Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
When it comes to fan selection, there are usually concerns about drawing too much air into the booth and contaminating your paint with dust/dirt. In
determining the airflow through your booth keep in mind where your spray booth will be used, the type of spray equipment that youll be using, and the
ambient condition. While some compromises are possible, dusty environments should be addressed through means other than reduced airflow through the
booth. The goal in building a spray booth is to create a healthier working environment by exhausting the paint fumes from your workshop.
Several things to consider before selecting a fan for your spray booth are spray booth size, direction of draft, airflow requirements, duct diameter and
length, and static pressure.
SPRAY BOOTH
Booth size and proportion are dependent upon need. Make sure the booth will accommodate your largest part and you can comfortably paint within those
confines. If youre not sure about proportions, build a mock-up out of cardboard first and try it. Then transfer those dimensions to whatever material
youre going to use to build your booth. Something to keep in mind when you're deciding on size: the larger the booth, the larger the fan you will need to
exhaust it, and fan prices go up with CFM and SP ratings. Also, consider adding a plenum chamber between the fans and the filters. 1:1 spray booths use
plenums to even out the airflow across the filters.
DIRECTION OF DRAFT
Most 1:1 spray booths are totally enclosed and designed with either a cross-draft or a downdraft airflow. Cross-draft booths pull air across the booth from
inlet filters typically located in the booth doors, into exhaust filters located directly opposite the inlet filters. Downdraft booths pull air downward from
inlet filters located in the ceiling, into exhaust filters located in the floor.
From a hobby perspective, it's not feasible to build a totally enclosed spray booth. Hobby spray booths are typically small, open-faced bench top units,
drawing in unfiltered air for ventilation, as shown below. As such, problems can occur with dust and dirt settling in the paint. This is especially true in
cross-draft booths where all of the air entering the booth is drawn across the part being painted. Dust contamination is reduced somewhat in downdraft
booths due to the lower air volumes required for ventilation and the air being pulled downward as it enters the booth. Adding an inlet filter to the top of
the downdraft booth, can further reduce the amount of unfiltered air drawn across the part.
modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm
1/5
12/20/13
As for venting to the top of the booth, it's normally not done that way because of the adverse affects it can have on finish quality. It's important to realize
what happens when you vent to the top of the booth. First, you're working against gravity; that means you'll need higher airflow rates for proper
ventilation. Secondly, the updraft pulls the atomized paint away from the part, requiring higher spraying pressures to compensate. The finish problems
created by high airflow rates and high spraying pressures, are further compounded by the limited adjustments on airbrushes (versus conventional spray
guns), and limited thinners and reducers available for hobby paints. Although automotive thinners and reducers have been used in hobby applications,
their corrective properties may not be sufficient to overcome a poorly designed spray booth. Finally, when venting to the top of the booth, there is a good
chance that overspray particles in the filter will fall down into the paint. It's not a good idea to hang dirt above the part you're painting.
My spray booth (shown below) is a cross-draft booth that measures 17 1/4" tall, 24" wide, and 19" deep. The top of the booth is set back about 9" to
provide clearance for overhead spraying, and Ive added a 2" plenum chamber to even out the airflow across the filter. Another advantage of the plenum
is that if I find Ive installed too large of a fan, I can vent the plenum chamber to allow the fan to draw in outside air, thus reducing the airflow through the
booth. I've also added a door so I can close the booth after the fans are turned off to prevent dust from settling in the paint.
2/5
12/20/13
Cross-draft CFM = inside height x inside width x desired face velocity (depth is not a consideration)
Downdraft CFM = inside width x inside depth x desired downward velocity (height is not a consideration)
For example, the inside height and width of my cross draft booth is approximately 18" x 24". To calculate for industry standards, multiply the height and
width by 100 FPM:
1.5 x 2 x 100 FPM = 300 CFM
To meet industry standards, I need a fan capable of moving 300 CFM of air.
For my booth, I chose a reduced flow rate of 75 FPM, so I'll need a fan capable of moving 225 CFM of air: 1.5 x 2 x 75 FPM = 225 CFM.
But dont buy a fan yet, read on
DUCTWORK
Figure out your exhaust duct routing to determine the length of the straight sections and the number of 90 and 45-degree elbows youll use for your
system. Measure the length of the straight sections, and refer to the Elbow to Straight Duct Conversion table below, to convert the elbows to straight duct,
and then add it all up.
For example, my booth uses 4 of 4" straight duct, one 4" 90-degree elbow, and two 4" 45-degree elbows, as shown below. The elbow to straight duct
conversion for a 4" 90-degree elbow is 6, and a 4" 45-degree elbow is 3. Add up the duct lengths, 4 + 6 + 3 + 3 = 16, and I find my booth uses the
equivalent of 16 of straight duct.
3"
4"
5"
6"
7"
Angle
45
90
45
90
45
90
45
90
45
90
2.5'
5'
3'
6'
4.5'
9'
6'
12'
6.5'
13'
modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm
3"
4"
5"
6"
7"
100
2.27
0.56
125
3.44
0.84
3/5
12/20/13
4.77
1.17
175
6.39
1.56
200
8.14
1.98
225
2.45
250
2.98
275
3.56
300
4.19
1.39
325
4.87
1.62
350
5.57
1.86
375
6.35
2.11
400
2.37
425
2.67
450
2.96
475
3.28
500
3.58
1.47
525
3.94
1.61
550
4.28
1.75
575
4.69
1.90
600
2.06
625
2.21
650
2.38
675
2.56
700
2.73
1.28
725
2.91
1.36
750
3.12
1.46
775
3.31
1.55
800
3.51
1.64
825
1.74
850
1.84
875
1.94
900
2.05
925
2.15
950
2.25
975
2.37
1000
2.49
modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm
4/5
12/20/13
Another alternative would be a fan with an externally mounted motor, such as the Dayton shaded pole blowers, available at Grainger.com (see table below). These blowers have
been used successfully in spray booths, but please remember, they are not explosion-proof.
CFM @ SP Shown
Grainger
Stock no.
0.0" SP
0.1" SP
0.2" SP
0.3" SP
0.4" SP
0.5" SP
0.6" SP
0.7" SP
0.8"
SP
4C444
350
340
328
312
296
274
240
202
158
4C445
495
476
458
437
416
387
360
312
265
2C946
815
767
716
663
604
537
460
280
4C054
980
940
890
843
788
730
655
To find complete specifications for these blowers, go to http://www.grainger.com and search for the blowers by stock number. Depending on the booth size and the airflow
restriction of your ductwork, one of these blowers should work for you.
When it comes to lights, florescent are preferred. They run cooler, use less energy, and tend to be more color correct than incandescent lights. Lights should be mounted outside of
the booth for the same reasons that apply to motors voltage and current. Cut a hole in the booth, install a piece a plexi-glass, and mount the light over the top of that.
Last thing, if your booth is metal or plastic; make sure it has a proper electrical ground. I spent a number of years in robotic spray finishing, and I can tell you first hand that
electricity, whether its AC, DC, or static, doesnt mix well with paint, unless of course youre painting with electrostatics. But thats another story.
Thats it. I hope you find this useful. If you have any questions or need more specific information, feel free to e-mail me.
Klaus
dadsworkbench@msn.com
modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm
5/5