REFLECTOR: Painting; HVLP

[Al Gietzen]

Build a spray booth using plastic sheeting and 2x4's.  Put in about 4 20 x
20 filters in one end, and three cheap box fans in the other end drawing the
air from the filtered end.  The one I had access to was 12 x 20' and 8 feet
tall.  Try to spray in the direction of the air flow - start spraying at the
filter end and end up at he exhaust fan end.  

 

I'm sure that's a good idea.  I was too lazy to set up a serious paint
booth.  I've had good luck in the past (smaller jobs) in my garage.  We
generally have a mild W or NW breeze which gives a nice circulation with the
SW facing door and west facing window open.  Cleaning and wetting down
pretty much eliminates the dust, and normally, we have a dearth of flying
insects around here.  Just my luck that yesterday we had unusually warm low
80's, dry day with winds from the NE and SE which seemed to bring more dust,
and definitely more flying bugs.

 

Also, be sure to use tack rags just before spraying.  I forgot one time and
dust was everywhere in the paint.  I thought there was a problem with the
spray booth (leaks, etc) and then I remembered I had forgotten to tack rag
the piece.

Yup, did that too. Sometimes seems like there is about as many things to
remember when painting as when flying.

 

Scott wrote:

 

1.)    First wipe down with whatever solvent/cleaner the paint system
recommends.

 

My paint supplier was out of the recommended PPG DX cleaner, and sold me
some PCL Prep-Clean instead.  I learned the hard was that it is not fast
evaporating and 10 -15 minutes or more after wiping it off there were some
areas where it caused eruptions in the paint.

 

It's amazing how many things can go wrong; but I'm learning, and that's fun.

 

Al

 

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