mattlow Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I decided I wanted a spray booth and the cost of ready mades was either too high or the efficiency of the units looked less than brilliant. After some online research, I decided to go down the DIY route. I thought a cooker hood would be a good start, and after contacting a couple of eBay sellers - asking if they had 2nd hand or cosmetically damaged one I got this for £30 inc postage. 90cm wide approx 40cm deep. Fan can move 500 cubic meters/hour - equates to approx 290cfm (I think). Fan unit is a 'squirrel cage' type with a brushless (induction?) type motor - so no pesky sparks detonating any solvents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 3, 2010 Author Share Posted August 3, 2010 I think I'm going to emulate the design of the ArtoGraph 1530 unit, in placing the filter intake at the base of the unit (below) Reviews point to this being a successful design. My problem is that the vent for exaust air is at the hood top which in this design would become the bottom. Need to think of how/if this is a goer. If not a more traditional rear extraction location will have to do. Will update as and when I make progress. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Looking forward to this Matt. As I said in the other thread, I really need a spray booth solution too, so I'll be watching closely. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 I think I'm going to emulate the design of the ArtoGraph 1530 unit, in placing the filter intake at the base of the unit.....Reviews point to this being a successful design. Yes yes, works VERY well. Not much particulate and very little fumes escape, even when the main filters are a bit clogged..... You cant see it from any of the pictures but below the filter layers are 2 very large fans pulling the air through the 3 stage filters that are resting on a fixed grate that holds 3 filter layers. The design does work well. I would also advise to emulate their removable hood if your exhaust arrangement turns out similar to theirs. This makes it possible to put the exhaust vents on either side. The power button rests on the opposite side from the 2 exhaust vents. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Good luck with this one Matt. I had a similar problem as you in that I wanted a spraybooth but didn't want to pay the eye-watering prices they ask. I bought a GraphicAir extraction unit and built a plywood booth for it thus saving many £'s. My problem was that I didn't have a permanent location so it had to be portable but I hope you don't have that issue. You've done the right thing by using a purpose designed extractor with the brushless motors. Your airflow is extremely good. My graphic air is about 350 cubic metres per hour so you have got that one sorted. You may well have to go with a rear or top mounted extraction vent otherwise your painting area will be very high with the extractor underneath unless you mount it in the workbench. Wickes and B & Q sell standard 100mm extractor hose. They sell it for bathroom extractor fans, and being flexible it gives you a bit of leeway if you just want to sling it out of the window as I do! Looking forward to seeing more! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Matt Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Kev and I have had a chat about building him one with the Artograph set up looking neater and more portable. I wonder if you could build the base into your desktop working area such that when you want to spray you clear the area, place the booth part on top then flick the switch. Might be a bit cramped for your knees? Will watch with interest... Those kitchen ones are noisy though. Working with high velocity suction all day I can attest to how deaf you can get. Good luck Cheers Matty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 I wonder if you could build the base into your desktop working area such that when you want to spray you clear the area, place the booth part on top then flick the switch. Might be a bit cramped for your knees? Working with high velocity suction all day I can attest to how deaf you can get. That's an ideal situation Matty if you have your own workshop (Oh how I wish!) and it solves the venting problems underneath. You could cover the extractor with a piece of board when not required for use. Are you like my dentist who always wants to have a conversation when I've got the suction tube down me throat? He always seems to understand gurgle gurgle gurgle from me though! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 OK, I've started. Matty, you're right, it is quite noisy when on full power, though settings 1 and 2 are quieter. I reckon building one into the work surface would be great and I may think about this as an ultimate solution. For the moment I am working up a somewhat ersatz affair. First thing was to get the cooker hood to 'sit on its back' and to allow this move the exaust from top (now bottom) to back. So here we are good old MDF (6mm) making a new back (top in this photo) with a new vent for extractor, sides (to prevent the sloped hood shape falling over) and a small piece to block the old vent position. This is currently all a bit lashed together and leaky - it'll need all the joins sealing before use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 View of rear with the fan showing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 with extractor connector mounted.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 front view - not elegant but cheap! Needs a cross piece to hold the sides together at the front and electrics need proper routing. Will it work? Need to think about the upper parts now. What material? Thinking about some clear polycarbonate - plenty of natural light...? Any observations or suggestions will be glady received. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 front view - not elegant but cheap! Needs a cross piece to hold the sides together at the front and electrics need proper routing. Will it work? Need to think about the upper parts now. What material? Thinking about some clear polycarbonate - plenty of natural light...? Any observations or suggestions will be glady received. Matt The only drawback ive found on the clear polycarb is that in paint conditions (with particulate flying even if just in over the vent area) there is a bit of static electricity that builds up and paint quite quickly buids up on the clear. I have combated this by removing the clear upper panel from my 1530, and covering the underside that gets exposed to the paint with a stretched taunt piece of clear"Saran wrap" /plastic cling wrap. Not sure what its called across the pond..........clear kitchen wrap maybe? That way any build up of paint I get I just rip off the clear cling wrap and replace as apposed to having to clean with thinner of some sort. As far as what material to make all the other surfaces out of.........that is a good question. Might have to give that some more thought..... Clear poly carb would let alot of light in but is quite staticky... Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Matt, Thats a really nice solution and it allows your vent hose a bit of leeway. Brian is right about the clear polycarbonate in that static will probably attract paint "dust". It may well be that you can live with that if your extraction is pretty strong it may well be that the build up will be slow and you can get away with cleaning it periodically. Halfords electrical contact cleaner is a spray that is almost pure Isopropyl Alcohol. It will remove paint without damaging plastic so that might help. I built my hood out of ply and lighting is a real issue. Natural light is always best but any additional lighting you introduce has the problem of the electrics/volatile fumes danger. Its all to do with the "IP" rating of electrical equipment. This concerns their resistance to water/dust ingress and its part of the wiring regulations in the UK. Bathroom lighting must now have a high IP rating and downlighters you will find for sale should be of the sealed type. You can use these but you still have the problem of the rear of the lamps being exposed to the environment. In a bathroom they would be above the ceiling so no problems. You could seal the outside of the lamps in with board to help with this. I would go with thin polycarbonate to start and see how you get on. Its relatively cheap and a lot safer than introducing more electrics into the scheme of things. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 Hi all Slow progress - mostly of a thinking about how to proceed angle. First thing is that I managed to get hold of a 1200mm square sheet of clear acrylic. This was (along with nearly every other sheet in the shop) badly broken on a couple of corners and one edge - plenty of intact material for my purposes though. Made an offer and got it for £10 instead of £30. Part of the problem possibly solved. I then re-read Matty's message: I wonder if you could build the base into your desktop working area such that when you want to spray you clear the area, place the booth part on top then flick the switch. Might be a bit cramped for your knees? Will watch with interest... Well, I've brought the unit up to my desk (got this from work during a chuck out for free) and I think it could work. The fact its a cooker hood with the sloping front allows good clearance for legs! There it is, just held in position. Fits OK and could vent straight out of a small window behind the desk at floor level. I'd need to cut a hole in the desk top, screw the extractor to the remainder - lining up the hole with intake area. Keep the cut out section for use when not airbrushing and finally still work out some sort of removable hood. Will update as I make further progress. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 25, 2010 Author Share Posted August 25, 2010 Hello all I have been making progress. Bought and cut a sheet of good old MDF to replicate the dimensions of my desk top. Cut a hole to fit the location of the air intake area (my first time with a jigsaw - we came to an understanding and the lines are mostly straight!). I may cut a new 'lid' from spare MDF. OK pictures: Overview - standing on some school stools Sloped hood shape allows leg/knee room Lid.... Opened..! Lid will sit up and form part of back of hood (that's the idea anyway? The gap around the lid doesn't really matter as I always work on a A2 sized cutting mat and usually have a thick sheet of glass sat on that. Things to do still are a) run it to see if it rattles like mad, seal joins and edges, mount it on existing table legs and finally c) make a hood. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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