That’s like Polka Polka Polka, but SO MUCH WORSE… 
Also, there’s an actual voting widget this at the top of the thread.
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If we’re talking about something like this, then I definitely vote for a paint booth.
All just make sure you are casting your vote in the Poll at the top of this post
My family owned a business with a Paint Both in Lewisville TX. It was a major expense to keep, maintain and license. I am not anti paint booth but I think we should consider the full cost of operating a paint booth at DMS.
You often have to meet overlapping and combined standards:
International Fire Code (IFC)
Nation Fire Prevention Association - Specifically NFPA 33
OSHA - Spray-finishing Operations
TCEQ - Paint Spray Booths
City of Carrolton - Nation Electrical Code (automatic fire-extinguishing system)
We have a 8’ W x 7’ H x 6’ D open face spray booth w/ 16 filters, 18" exhaust fan & light if DMS is interested. Similar to this one. I think they are willing to sell it for $2,000.
It would need a modern fire suppression system to meet local codes. Usually that is an ABC canister, plumbing, pull station and two nozzles. These run about $600-$800.
While I personally would prefer the Plasma cutter I voted for the paint booth because I think more people would get use out it as painting is used by a lot of different projects" Wood. Metal, Creative Arts, whatever… Also, it has to me, seems like the plasma cutter is finicky and down a lot of the time. Whereas paint booths are very stable, basically just filters to change and an fan motor to worry about.
But if the plasma cutter is a Go - then I’ll be happy.
I concur, if we invest in a ventilation system then we should own the machine.
If we first acquire the machine, it would have to sit there until we could install the ventilation. But if we invest in the ventilation system, we can later acquire the machine, and in the meantime we can make as much use as possible of the existing loaner.
BTW this is hard for me, too, because I’m excited about powder coating, and we can’t do that without the paint booth. But… If I can’t cut some stuff out of metal, powder coating is nothing I need…
What’s wrong with the powder coating machine some group of people is building already?
That’s an oven. You still need somewhere to spray on the powder.
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This picture below may give the appearance of a large paint booth, however even this paint booth is fairly small. AND we are talking about installing something about a 1/4 of the size of the one picture below.
http://www.rosshotrods.com/shopgalleries/upload/2010/09/07/20100907094711-30936ede.jpg
Has the BOD considered a flexible paint booth such as this one below… ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRdBDGk8Q8A
My vote is for the CNC Plasma Cutter, UNLESS there is more utility being offered in the paint booth front. A paint booth is something most members are likely to use, as oppose to a Plasma Cutter, however the paint booth being considered is not a comparable option to a CNC Plasma cutter capability.
If the paint booth could accommodate a regular 4 door car, then i would be all about the Paint booth. however we are talking about a 10’ x 8 ’ x 7’ - that is tiny, and not much better than doing it at home.
DMS is most successful when it can provide its members with capabilities that are not found/accessible elsewhere.
…X…
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It seems like a paint booth would take up a lot of already precious floor space and limit the work space available while the ventilation system would benefit the metal shop as a whole and allow us to utilize equipment already on hand that we can’t really use right now.
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The only realistic option is to install ventilation for the plasma cutter. Regardless of popularity, or plans to purchase a cutter for DMS to actually own, there simply is not enough floor space for a meaningful paint booth here. While 10’x8’ sounds big, after you cut out 3 feet on each side for working space, you’re left with a maximum 4’x2’ for whatever you’re painting. That’s bigger than the former paint room, sure, but that’s too small to justify knocking out a wall and paying for an expensive ventilation and fire suppression booth. If you’re working on spray-painting something that size, put it on a sawhorse on your patio.
The plasma cutter is a tool I don’t personally have a use for, but even while I do paint, I have to recognize that there’s no way DMS can install a paint booth with the scale necessary for the versatility to accommodate many kinds of projects. If the money has to be spent ventilating one thing or the other, there’s no real options; the plasma cutter has to be vented.
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I completely disagree. The paint booth is something that can be used by nearly every committee at DMS. What are you going to paint that will be bigger than 4’ x 2’? (And before you say a car, we specifically do not want people doing that.) If I wanted to ad-hoc a poor solution for working on things, like subjecting my patio to overspray, I wouldn’t be a member of DMS in the first place.
I’ve got an axle assembly that measures 5’ long that needs to be painted at some point. Got a bookcase I’ve been considering freshening up. It’s 2’x3’x6’. Sometimes I find myself working with fiberglass to make panels and such, and that needs room-level ventilation while the resin sets up, which takes less time than some paints, but enough time that it’d nasty up the whole workshop space. Sometimes I then paint those panels.
If we’re looking for versatility sufficient to justify knocking a whole wall out of the building, I’m not convinced that scale is sufficient.
And of course we’re looking specifically to not work on cars. That’s been my experience with DMS from day one.
Which would you have a harder time doing on your patio; painting or plasma cutting?
Just curious: If the booth did not require knocking out walls how would you feel?
FYI - The concern is that the volume of paint use for painting cars would put us under different regulatory oversight, which is the reason it’s not desirable.
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One item that comes to mind is a bicycle. At the very least I would think that we would want the paint booth to have the same project size envelope as the powder coating oven.
Would we still need to meet the same regulatory hurdles if we had a mobile booth that could be set up outside? (i.e. large plastic tent and exhaust fans/filters on casters venting directly outside) It could be set up much the same way blacksmithing is done, and wouldn’t take up much space when not in use. If regulations only cover inside booths, it wouldn’t seem unfeasible to get a tent big enough to do a car if we really wanted (maybe separate tents for regular and VERY LARGE paint jobs).
These are thoughts for after getting the plasma vents going, though. I have to agree that the plasma table is probably more useful, in a “can’t do that at home” kind of way. Still, it’d be nice to get both eventually.
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Bryan,
I was under the impression that the Metal Shop is now looking into installing the ventilation ourselves at a potential cost savings. Would that possibly be sufficient to where we could have both the paint booth AND the plasma cutter up and running in a relatively reasonable time scale?
I prefer win-win scenarios for everyone.
JAG “What Would Captain Kirk Do?” MAN
My understanding from yesterday’s meeting was that installing ourselves would not satisfy either the fire marshal or the building inspector (can’t remember which). As a result it wasn’t really an option.
It seems that the real hold-up is having someone take the lead at obtaining quotes for the board to work from. I believe that Chuck has been asked to take the lead on this.