Question: Dear M.O.B. Scene,
I am thinking of painting my own project truck, an ’05 Ford F-350, and I’m wondering if you might have any advice regarding how to build a paint booth in my garage shop.
I have seen a few in the past, but I wonder what the best setup would be for painting a larger truck like mine.
Any info is greatly appreciated!
Mark Frye
Seattle, Washington
Answer:
Homemade spray booths are a common occurrence wherever you go these days, due in part to the economy, but also because more and more guys want to be able to say, “I did it myself” when it comes to their custom projects. One thing to remember is that it might not be legal to paint your truck at home, so be sure to research your local laws.
First off, make sure you have enough room to give yourself a couple of feet of space on all sides of the vehicle when it is in the booth. The next things to consider are lighting, air movement, and dust control.
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Lighting
Make sure you set up lots of light to be able to see what you’re doing in the paint stage and clearcoat stage. Lack of light can result in missed problems. Trust me, it’s easy to overlook problem areas when the lighting is less than adequate.
One way to properly set up your lighting is to emulate the way lighting is set up in an actual paint booth.
This would require building a frame with fluorescent lighting tubes—every 4 feet for the length of your booth on all sides.
This way requires more money and is more time-consuming, but in the end, the results will be night-and-day better.
If you are not able to create this setup, then do your best to set up work lights in all four corners of your booth, facing inward toward your project, and as high as you can get them, pointing down. Try to eliminate any shadows by adjusting the lighting as needed.
Air Movement
You really need to keep that air flowing so the overspray you create doesn’t end up settling on the surface, causing a dull, rough finish.
To ensure good airflow, the best setup is to have a wall of air filters at the front end of the booth. Then have a wall at the rear of the booth with a fan (or two or three fans) pulling clean air through the filters and out through the fans, which would face toward the outside of your booth.
Dust Control
Dust control really means doing a few things to cut down on dirt and contaminants that can end up on your finish.
First, wet the floor down prior to starting your spray session. Use a water hose if accessible, or just dump a few buckets of water over the floor surface—just enough to coat the floor and keep dirt and dust from being kicked up as you walk around your project. This is very important, and although you will never eliminate all dirt from getting in, this will greatly reduce your chances of dirt and dust invading your finish.
Now, what should you build your booth out of? Well, I would recommend using a nice, heavy poly sheet that you can purchase from your local home improvement store by the roll.
Drape it from your ceiling and tape around all the edges with good ole duct tape! You can weigh the plastic sheeting down by stapling 2x4s to the bottom to keep it on the ground. (Just make sure to cut a seam in the plastic so you can get out!!)
Now you’ve got yourself a paint booth that will give you surprisingly good results and not break the bank. I have seen some amazing DIY paintjobs completed in similar setups, and I have personally used these types of setups to do some of my best work.
Just make sure you wear a paint suit and blow any dust or sanding debris off yourself before you enter the booth area, and you should be good to go.
There you have it. In the days of doing it yourself, this info should serve those of you with the guts to take on your own paint projects well. Now go mix up that candy apple red pearl metallic paint and lay out some killer color on your ride!!
Keep on sprayin’!
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M.O.B.
“Mike O’Brien (aka M.O.B.) owns and operates M.O.B. Air Custom Paint and Graphics out of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and has been airbrushing for the past 15 years. He specializes in custom automotive airbrush work as well as motorcycle art and helmets. To see some examples of his work, visit www.freewebs.com/airbrushmafia or call 403/671-3226.
