Finishing Room

Michael Smith

Michael Smith

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The time has come for me to build a finishing shed. I can't add on to my shop without getting a permit, that would mean plans, fees and all kinds of other hassles. I can't spare the space inside. You can build sheds with 120 sq feet or less of roof all day long without permit. My question is do how small could I go and be fully functional for finishing 4 or 5 ukuleles at a time. Should I forgo natural light. Any other input on making a finishing room for spraying lacquer would be appreciated. I have been spraying outside in a tent setup but always have problems with cleanliness.
 
Once you get your building up, cut a hole in one of your walls at roughly spray height and mount a strong floor fan on the exterior of the building.Buy some kind of filter that mounts on top of your hole between you and the fan. When spraying keep the front door slightly open. And for your finish coat that you want to really wet out nice. What I do is as soon as all the overspray is sucked out of the room, I shut the fan off and tiptoe out the front door and close it behind me. That way it is now a dead space with no air moving/no particles moving. This also allows your finish to dry a little slower, allowing it to flow out better. I like having a strong light beating down on my work because you want to watch the product as you lay it down. Especially on that last pass when you are done sanding.
 
I used to spray in a 5' x 3' shed with natural light. On one wall you need to have a filter for the flow of clean air and opposite your exhaust fan - leaving the door open while you spray will simply suck all the dust from the outside into your booth. Erect a shelf at head heigth around three walls and from this hang some hooks. I managed 4 - 5 ukuleles in my little space. The secret was creating a clean airflow and a system for spraying methodically. The fan was one used for extracting in a hydroponic situation. My fan now is a proper fume extractor. If you are spraying volatile liquids this must be explosion proof.
 
The type of lacquer you are using should be a huge factor in set up. Water based lacquer is not explosive is less toxic to you and would probably be safer to use in a home made booth. Nitro is a another ball game and you need to have explosion proof fan and electrical and also ensure your airflow is correct and working properly. Like what Pete is doing. It can be very dangerous for you health wise and safety wise so make sure you don't skimp on equipment and do a lot of research before constructing. We were able to get a hood this past fall and it was well worth the investment.
 
Cut a hole in the door and install a furnace filter and keep the door shut. Start the fan before you start spraying and leave it on for a half hour after you're done. You'll get the most off gassing in the first half hour.
 
Like others have said, lots of air in and out of the room. Explosion proof motor a must. Do not use regular box fans with a filter in front, this is a disaster waiting to happen. I used a squirrel cage fan, these move lots of air fast. Since lacquer particulates are heavy, they will fall into the filters quickly, rather stay in the air and drift. The cage, motor and fan are all isolated by the filters so no lacquer dust can enter. Change the filter often. Build the unit so it will accommodate standard filters off the store shelf. Good luck.
 
I improved my spray room and my health by doing two things. The first was switching over to HLVP. The larger droplet size keeps the atmosphere clearer. The second was to use a fresh air respirator and a full body suit when spraying.
My spray room is 7' X 10'.
 
I spray in an automotive downdraft spraybooth. Like Chuck, HLVP(it's the law), fresh air respirator, TyVek suit, Nitrile gloves...I'm spraying two-part urethane so I don't take any chances!

The time to worry about your health is before you have a problem.
 
When you guys talk about a fresh air respirator do you mean using a hose system that sucks air from outside to a face mask of some sort?
 
I'm using a Sata system something like this one here, http://www.sata.com/index.php?id=3872&L=1

There's a video to the lower right of the page for an overview of how they are set up.



I also use a 3M cartridge respirator if I'm spraying a quick lacquer sealer coat. This is all you really need if you’re spraying two to three coats on a uke with a HLVP gun. But, good ventilation is a must!
 
Last edited:
Michael Smith said:
When you guys talk about a fresh air respirator do you mean using a hose system that sucks air from outside to a face mask of some sort?
Click to expand...

It doesn't really suck air from the outside but it blows IN filtered air from a remote location. My Hobby Air is affordable (around $400) and has a 50' hose. That should protect the lungs but I also recommend full body protection since somewhere around 15% of the fumes can be absorbed through the skin.
 
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