Built a redneck paintbooth

[jacob_ns]

Welp, I discovered that powdercoating was far above my anticipated cost ($300 for frame + additionals (swingarm, etc) + $125 for sandblasting) so I decided to bite the bullet and primer and topcoat. However, since it's winter up here in the frozen north I had to improvise.

I had a giant roll of painters plastic sheeting and decided to build myself a booth. I taped it to the ceiling and floors and sealed it. Inside of the booth is my exterior basement entrance which I occasionally opened to vent the fumes but unfortunately it created negative pressure in the house so I couldn't really do it much, lest I pressurize my booth and vent fumes into the house.

I managed to get three cans of self-etching primer on the frame over the course of 3-4 coats 10 mins flash time in between. In the booth I have a small space heater to bring up the temp but I don't really recommend igniting a space heater in a confined space with paint fumes. 

Tomorrow comes the topcoat(s).

Exterior view of the booth with the entrance.


After the first coat.


Pressurized paint booth. Not a good thing.


WEAR A NIOSH CERTIFIED RESPIRATOR WITH THE PROPER FILTERS. These filters are for particulate and vapour. This is a no brainer but something many people overlook. Also, it wouldn't hurt to wear eye protection.

[J_Walker]

Don't do topcoat tomorrow if your using raddled cans! PLEASE don't! Give it 32 hours. Or more. I'm sorta the master raddled can spray painter! lol! u think I'm kidding? I go threw about 10 cans of spray paint a month! I use spray paint for everything.. I don't know what my obsession is with it.. Well I'd prob use a normal spray gun if I had one and a compressor! seeming I don't Spray paint away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also if your using spray paint.. Lacquer Paint. LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER. Did I forget to say use LACQUER! The drying times on enamel is TERRIBLE. And will stay pasty for like 6 MONTHS!

[tt_four]

Looks good 

I'd like to try this someday. I always take things out onto my back patio to spray paint, but it'd be convenient to do it indoors, especially if it's cold. Does it help with the smell? I wouldn't really be looking to make my whole house smell like paint, for the dog's sake.

I'd really like to try out the paint guns too, I have about 3 of them for the air compressor, and I've never even tried them haha.

[J_Walker]

Looks good 

I'd like to try this someday. I always take things out onto my back patio to spray paint, but it'd be convenient to do it indoors, especially if it's cold. Does it help with the smell? I wouldn't really be looking to make my whole house smell like paint, for the dog's sake.

I'd really like to try out the paint guns too, I have about 3 of them for the air compressor, and I've never even tried them haha.

I hate you...   

Y MUST YOU TAUNT ME LIKE THIS?!

[bigfatcat]

Don't do topcoat tomorrow if your using raddled cans! PLEASE don't! Give it 32 hours. Or more. I'm sorta the master raddled can spray painter! lol! u think I'm kidding? I go threw about 10 cans of spray paint a month! I use spray paint for everything.. I don't know what my obsession is with it.. Well I'd prob use a normal spray gun if I had one and a compressor! seeming I don't Spray paint away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also if your using spray paint.. Lacquer Paint. LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER. Did I forget to say use LACQUER! The drying times on enamel is TERRIBLE. And will stay pasty for like 6 MONTHS!

How soon should the topcoat be applied ?

Lacquer - I used some clear once - man that stuff dried hard - a real pia to sand off several years later.

[J_Walker]

Don't do topcoat tomorrow if your using raddled cans! PLEASE don't! Give it 32 hours. Or more. I'm sorta the master raddled can spray painter! lol! u think I'm kidding? I go threw about 10 cans of spray paint a month! I use spray paint for everything.. I don't know what my obsession is with it.. Well I'd prob use a normal spray gun if I had one and a compressor! seeming I don't Spray paint away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also if your using spray paint.. Lacquer Paint. LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER LACQUER. Did I forget to say use LACQUER! The drying times on enamel is TERRIBLE. And will stay pasty for like 6 MONTHS!

How soon should the topcoat be applied ?

Lacquer - I used some clear once - man that stuff dried hard - a real pia to sand off several years later.

Topcoat should be applied of a max 42 hours can be applied within 35. when using lacquer paint spray light coats.. as you said it does dry hard.. Every light coat I give it aprox 25 mins also wet sanding inbetween, unless you got horrible dents, wet sand with 1000 grit. takes a little longer, Gives a better smoother finish. If you use a gray primer like he did, I'd do around 5ish top coats with dark colors, and lighter colors I'd do 3. Once your done with top coat. Give it like 4-5 days. Seems like a long time right? Well if you applied clear coat on top after you THINK the top coats have dried. What happens is a few things. if you do spray the clear right away it traps the gases being released from the top coat, the gases WILL find a way out. now this could give a foggy look into the clear, that you WONT be able to get out without sanding it all out and applying again later. Or it could cause weak spots in your paint.



So basically yeah.. That's what happens if you don't wait.

[Kms254]

I thought enamel was better than lacquer if your going to topcoat it with a real clear. From everything i read lacquer constantly out-gasses and never truly stops. Because of this it will eventually shrink and crack. Also if you top coat a lacquer with a good clear coat like you said it will eventually haze up no matter how long you wait. You can top coat with a lacquer clear coat and I think you would have better results due the the degassing, but at the same time that clear coat is not fuel safe and nowhere near as durable as a 2k clear.

[shonole]

I thought enamel was better than lacquer if your going to topcoat it with a real clear. From everything i read lacquer constantly out-gasses and never truly stops. Because of this it will eventually shrink and crack. Also if you top coat a lacquer with a good clear coat like you said it will eventually haze up no matter how long you wait. You can top coat with a lacquer clear coat and I think you would have better results due the the degassing, but at the same time that clear coat is not fuel safe and nowhere near as durable as a 2k clear.

Lacquer materials dry entirely by the evaporation of their solvent. The dried film will re-dissolve in its original solvent for an indefinite period of time; no chemical reaction occurs to alter the properties of the film. Generally, Lacquer topcoats are easy to use, fast drying, high gloss, durable, and easy to buff. Lacquers have no re-coat window.

Enamels dry or cured through oxidation and polymerization, which is the combining of individual molecules to form larger molecules. This new film will not re-dissolve in its original solvent. Generally, enamels are very durable, high gloss coatings.

Re-coat windows apply to enamel paints and refers to the time period during which a second coat maybe applied. After spraying the first coat of an enamel, a second coat must be applied with in 1 – 2 hours or wait 5 days for the coating to cure. The paint may wrinkle or lift when resprayed during this curing period. Lacquers do not have a "re-coat window." Subsequent coats of Lacquer can be applied over a Lacquer finish without wrinkling or lifting due to a "re-coat window".