I use HVLP on a turbine. We have a very small shop so I either have to spray outside or build a temporary booth inside.
I would like to hear what different people do to protect themselves why spraying finishes (I guess also working with dyes, etc.). What equipment are you using to safegaurd your health?
I only use lacquer and shellac (I wouldn't spray if I need to apply a varnish/poly), so I am not spraying some of really bad stuff soem are using.
I'm not commercial, just hobby type spraying and I spray, maybe, once a month. I seldom spray inside. I can afford to wait until outside conditions are right for the task. I spray down wind or set up an attic fan to draw overspray/fumes away from myself. I don't set up a booth for outside spraying, but I make sure I am not in direct sunlight.
When I have extra large and/or multiple pieces to spray, I often go to a friend's commercial shop, which has an attic fan set up in his dedicated spraying area. The fan creates a draft for drawing overspray/fumes away from the work and out the "window". I suppose this is a standard scenario for commercial guys.
I would think spraying lacquer is nearly as bad as any finish. I spray mostly lacquer. I wear goggles or a shield and a good mask, with pretty good filtering. Right off, I don't know the type/name of the mask I use, but it has a filter on each side of the strapped-on mask. My brother gave this mask to me. It is the type used at his workplace, *Northrop Gruman, Lake Charles, La. *I trust this is a credible reference, as my brother is a supervisor with 30+ yrs experience and I never felt the need to question the mask. My spray area is not near anything that would be affected by any overspray or downwind concerns, so the finish having dyes, additives (?), etc. is not a concern.
Before spraying the project, I practice spraying on the "scrap" temporary back doors of the (incompleted) shop garage, to get my pattern, etc. adjusted correctly. When finished with the project spraying, I use the back doors for spraying the cleaning thinner through the gun, rather than spraying somewhere else (?).... spraying into the environment (polluting the environment).
Sonny
Far from it. This is illegal in most areas. Filtering the air is required. Also most use side draft, or down draft spray booths, not updraft. The idea is to get the most spray on the object to be sprayed, not pull it up into the air.
I can only assume you are referring to my small spraying jobs, at home, and not with reference to my friend's shop. I didn't say his booth was not filtered, nor did I say the drafting pulls his spray up and away from the piece being sprayed. His shop is "set up" similarly to what you have described you have done in your shop, which I assume is a standard scenario for commercial shops.
Despite our misunderstanding, I did learn something from this thread, that I didn't know or wasn't fully aware of, and that's always a plus.
Sonny
Speaking of fans (or venting) I had a thought for making an "explosion proof" fan - input/opinions wanted:
I *assume* there are two things a fan must be able to do to be explosion proof. 1) solvent fumes must not reach sparks in motor AND 2) fan malfunctions must not pass a spark into the room with solvent fumes.
Making a fan "explosion proof": Make a tube same diameter as the fan to be used. Fan is attached to one side blowing in and sealed so air may only pass into tube. Inside tube the air passes through metal window screening to stop any larger debris or sparks. From there the are passes through a common furnace filter. The other end of the tube is connected to some flexible venting tubing which is directed into a port into the booth. Outflow can be filtered as described by others.
The intake is not within the booth so fresh air is incoming (even heated air from a separate room in the shop sealed from fumes). The "filters" would exclude the possibility of sparks reaching the booth.
So opinions?
Sorry Sonny, I assumed that was what you were saying about your friends shop, and it didn't seem right.
My bad.
...in order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he should not only be capable of his work, but a good judge of his work. -- John Ruskin
An ignitable mixture needs 15 to 16 parts air to 1 part fuel. Just like in your car.
It doesn't matter what the fuel is - gasoline, grain dust, anything.
I think you would notice not being able to breath long before the air was fuel rich enough to ignite...
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