Paint Booth Rental

[Otee453]

I'm not at the stage of paint yet (far from it). But I'm always planning in my head.

About an hour from me, there is a nice spray booth rental facility. They charge $200 for two hours with a 2 hour minimum. With the 2 hour booth charge, they allow storage, indoors at a work area for 24 hours. With the $200/2hrs charge, they include respirator and spray equipment (not sure if it includes masking material).

The fee doesn't scare me, but my question is how long, for a first timer, should one plan to be in a paint booth.... if I do all the prep at home to the point where its ready for paint, transport the body (off the car) to the facility, do final prep (cleaning, masking etc...), roll into the booth and paint color and clear? In all my reading of other threads, I see where many first timers seemingly spend several days with the car in their home built booth.

Im thinking to pay for 8 hours in the booth ($800) would cover it, with additional 24-48 hours in the work area. Then I wonder... Am I better off spending the money to build a home booth (with sheet plastic, wood or pvc frame, box fans & filters, etc...), and have the freedom to go slow and not feel I'm under a big money rental deadline? I would already be building some sort of makeship booth at home for spraying primers and sealers. As a side note, I have lots of clean dry air in my shop, so I don't have any unexpected expense there. I also have a couple of the purple color Harbor Freight spray guns, but may invest in a better gun for primers.

Thanks

[Jeff Kleiner]

The whole process involves a lot of spraying and then downtime prepping for the next step.

---Slick Sand high build then it gets blocked; that is hours and hours

---2K primer surfacer then it gets blocked both dry and wet; also hours and hours

---2K sealer immediately before base coat; 1 hour

---If you're doing stripes you will put down the stripe color base then lay them out and mask; 4 hours minimum

---Main color base coat then unmask; 2 hours minimum

---Clear coat; 2 hours

And...you have to do clean up between every step.

Theoretically you could do the Slick Sand and primer surfacer at home then transport it to the booth for sealer, paint and clear. I can tell you that sealer, stripe color, layout & mask, main color and clear will take me every bit of 10 hours...and it ain't my first time! Once you put the sealer on there isn't any "go slow" because everything has a recoat time window. Not trying to discourage you just want you to know what the reality is.

Jeff

[Otee453]

The whole process involves a lot of spraying and then downtime prepping for the next step.

---Slick Sand high build then it gets blocked; that is hours and hours

---2K primer surfacer then it gets blocked both dry and wet; also hours and hours

---2K sealer immediately before base coat; 1 hour

---If you're doing stripes you will put down the stripe color base then lay them out and mask; 4 hours minimum

---Main color base coat then unmask; 2 hours minimum

---Clear coat; 2 hours

And...you have to do clean up between every step.

Theoretically you could do the Slick Sand and primer surfacer at home then transport it to the booth for sealer, paint and clear. I can tell you that sealer, stripe color, layout & mask, main color and clear will take me every bit of 10 hours...and it ain't my first time! Once you put the sealer on there isn't any "go slow" because everything has a recoat time window. Not trying to discourage you just want you to know what the reality is.

Jeff

Thank you.

That is exactly what I was seeing in my research. 8 hours in a paint booth doesn’t cut it, unless I’m a pro and can work ultra efficiently (and maybe not even then), OR no stripes.
I haven’t confirmed this but I was led to believe that the time at this booth is counted only while the fans are on. Not sure if that changes the equation for me or not.
I’d really like to use a professional booth for the paint but don’t want to spend booth fees and everything else, nearing that just of paying a pro from the start.

[cob427sc]

I don't believe there is any way you could complete the paint and do a reasonable job in 8 hours. I have always built (if I didn't have a pro do it) a spray booth as you described in my garage and have had great success. You need the booth to properly do the primer/sealer stages anyway and having the booth allows you to work a moderate rate and not feel rushed. After all the hours put into building the car and wanting it to look correct, you will need more time. Besides, like most of us who are not pros at this, you will most likely have a few oops along the way which always adds more time. Build the booth and enjoy the experience!

[Otee453]

I don't believe there is any way you could complete the paint and do a reasonable job in 8 hours. I have always built (if I didn't have a pro do it) a spray booth as you described in my garage and have had great success. You need the booth to properly do the primer/sealer stages anyway and having the booth allows you to work a moderate rate and not feel rushed. After all the hours put into building the car and wanting it to look correct, you will need more time. Besides, like most of us who are not pros at this, you will most likely have a few oops along the way which always adds more time. Build the booth and enjoy the experience!

Thanks for the advice. That seems to be the consensus opinion (as well as where my head was). On another forum where I asked the same question, a poster suggested that I consider how to transport doors, hood, etc... without damaging the primered surface. That was a good thought I had not considered either. It could be done but would require extra thought and care.

[Kmcallahan]

[QUOTE=Jeff Kleiner;402845]The whole process involves a lot of spraying and then downtime prepping for the next step.

---Slick Sand high build then it gets blocked; that is hours and hours

---2K primer surfacer then it gets blocked both dry and wet; also hours and hours

---2K sealer immediately before base coat; 1 hour

---If you're doing stripes you will put down the stripe color base then lay them out and mask; 4 hours minimum

---Main color base coat then unmask; 2 hours minimum

---Clear coat; 2 hours

And...you have to do clean up between every step.

Theoretically you could do the Slick Sand and primer surfacer at home then transport it to the booth for sealer, paint and clear. I can tell you that sealer, stripe color, layout & mask, main color and clear will take me every bit of 10 hours...and it ain't my first time! Once you put the sealer on there isn't any "go slow" because everything has a recoat time window. Not trying to discourage you just want you to know what the reality is.

Jeff[/QUOTE

Jeff,
This is why I am thinking about hiring you to paint my car when I am ready.

[Ducky2009]

I painted my own car, without stripes. 8 hours, no way... for a newbie. Started off in my home garage. Had too much humidity in the air and to small of an air compressor. Ended up renting a paint booth for the weekend (a friends body shop who doesn't work weekends).

Good luck.