DIY Downdraft Painting Table

[@JT-Fly-JT]

Good to see you and thanks for the quick Bearhawk update!!!

[@alaskabearhawk]

Thanks JT! Stay tuned, I'm working on another video of the paint booth I just about have set up in the shop. Stuff is getting serious now!

[@kylanlarsen6752]

Very slick, I may be copying this later.

[@alaskabearhawk]

Good luck on your build!

[@sirnewton6874]

I really like your design it's a great idea the makeup air is very important I just finished installing a system for makeup air in my hanger because of the same thing you're up to. However where I'm going with this comment is I'm going to brush paint as much stuff as I possibly can keeping the atomizing of paint to an absolute minimum. That's the end of my story

[@alaskabearhawk]

Good call on the brushing. I have a really nice new IWATA HVLP trim gun that I want to try. I've used HVLP in the past and it really helps in reducing the overspray. Besides, it will be good practice for when I use it to paint the trim colors on my airplane when the time comes.

[@justindyster7073]

Good Idea! I am curious how your going to keep it warm with all that air being evacuated. I really enjoy your videos and have learned so much from you. I hope to meet and thank you in person someday.

[@alaskabearhawk]

Hey Justin... That can be an issue, especially here in Alaska. My plan is to open the man door at the opposite end of the shop. The colder air has to travel through the shop and will be warmed as it does just by flowing past other warm objects in the shop. Eventually it will cool down, but I have in-floor heat and it warms up very quickly, so I can resume painting. At least that's the plan...

[@netpackrat]

It may be meant for getting the fumes out, but I bet it does a good job with the overspray/dust too. I probably would have powder coated all of those small parts using my gunkote oven, rather than mess with the paints though. I especially like the fold down feature, so you have more horizontal space in the shop to collect stuff. 😬

[@alaskabearhawk]

Yeah, that would be an option. The only issue is most of the parts are just a bit too big to fit in the oven. The parts that do fit must hang down and then won't fit! Plus, I still have some primer and topcoat left over. At over $300/gal for the stuff I'd like to use it up. It will also match the rest of the interior paint.

[@joell439]

Another Bearhawk saga 👍🤪👍..... really making progress

[@alaskabearhawk]

Yep. I just wish it was faster! Sorry for the late reply.

[@ipaintkitchencabinets2069]

Any ideas for a cheaper replaceable top /work surface. I spray a lot of kitchen cabinet doors and would love to build this table for my workshop but at the amount that I spray, that metal top would clog up with paint in the first three jobs. I would be changing out the worksurface twice a month so I’m just wondering what another option would be.

[@alaskabearhawk]

Boy, good question. You could use some 6x6 concrete wire mesh (remesh) that is used in reinforcing concrete slabs. Cut to size, that should be more than wide enough to keep from filling up with paint. However, if the problem is the grid filling up with paint, I really doubt the filters would survive the first coating of paint on your cabinet doors!

[@StudioRV8]

You really should use an explosion-proof rated totally enclosed exhaust fan. Sparks in standard motors like what you are using can result in fires/explosions when mixed with dust or fumes from painting. Be safe!

[@alaskabearhawk]

The motor is outside of the stream of air. Am I missing something?

[@StudioRV8]

I wouldn't use like that, but your mileage may vary. I doubt it's a sealed. Have you ever seen a dust explosion? Here is an example at FM Globals research center. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIuvg5WMrJiFpK8. This is coal dust and a spark. (they are using coal here, but I've seen the same done in this chamber with a small amount of phenolic resin). Sugar and flour mills used to be leveled all the time. There are plenty of sealed explosion proof fan alternatives that are designed for this application. Great idea, but I think it would be safer with the correct fan. Your plane looks terrific! Thanks for sharing it.

[@alaskabearhawk]

You’re right that it’s not a sealed motor, in the same sense as a sealed switch or light inside a combustible environment. However the motor is outside of the housing and it is sealed from anything on the inside (combustible environment) with a compressible neoprene foam ring. No vapors can pass through to the internals of the motor. There are no cooling holes on that (fan) side of the motor, just a solid metal housing. There are no penetrations or gaps between the fan and the motor. The shaft itself is sealed too. So, I really appreciate the kind words and genuine concern but it will be fine. Now if the fan was completely inside of a paint booth, that would certainly be a different story…ticking bomb!