smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
Looking good
1955 Ranch Wagon Cruiser
- Thread starter DJ3100
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
DJ3100
Well-known member
Spray booth
After a microburst hit my pop-up canopy spray booth, turning it into a pretzel, I decided I needed something a little more protected from the weather. So, I'm converting the carport into a spray booth. I want be able to park the trailer in it when I'm not painting and would like it to be semi-permanent.
In the past I just clamped plastic sheeting over the ends. I found that the first spray covers the plastic in overspray, then while you're shooting the second coat a gust of wind dumps the dried overspray in the paint.
I also never have had enough light - so lighting is a requirement.
My plan is to pressurize the booth so dirt and overspray blows out of the gaps. Filtering the intake should keep the air clean. I planned on using box fans, but they don't provide enough pressure. So now I'm on the hunt for squirrel cage blower(s) from a large swamp cooler or maybe an hvac.
I'm starting on my third week with this project.
After a microburst hit my pop-up canopy spray booth, turning it into a pretzel, I decided I needed something a little more protected from the weather. So, I'm converting the carport into a spray booth. I want be able to park the trailer in it when I'm not painting and would like it to be semi-permanent.
In the past I just clamped plastic sheeting over the ends. I found that the first spray covers the plastic in overspray, then while you're shooting the second coat a gust of wind dumps the dried overspray in the paint.
I also never have had enough light - so lighting is a requirement.
My plan is to pressurize the booth so dirt and overspray blows out of the gaps. Filtering the intake should keep the air clean. I planned on using box fans, but they don't provide enough pressure. So now I'm on the hunt for squirrel cage blower(s) from a large swamp cooler or maybe an hvac.
I'm starting on my third week with this project.
truckster
Well-known member
I know that roof support/oil can issue has been bugging you for some time. Glad you were able to figure it out and that it was simple.
Now that you don't have to reinforce the roof, what are you going to do with all the time you freed up?
Now that you don't have to reinforce the roof, what are you going to do with all the time you freed up?
DJ3100
Well-known member
I'll probably spend it fixing the doors (one has rust holes; the other a crease) and the tailgate. Or maybe building a spray booth.
DJ3100
Well-known member
spray booth
Here's what I'm doing to enclose the metal carport/trailer port.
Doors at the front - closed to paint. Open for trailer storage which will be most of the time. The lights on the walls will rotate 90 degrees to provide more light. The holes at the bottom of the siding will have a combination of filters and 1" rigid foam.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
The metal siding has these stiffening bends - a lot of leaks. The goal is to create enough air pressure to blow out of all these gaps and out of the lower filters.
[/URL][/IMG]
Here's the shop side. The doors will be the spray booth entrance. They will get the same polycarbinate sheets as the front. The plan was to put 4 box fans in the space above the doors where the filters are. The box fans don't blow through the filters. I'm looking for a large swamp cooler, squirrel cage blower or something similar.
[/URL][/IMG]
Here's what I'm doing to enclose the metal carport/trailer port.
Doors at the front - closed to paint. Open for trailer storage which will be most of the time. The lights on the walls will rotate 90 degrees to provide more light. The holes at the bottom of the siding will have a combination of filters and 1" rigid foam.
The metal siding has these stiffening bends - a lot of leaks. The goal is to create enough air pressure to blow out of all these gaps and out of the lower filters.
Here's the shop side. The doors will be the spray booth entrance. They will get the same polycarbinate sheets as the front. The plan was to put 4 box fans in the space above the doors where the filters are. The box fans don't blow through the filters. I'm looking for a large swamp cooler, squirrel cage blower or something similar.
I-R-POPS
''Rusty Mopar Slacker''
It's probably not worth the freight but I have 2 side draft swamp cooler A/Cs with good 2 speed motors if you want them.
Looks like your booth will work to me.
Good luck.
Looks like your booth will work to me.
Good luck.
DJ3100
Well-known member
Blower problem solved
This should do the trick. Thanks for the link, 8literbeater. I have been watching Craig's List for a couple weeks and haven't seen this one. I couldn't get there fast enough - $80 with a motor.
[/URL][/IMG]
Thanks for the offer, Pops.
This should do the trick. Thanks for the link, 8literbeater. I have been watching Craig's List for a couple weeks and haven't seen this one. I couldn't get there fast enough - $80 with a motor.
Thanks for the offer, Pops.
soltz
The Rat Captain
Easy for me to say
you guys are only six hours apart "Roadtrip" 3 hrs each [cl
you guys are only six hours apart "Roadtrip" 3 hrs each [cl
DJ3100
Well-known member
update, but not very exiting
The spray booth is finished. Here's the blower
[/URL][/IMG]
I shot primer/surface on both doors. It was nice having light.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
The inside of the hood got 2 coats of Zero Rust.
[/URL][/IMG]
The blower seems to keep the overspray moving out of the building and the wind doesn't come in. Not a professional booth, but certainly better than anything I have had before.
The one drawback is that it has been a little warm (110 +) for the last week. Started at 6:00 am and then it left the stuff in the booth to bake. It will probably be a bear to sand.
The spray booth is finished. Here's the blower
I shot primer/surface on both doors. It was nice having light.
The inside of the hood got 2 coats of Zero Rust.
The blower seems to keep the overspray moving out of the building and the wind doesn't come in. Not a professional booth, but certainly better than anything I have had before.
The one drawback is that it has been a little warm (110 +) for the last week. Started at 6:00 am and then it left the stuff in the booth to bake. It will probably be a bear to sand.
I-R-POPS
''Rusty Mopar Slacker''
Glad to hear it's working better for you. Now it's too dang hot to do much.
It was 102 here this afternoon.
Good luck with your booth.
It was 102 here this afternoon.
Good luck with your booth.
soltz
The Rat Captain
Nice booth [cl
Hope the ford is doing well [S
Hope the ford is doing well [S
hillbillychopper
Well-known member
Use a soaker hose on the roof to cool the paint booth or a sprinkler
Works great cools the roof down to the water temp
Works great cools the roof down to the water temp
DJ3100
Well-known member
Use a soaker hose on the roof to cool the paint booth or a sprinkler
Works great cools the roof down to the water temp
Good idea, especially if I need to shoot later in the day. Thanks.
Country Misfit
I tell you... I get no respect!
Nice booth,looks good.
DJ3100
Well-known member
Door
Yesterday I decided I should mock up to doors, before doing the final blocking. I mounted the hinges on the door and shortly figured out that wasn't going to work. There is a third bolt that mounts the hinge to the cowl and the door needs to open all the way to get it in. (There is a 4000 pound platen keeping the door from opening enough.) Also the upper hinge bolts are not accessible when the door is closed, making adjustment more difficult.
[/URL][/IMG]
The cage nuts for the third bolt were either stripped or missing altogether. So here's the fix that I hope doesn't bite me later.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
I put a couple hours in yesterday before I ran out of patience. Today I spent 5 hours. I could get the gap at the front, but the door was low in the rear or I could get the door right in the rear, but the front was too tight. Finally I took the door off and figured out that the cage for the nut plate was limiting the amount of adjustment and I couldn't think of a practical fix. I ended up shimming the hinges at the cowl. 20 minutes later all the gaps look pretty darn good considering all the sheet metal work that has been done.
I'm using a hydraulic lift table (or what ever it's called). Very handy.
[/URL][/IMG]
Gaps at the front and rear are the same and pretty even
[/URL][/IMG]
The profiles match pretty well.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
I'll drill for alignment pins before i take it apart so I don't have to go through this on final assembly. Hopefully I have learned something to make the driver's side door go a little easier.
Yesterday I decided I should mock up to doors, before doing the final blocking. I mounted the hinges on the door and shortly figured out that wasn't going to work. There is a third bolt that mounts the hinge to the cowl and the door needs to open all the way to get it in. (There is a 4000 pound platen keeping the door from opening enough.) Also the upper hinge bolts are not accessible when the door is closed, making adjustment more difficult.
The cage nuts for the third bolt were either stripped or missing altogether. So here's the fix that I hope doesn't bite me later.
I put a couple hours in yesterday before I ran out of patience. Today I spent 5 hours. I could get the gap at the front, but the door was low in the rear or I could get the door right in the rear, but the front was too tight. Finally I took the door off and figured out that the cage for the nut plate was limiting the amount of adjustment and I couldn't think of a practical fix. I ended up shimming the hinges at the cowl. 20 minutes later all the gaps look pretty darn good considering all the sheet metal work that has been done.
I'm using a hydraulic lift table (or what ever it's called). Very handy.
Gaps at the front and rear are the same and pretty even
The profiles match pretty well.
I'll drill for alignment pins before i take it apart so I don't have to go through this on final assembly. Hopefully I have learned something to make the driver's side door go a little easier.
Torchie
Well-known member
Door gaps look good. As i recall those big old doors are heavy.
That's what shims are for.
Very nice job on the booth. Most of the time i just shoot in my garage with the door slightly open and the windows wide open.
Torchie
That's what shims are for.
Very nice job on the booth. Most of the time i just shoot in my garage with the door slightly open and the windows wide open.
Torchie
DJ3100
Well-known member
Door gaps look good. As i recall those big old doors are heavy.
That's what shims are for.
Very nice job on the booth. Most of the time i just shoot in my garage with the door slightly open and the windows wide open.
Torchie
The doors are heavy, especially at the front. I have always just painted in the shop or driveway. This year we have had a change of weather. It has been seriously windy about half the time. Can paint with a slight breeze, but not 15+ mph winds.
DJ3100
Well-known member
driver's door
The driver's door went in a lot easier than the passenger door, but it had issues. The bottom corners were bent in and had to be corrected.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
I got the fender on and aligned as well as I can without the hood on.
[/URL][/IMG]
Eventually the front and rear gaps looked pretty good.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
But, the gap at the top of the door goes from about nothing at the front, to almost 1/4" at the rear. If I add metal to the top of the door, the style line won't look right and I can't move the drip edge. So I'm guessing it's as good as it will get. The gap at the rear of the window has a slight taper, but it's good at the front of the window.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
I spent a while today on the fender. Blocked it to find the low and high spots and worked them over with a hammer and dolly. It's all very tedious and boring.
The driver's door went in a lot easier than the passenger door, but it had issues. The bottom corners were bent in and had to be corrected.
I got the fender on and aligned as well as I can without the hood on.
Eventually the front and rear gaps looked pretty good.
But, the gap at the top of the door goes from about nothing at the front, to almost 1/4" at the rear. If I add metal to the top of the door, the style line won't look right and I can't move the drip edge. So I'm guessing it's as good as it will get. The gap at the rear of the window has a slight taper, but it's good at the front of the window.
I spent a while today on the fender. Blocked it to find the low and high spots and worked them over with a hammer and dolly. It's all very tedious and boring.
Torchie
Well-known member
You are definitely on to the tedious and boring stuff. But it is the stuff that makes all the difference in the finished product.
As I have posted before , the old guys that taught me body work always laughed at us punks and our quest for the perfect gaps. Their comment was always"They didn't come that good from the factory."
As you are finding out many times it is a compromise as you will get one gap right but it throws off another.
And just as an aside... When I did body work for a living my favorite tool for adjusting doors, hoods and trunk lids was a 2x4 piece of hard oak. That and a "wee bit" off pressure in the proper spot would do wonders.
It's looking great. Keep up the good work.....[cl [cl [cl
Torchie
As I have posted before , the old guys that taught me body work always laughed at us punks and our quest for the perfect gaps. Their comment was always"They didn't come that good from the factory."
As you are finding out many times it is a compromise as you will get one gap right but it throws off another.
And just as an aside... When I did body work for a living my favorite tool for adjusting doors, hoods and trunk lids was a 2x4 piece of hard oak.
That and a "wee bit" off pressure in the proper spot would do wonders.It's looking great. Keep up the good work.....[cl [cl [cl
Torchie
