supply mask an absolute necessity. It only takes a couple of good whiffs of the fumes to do irreparable lung damage.

I'd hope he's using a respirator regardless of whether he's in any sort of booth or not. I use one even when doing a large rattle can job outside with no booth.

 

[Kevin54]

If you are using two part paints, read up on "Isocyanates". Only protection is a fresh air supplied mask from that stuff.

Hopefully, your garage is NOT attached to your house. Also, be aware of normal safety (read breathing) protocol, not only for yourself, but for anyone else in the area. Most automotive paint is a killer when injested into your lungs. Bill

Any kind of enclosure makes the breathing air supply mask an absolute necessity. It only takes a couple of good whiffs of the fumes to do irreparable lung damage.

The sky is NOT falling. You don't need a fresh air supply, a scuba tank, or walk around with an oxygen tank strapped to your back.

You do need to take precautions. You can get a Tyvek suit, or no larger than your parts are, wear long sleeve shirt. Pick up a 3M respirator with dual filter cartridges. There are various ways to make a home spray booth, or you can take a chance on a calm day to do it in the garage. The basecoat will normally be dry by the time it hits the floor, but the clear will stay wet longer and the atomization particles will land on everything. If you have a local jobber that you are dealing with, pick up a roll of Sharkskin. It is a thin mil plastic sheet that will come in like a 10'x400' roll for something like $30. You can use this to cover things where you don't want overspray.

People paint in garages everyday. You just need to use precautions when spraying, just like anything else. If you use certain, precautions, you will not have any problems at all. Just remember that what you can breathe in, can also enter the blood system through the pores in your skin. You don't need to be 100% covered, but nothing wrong with covering what you can. That would be the arms, use a respirator, and even a hat if you have one. After you are done spraying, and things are cleaned up, shut the garage down and head to the house for a relaxing shower, and you'll still live a long and prosperous life

 

[DekeT]

The sky is NOT falling. You don't need a fresh air supply, a scuba tank, or walk around with an oxygen tank strapped to your back.

I hope you are not suggesting that painting with 2 part iso-hardeners does not require fresh air supply.

 

[dogdog]

just curious, is it legal to spray at your own garage? Means can some one call the city and complain about you spraying ? been thinking and hesitate.

 

[Streetbu]

just curious, is it legal to spray at your own garage? Means can some one call the city and complain about you spraying ? been thinking and hesitate.

Depends on local codes.... Some place you're not allowed without a full booth with exhaust filters etc..

 

[countryroad82]

I have to agree with Kevin. Yes isos are bad. Yes they can kill you. But so can drinking too much alcohol, speeding, smoking, cliff jumping, or driving to work for that matter. This guy is painting 2 pieces, not hundreds of cars. I have a fresh air supply but I can't stand using it due to astigmatism, even with a simple face shield it throws my sense of balance off, so it was basically a grand I threw out the window. That is what a good fresh air system will set you back, $1,000. Did you know they reccomend using that for ANY painting? Any paint is bad for your health, period. So all the guys that are saying you need fresh air I have to ask, when you are shooting with a rattle can are you COMPLETELY covered? Hood, fresh air tank, suited up, booties on your shoes, gloves? I didn't think so. I'm not saying to not take precautions, I'm saying use common sense. There are people out there that WILL have an allergic reaction to paint, I went to tech school with a kid who had to quit due to it. As I said I know that although I do have the correct system, I can't use it, and I do reccomend anyone doing this **** for a living to buy all the protection they can.

 

[GlenC]

Things are better now, back in the '70s, spraying two part urethanes was deadly without a good respirator!

 

[Kevin54]

I hope you are not suggesting that painting with 2 part iso-hardeners does not require fresh air supply.

Yes, I am saying that if you take precautions, you can very well do it in a home garage. Thousands of people do it every day. But you want to take the usual precautions as far as a respirator, you really don't want bare arms, and things like that.

And not to bash on you, but I am going to assume that either you run a full blown business, or you are an armchair Quarterback. I started painting cars when I was 13 years old. I took precautions. I never had fresh air respirators. I'll be 58 next month. My dad lived to the ripe old age of 95 working with lead and paint.

I also have a young cousin that has contracted isocyanate poisoning, and I see what happens to him when he just gets around fresh paint.

A person can be safe without going totally overboard and spending thousands of dollars because they want to do something in the confines of their garage.

 

[K13]

Yes, I am saying that if you take precautions, you can very well do it in a home garage. Thousands of people do it every day. But you want to take the usual precautions as far as a respirator, you really don't want bare arms, and things like that.

And not to bash on you, but I am going to assume that either you run a full blown business, or you are an armchair Quarterback. I started painting cars when I was 13 years old. I took precautions. I never had fresh air respirators. I'll be 58 next month. My dad lived to the ripe old age of 95 working with lead and paint.

I also have a young cousin that has contracted isocyanate poisoning, and I see what happens to him when he just gets around fresh paint.

A person can be safe without going totally overboard and spending thousands of dollars because they want to do something in the confines of their garage.

The problem with this attitude is everyone reacts to ISO's way differently. One guy could paint for years and never have problems and another could get exposed once and end up in the hospital for a week. This **** is deadly and gets into you through any exposed skin surface. Saying things like my dad and I never had any issues is about as responsible as telling a kid to start smoking because I lived to 90 and smoked every day. Oh and I work for a manufacturer in the paint and body industry so I am not "armchair quarterbacking."

 

[Danver]

I hope you are not suggesting that painting with 2 part iso-hardeners does not require fresh air supply.

Unless something has changed in recent years there are disposable respirators (I used the ones made by 3M for years) that are approved for use with isocyanate paints. We had a supplied air respirator system in our shop but I still used the masks for smaller jobs. As long as they are fitted correctly and replaced on the proper schedule they work well. You just have to remember that the isocyanates can enter your system through your skin and eyes as well and protect yourself accordingly.

What I liked about the separate respirators was that they are easily worn in the mixing room while preparing the paint as well as in the booth. Someone just relying on the supplied air respirator might not be using anything until they are actually ready to spray.

 

[Danver]

I have a fresh air supply but I can't stand using it due to astigmatism, even with a simple face shield it throws my sense of balance off, so it was basically a grand I threw out the window.

Since you have the system already have you considered using a half-mask to avoid the problem with the face shield? I had one of those when I was still working in a body shop and sometimes used that when the full mask was just too bulky and in the way. You have more exposed skin and should still protect your eyes but it was more comfortable.

 

[skyking]

Can we shoot water born paint now. Seems that would be the solution.

 

[DekeT]

And not to bash on you, but I am going to assume that either you run a full blown business, or you are an armchair Quarterback.

Damn Kevin, nothing like going immediately to extremes. And I don't see what the hell either of those has to do with the topic of lung protection. And I further don't see why you had to comment on what my personal business has to do with the issue either.

 

[K13]

Can we shoot water born paint now. Seems that would be the solution.

Waterbourne paint is not solvent free is just has fewer solvents in it. It is not as user friendly in a home environment because it dries through the evaporation of the water so especially in humid climates it can take a long time to dry if you don't have the proper air movement over the car. Shops are equipped with blowers that blow air across the surface of the car to help remove the water vapor as it evaporates off the surface. This also means you need a fairly clean shop because you are blowing air during the drying process which can obviously stir up dust.

 

[Kevin54]

Damn Kevin, nothing like going immediately to extremes. And I don't see what the hell either of those has to do with the topic of lung protection. And I further don't see why you had to comment on what my personal business has to do with the issue either.

Look back up at the replies, and you will see that YOU replied to me before I even said anything about you.

 

[DekeT]

Look back up at the replies, and you will see that YOU replied to me before I even said anything about you.

I did reply to you first. I replied with the comment of questioning iso's without a fresh air system. WTF has that got to do with the tone and content of your reply?

 

[NUTTSGT]

We can agree to disagree, let's keep it on topic gentlemen.

 

[skyking]

Someone that knows........What do I shoot in my garage that will look good and last , and not kill me I paint trailers and tractors but I would like to do a nice job on my austin healey. What tip size also.

 

[pepi]

Just saying:

If you control the over spray you will have less bad things to breath, no dirt/dust and a smoother finish. The pictures show a paint booth I made.

1. The walls and ceiling were covered with plastic, sealing one side of the garage.

2. AC filters were placed floor level and full with of the garage at the rear of the room.

3. 3 ton AC air handler with a 10in elbow pop riveted to the intake

4. 20 feet of flex duct Lowes

5 Air flow in booth, down draft or across the floor and out of the paint
area.

Zero trash in the paint, every particle, fume went from the gun to the floor on out

I have seen box fans for moving air, but were always located over or in the path of the item to be painted. The results were always gritty, ruff paint job that needed buffing and color sanding.

My booth took the painters choice, down draft airflow and did it at floor level, worked better than I would have imagined.







And for chicken little I did wear a respirator, 3M canister type and I am still standing.

 

[DekeT]

Just saying:


And for chicken little I did wear a respirator, 3M canister type and I am still standing.

Well that was uncalled for. WTF is wrong with some of you people that so easily trash and demean other posters? Those belittling comments are just wrong.

 

[NUTTSGT]

This ******* match is closed.