As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance. -- Calvin and Hobbes

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Jury rigging. It's not just for lawyers!

How to build a transitional dirt cheap paint booth in about 30 minutes!

Eric built me a bookcase to paint. I bought an HVLP paint sprayer. Problem is he's a woodworker, so his man room, the garage, is always very dusty, even with his vacuum system. So, I thought I couldn't do any painting in there. After a month of frustration, numerous unsuccessful attempts at painting in the driveway because of the typical breezy afternoon in Atlanta, or the freakin' rain never letting up, it was time to build a paint booth. Plus, I'm painting cabinets for clients and furniture for my itty bitty retail venture down the street, so I really needed this thing!

I found a terrific Wiki entry on a first class poor man's paint booth with PVC for around $100, it said. I am an artist, so therefore, I take 2 courses of action based on that foundational fact. First, I'm poorer than most poor men, so I had to rig something up even cheaper than that of the Wiki entry.

Second, I'm creative with a small budget.

It's very shoddy, but hey, it works! Here's what I came up with.

Supplies needed and approximate cost:


One bag of 4mil plastic sheeting (about 25' x 8') found in the paint section at home depot $14.00
One drop cloth. $5.00
Duct tape (never a waste of money) $4.00
One bag of clothes pins $1.79
One cheapish air filter 20"x20" $4.00
One box fan $10.00 or free if you've already got one!
One garage door left open (comes with house)
A short ladder or your garbage can (free)

Total cost: ~$38.79

Cut out lengths of sheeting a little longer than the length from the garage door track to the floor.
You should be able to get 3.

Start pinning the sheeting around the garage door frame with the clothes pins, beginning at the center of the outside of the garage door. The plastic will wrap around the side of the booth and half way around the back, leaving another seam for exiting. You will not exit the booth to the outside, only to the inside of the garage. Repeat for the other side of the booth.

Tape the seam, then position your ladder or garbage can at the opening to the garage and place your fan on top to determine the positioning of the air filter, which will provide your ventilation system to the inside of the booth. Cut out a hole for the air filter. Tape it in the hole.

Position the fan in front of the air filter and turn on to a low setting blowing into the booth. This will not blow your paint around while you're spraying, it provides fresh air to the space.

Lay your drop cloth down in the booth and you're done.

Tip: Don't forget to pull everything down before you close the garage door!
:)


Here's the original Wiki entry if you wanna build a nicer one!
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Paint-Booth-in-Your-Garage


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