paint booth exhaust fan

Looks good. I am going to use a fan from Home Depot in my new hood. It is 70cfpm and has a forecent light in it... about $55... and doesn't need much clearance.

If you get that high an airflow rate, you might want to add a reastat... don't want any winds going in there!

The exhaust fan I bought from Grainger is rated at 495 CFI !

Hey midnightprowler, how does that fan work for you? I just picked up a fan that is rated close to that as well. How big is your booth? Just wondering how it is as far as air-flow, etc.

Ray

Thats a pretty high flow rate. My hood is only about 7 cubic feet, and emptying the air out every 5-10 seconds is pretty good. 495 cfm would clear it out every second.

Too much air flow increases the amount of dust etc. you are pulling in, and may not improve flow that much. But use what ever you have that works!

Also their is a question of the volume of the sound it makes. A good bath fan is about 3 sone.

I really think it depends on your preference and your setup. Some filters will really reduce the actual airflow. Also, your exhaust hose can dramatically affect the rate at which air in the booth is changing. What a fan is rated at and what actually happens in your setup are two different things. Personally, I have 3 fans all rated at 80cfm in my booth. This is *ok* when I'm doing lower-pressure airbrushing, but quickly becomes underpowered when I'm doing spray can painting. Other people may have different preferences and acceptance. I'm more in favor of getting a bigger fan and then putting a control on it so you can adjust the airflow a bit. I just bough a 400+cfm fan and am looking forward to the improvement in airflow it will surely give.

I also am planning on trying out some of the two-part auto paints and you definitely want good ventilation for those things.

Bottom-line: if it works for you, then be happy and focus on building rather than wondering if your paint-booth is setup correctly...

Good luck to everyone building a new setup! Please post the results you get!

M.

what about adding an air inlet to the booth??? with a filter??? so if you havea high cfm fan, your no creating a vapor lock in your hobby room???? if you suck are out, you need air to replace it right???? just a thoght.....

My booth is patterned after the one in FSM a couple of years ago. Same size. The 495 cfm rating is without ductwork. I have about 3 feet of ductwork. You should, if possible have a source of makeup air, crack a door or window,etc. I,m also sure the filter reduces the airflow too. If anyone wants a copy of the article I used, send me youe e-mail, and I'll scan it to you.
Lee

packhntr, did you happen to check out the 4c447 or 4c448 on the next page? I think the 447 was rated at 265cfm and the 448 at 465cfm. About $20 more for the first and $40 for the second.

midnightprowler, I sure would like to take a look at those plans. I'll send you mail in a few minutes. thanks.

http://www.scaleautomag.com/sca/features/tips/tip23.html

Check out the link above from the Scale Auto website. Pretty cool design with a 'water' filter for exhaust air.

M.

Thanks Mkish, I have already seen the illustration.....unfortunately, I need to know what medium they put in with the water......gravel or charcoal.... I think they used charcoal but I am not sure. I need to find out.

packhntr,

I've got that issue somewhere. I'll see if I can find it and get you the details. Might not be until tomorrow though...

M.

packhntr,

the info is in the Jan/2001 issue of Scale Auto. There is very little 'text' to describe the filter used, but the drawing is pretty specific. It shows a container that has 'fish tank charcoal' about half way up the container. The rest of the container is filled with water. The exhaust hose is hooked to a 'pipe' that extends down to the bottom of the bucket and into the charcoal. The article was sent by Ric Golding, proprietor of Scale Equipment Ltd. so if there are further questions perhaps you can contact him personally.

M.

THANKS MKISH!!!!
This is just what I have been searching for!!!!!
Now to start building!!!!