Aussies,i need some help with building a spray booth!

Maybe a 120mm pc fan would be adequete?

i checked out dse, and they say that 120mm comp fans pull 108cfm, and i think i would need bout 300cfm for a crossdraft booth,,,,

there has to be a easier way!!

I have 2 PC fans running 180 a piece, and that really sucks!!
In a good way though

I'm an electronics tech by trade, so for the fans I borrowed (read-stole!) them from a high power transmitter rack.
Go to Tandys or similar and ask em to track down 'Rack Fans'

If you have no luck there, then maybe one of your local electronics repair stores that deals with communications equipment would be able to help you out.

Hope this helps

Jaycar Electronics have a range of fans and their current catalogue shows a fan (YX-2520) with an output of 230CFM. Cost is Au$ 83.50. 150mm diameter 240V AC. Hope this might help. Sydney City store is located 129 York St 2000. Tel (02) 9267 1614. Tell me more about your design.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Simon U Jaycar Electronics have a range of fans and their current catalogue shows a fan (YX-2520) with an output of 230CFM. Cost is Au$ 83.50. 150mm diameter 240V AC. Hope this might help. Sydney City store is located 129 York St 2000. Tel (02) 9267 1614. Tell me more about your design.

Oh yeah, I didn't mention the voltage of my fans.
They are 12 volt.
I wired the fans and all lighting up to a standard 12 volt supply except the a/b compressor, which is 240 obviously.

tweety, thanks for the info. do they look like normal comp fans? and when u say u run everything off a 12v power supply, r u just using a comp PSU?
simon, cheers mate, i think that may fit the bill, but i have changed my plans... i was going to make a crossdraft booth coz i think it would be easier to vent, but after browsing this site(http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm), i think i will make it a downdraft booth. i want to incorporate some shelves in the booth for holding thinners, tools and fume jar, and from what i read on that site, height is not a consideration when working out the cfm needed on a downdraft booth. tho most booths i see r crossdraft...does anyone know why this is? easier to build??
the top front of the booth will be cut at a 45?(not sure yet) angle, and i will install a sheet on clear plastic on hinges there so i will have a larger viewing area of what im spraying.
also, i will be placing a light inside (prob be best if i mount it outside and it can shine thru some plastic)the booth, prob towards the rear of the booth, theres never enuf light!!
i will post some pics when its done, and i will keep u guys informed, if u want!
i will be starting this project very soon, coz the fumes r killing me (litreally!! )

take a look here at mine

If I knew how to post pics here I would, if anyone knows, could ya let me know how to do it?

thanks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/ipms40049/booth2.jpg

I made my booth using two 120mm (12v) computer fans in a crossdraft config. I wired them to a switch so i could turn on either just one or both together. When they are both going, there is more than adequate draft created to vent the fumes out through 3 feet of venting. I really only need to have them both going when i want to use lacquers through my airbrush. The booth is H14"x L20" x D18"

QUOTE: Originally posted by tominator . i want to incorporate some shelves in the booth for holding thinners, tools and fume jar, and from what i read on that site, height is not a consideration when working out the cfm needed on a downdraft booth. tho most booths i see r crossdraft...does anyone know why this is? easier to build??

I don't have a booth but I might be tempted to build one if you are successful so definitely let us know. Two points that spring to mind but no experience to back this up! Be careful with the shelves as they will disrupt the laminar air flow in the booth and maybe reduce extraction efficiency. This will be more noticeable with the shelves perpendicular to the airflow as in the downdraft config rather than crossdraft. They will create turbulence whatever. Height is irrelevant only in so far as the same volume of air is extracted per minute and with true laminar flow the entire column of air will be moving at a constant speed. It then doesn't matter if the column is 5 inches or 5 feet long. The only thing that will change air column speed assuming constant fan speed is a reduction of cross sectional area i.e width x depth. If I was building one from scratch I think I would try a mesh false base (the model rests here) with the extraction ducting exiting the true base some distance below.

do little: i was thinking bout doing something the same incse i wana spray a can or laqcuers.
simon. yeah that another prob i got to think about. if u place the shelves underneath the spray area, it maight disturb the airflow, while if its above crap could fall on the parts being painted. i think i may look into addin g another comartment with a seperate fan coz i really want somewhere to store all the chemicals i use...

QUOTE: Originally posted by tominator tweety, thanks for the info. do they look like normal comp fans? and when u say u run everything off a 12v power supply, r u just using a comp PSU?

My work bench and spray booth are combined into 1 unit, so no matter where I live, everything can be kept in one spot and locked up.
All I need is a power point and I'm off

My 12 volts is supplied from a 240 volt power supply, that also trickle charges a 12 volt battery, just incase the power ever goes dead.
(yes, we have power cuts here ALL the time)

It doesn't matter if the compressor loses power, I made a 50 litre storage tank for it

Basically I have enough power left in the battery to finish what I'm painting, clean my airbrush, and have the fans running, venting the fumes outside for around 2 hours

As for the type, I have no idea what you'd call it

There is a chamber right in front of where I spray which draws the fumes and paint particles away from me.
From there it is drawn to a serperate chamber with a filter just in front of the fans to catch the larger bits, and then the fumes go through and down into the vent.

Works like a charm!!

thats a nice setup ya got there tweety! but how do u build kits with so little room?!?
i just built maself a bigg ****** desk (the top is a whole door!) and i find myself always running outta room...prob doesnt help that im so disorganized hehehe

i gots a q, hoping someone could help me out.... say i got the fan that simon found (thanks again!) could i hook it up to a regulator to control the speed of the fan? kinda like the power box for a dremel that lets u alter the speed it turns?

im gonna start making some sketches today, wanna get this show on the road!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by tominator thats a nice setup ya got there tweety! but how do u build kits with so little room?!? i just built maself a bigg ****** desk (the top is a whole door!) and i find myself always running outta room...prob doesnt help that im so disorganized hehehe i gots a q, hoping someone could help me out.... say i got the fan that simon found (thanks again!) could i hook it up to a regulator to control the speed of the fan? kinda like the power box for a dremel that lets u alter the speed it turns? im gonna start making some sketches today, wanna get this show on the road!!!

Tom I used to have a ruddy huge bench, and I finally cracked the s***s with it and made the new one.

It's not that I dont mind a mess, I just had a gutfull of always 'pushing' stuff to one side in an attempt to make room for ANOTHER kit.

The only way for me to stop building 3 kits at once, and finishing none, was to make a new bench.
Also having a new born around helped the decision.
Couldn't handle the thought of him grabbing my hobby knife and hurting himself.

As far as the fan question, if your using a brushless fan, then NO you can't vary the speed.
Normal brush type fans you can, but the make sparks as a side effect of the brushes, and that you DON'T want.

QUOTE: [i]say i got the fan that simon found (thanks again!)

Glad I could help.