How to make a DIY Ventilated Paint Booth | I Like To Make Stuff

I made a paint booth that vents the fumes outside by using a furnace blower!
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Now that my new shop is in the basement of my house, my family not only gets to hear me work, but they can also smell me paint from beneath the floorboards.
In a past project, I made a small collapsible paint booth. Although it is nice that it folded up for convenient storage, its small size was really limiting. Because I have more room in the shop, I am capable of building bigger projects and if I wanted to paint those larger projects I would have to take it outside in the elements and mess up my driveway.
Planning the booth construction was pretty simple; just build a box with some folding doors. But all those paint fumes would gather in the basement and permeate upstairs which would be terrible, so the fumes had to be vented outside. My brother had a spare furnace blower that he donated to this project, and it is very important to note that the blower'e motor was not inside the impeller housing like many furnace blowers. If the motor was inside the housing, the flammable vapors from the paint would be traveling over the motor's brushes and could create a explosion hazard, but our blower is belt driven and completely separated from any fumes.
After building the paint booth housing from 2x4s and sheets of white chloroplast, I began working on the ducting to vent the vapors. I ran 4 inch metal ducting (which we later changed to 6 inch...WAY better!) and made a custom hood to connect the pipes to the furnace blower. To vent the fumes outside without having to open the garage door every time, I drilled a large hole in my house's brick exterior. Luckily, I drilled the hole right on the first try and I installed a dryer exhaust port to complete the system.
I built a box that would connect the ducting to the booth and it would also hold some air filters. After researching appropriate filters, I found that many paint booths have baffles that allow air to pass through but catch the majority of the sprayed paint. I used the Glowforge's new pass-through door to laser cut out a design on the tall plywood sheets. The design would be carved on two sheets of thin plywood, but they would be offset from each other so that paint wouldn't shoot right through.
I decided to plumb in a connection to the Glowforge's exhaust as well as putting a suction port in the metal-working area to vent nasty welding fumes. Besides having the ability to paint big projects, I am now able to vent all harmful vapors outside, away from my lungs and away from my family hanging out upstairs. This shop project started out as a simple build and ended up connecting major work areas in the shop and should keep us safe for future projects.
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How to make a DIY Ventilated Paint Booth | I Like To Make Stuff
• How to make a DIY Vent...
I Like To Make Stuff
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[@derekhall7347]

Thanks for following up when things don't work as well as planned. I appreciate that you share that part with us.

[@gfc62]

A classic ILTMS video that reminds me why I first sub’d. Your vids are consistently of the highest quality, it’s great to see a variety of subject matters and run length... but personally I enjoy the longer projects where you show your thinking, your approach, and mistakes you made along the way. great running into you and your wife @ MFNY

[@PazoraArts]

You probably just saved my life. I'm a solitary engineer, & I usually think things through really well, but I was going to add a small fan inside of a flexible dryer duct leading outside, with a fume-hood inside. But then you said "fumes passing over a motor" & I couldn't believe I missed that part in my plans. Thank you sir.

[@rays9033]

I still would not recommend his fan setup. Yeah the fan motor is outside the air flow, but that blower cage is not explosion proof due to the rotating cage bearings and overall construction. Better to get an explosion proof fan.

[@mcsinnin6473]

Hey bob, your videos led me into a passion. I'm into fine woodworking now, but your videos inspired me to get into building. Big thanks bro!

[@kiddoo13]

Its so interesting to watch you videos, Bob! I dont make anything myself, but I love watching you make all the stuff! :D Great job!

[@mayrln]

Same!

[@Makebuildmodify]

Great idea Bob! This is on the list for when I get the extra space.

[@timmurphy2425]

Just about to pull the trigger on building your previous one with some changes to the design, then you release this, which is exactly what I was about to try and do. Thanks for solving many of my problems for me! Great video.

[@lui5gif]

The video was as long as it needed to be. And your videos never have a dull moment. Keep up the good work, man

[@protect.your.digits.creations]

Long video is no problem as long as we are learning something . And yes we did learn a lot . Thank you

[@torsionslo]

lol... been missing the outtakes man... thanks for throwing those in there... "derp... doop doop doop.." hahahaha

[@HearMeNow91]

Hey Bob! Love watching your stuff! Honestly, I dont have the space or the need for such a large paint booth like this one, but the techniques and supplies you use and seeing how you work around little problems such as the issue with drilling out the bricks make every video useful no matter what the subject matter is! Keep up the great work!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Cutting a hole in your house is always the scariest part of any project 😉

[@jackielinde7568]

Eh, I beg to disagree. You've never plumbed for gas and had to hook up the line.

[@bobt2522]

Several years ago, I bought a brand new truck without a radio installed. That also meant it didn't have an antenna. I was tense drilling a hole in my brand new shiny fender.

[@naderfawzy5958]

It multiplays by hundred when you're living in a block of 20 apartments that is about to collapse. Really funny and scary adventure. 😉😁

[@Steinblocksebi]

EvanAndKatelyn Bob once cut a 3inch hole in his truck in order to install a snorkel..

[@rudyschwab7709]

The scariest part of cutting a hole in your house is waiting for the wife's reaction when she comes home and sees what you did.

[@Mikhandmaker]

Nice Job! I love it

[@Fixthisbuildthat]

Tying in the laser to it...briliant! This could totally kill two birds with one very large squirrel caged stone. Good stuff, Bob!

[@hamishfunnell6477]

I am kinda new to make stuff but when I watch your videos it just fills my head with such fascinating bulids, never stop making videos and your builds are just amazing

[@maschinebass]

My guy, THANK YOU. This was very informative! Baffles are crucial and yes 6" is about the minimum you want to use in these scenarios. Great work!

[@mayrln]

Awesome!! Love your channel even though i dont do anything in your videos, its just enjoying to watch you build stuff!

[@martinjoyce779]

Best channel on youtube, you never fail to inspire!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

That's very kind, thank you!

[@TheHobbyShop1]

This was awesome. Very informative especially the part about the pipe not being big enough to draw enough volume of air to suck all the fumes out. I’m going to have to build one now. I can definitely use one. Thanks Bob!

[@peterlee2092]

I've lost track of the number of times I've heard Bob say "I've never really done this before...." in his videos and then watched it come out perfectly. Great project!

[@nicholasphelps7489]

Didn't feel like a long video at all! Keep up the awesome content!

[@bwhite220]

My man! This is awesome!!

[@killgore25]

I really like the way that your buddy films the action. He gets close enough to not only see what you do but make it a great focused and pleasing shot.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks! That's awesome to hear :)

[@XxFlyingweenerdogxX]

I don't have the means or space to do what you do, but you are a huge inspiration for me. When I finally move and have the ability to do things like this, I will definitely watch through your videos again. Thanks or bringing your passion to people like me. You are awesome, keep up the great work!

[@motzemog]

If I had the space for a paint booth, this is how I would do it. Great video and digging the long format. Sometimes you just gotta do it.

[@HearMeNow91]

Michael Gomez he did a video a while back on a smaller foldable painting booth if that interests you! I plan on making one to spray my foam and plastic cosplay pieces without getting loopy from the fumes

[@stockysshed]

Great vid Bob as always. Like the detail you put into your videos and admitting you make mistakes. I couldnt tell you a project that I've done that hasnt had to have the plan changed or overcome some obstacle along the way. Thanks again and keep up the good work

[@lukehayes4027]

Great video, I like how you always explain your problem in the beginning of the video! Good job, keep u the good work!

[@bradwalsh2522]

We are having a large discussion at our makerspace about ventilating our painting area and your video was awesome to share. Thanks for making it!

[@FredMcIntyre]

Nicely done Bob!

[@Kellerwerkstatt]

Great video as always. I really do enjoy your videos and I know that several of my German maker friends do as well. Keep up to good work, Bob! Best Regards, Daniel

[@WitchDr86]

As a guy whom does duct work for a living, I was screaming about upsizing until I saw the note about you changing to 6". Came out great and looks good. Great project and video as always. In the future you can use a "ductulator" (they're like 20 bucks on Amazon) to figure out pipe sizing based on desired/required cfm.

[@judefairburn1599]

Bob by now you probably know I love your videos. Thanks a lot 👍👍

[@oscarlangley7887]

enjoyed the longer format!

[@scootersworkbench6347]

Pocket holes, Bob? You know it's gonna fall apart. :) Just kidding. I've been waiting to see this one, I love the simplicity but super function of it. Two thumbs up from me. It was nice to Josh too!

[@bkearns34]

Scooter's Workbench Yes. Why pocket holes?

[@AGlimpseInside]

I’m glad I’m not the only one that does that kind of crazy stuff in the bloopers Doo doop doop boop badupe doo baduppe !!!!!!

[@NigelAndrew]

Enjoyed the longer video and extra detail! Awesome!

[@nikguthrie1514]

Love your longer Vids

[@ryanmuthig6541]

Amazing vid as usual!

[@tomkirchner]

The idea of using a translucent medium for the booth to allow for proper lighting is really cool. I always have problems to judge if everything is properly painted in all areas! Thanks for sharing!

[@TimBurgess-TAGR]

This is wonderful. We are beginners and are refurbishing our Christmas blowmolds. This design is simply genius and simple at the same time. THANKS for posting

[@okkrom]

Watched it entirely!

[@cavangriffin1514]

Great video as always mate, learned a lot

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks so much!

[@jchunick]

Great video! I'll be planning a spray booth soon at my new place and don't have a lot of space so the fact that this design can be sized is good to know. One thing with the coroplast is that it's usually better to use washers with the screws, especially on those edges that will experience movement like around the doors. I used to work a lot with coroplast at a couple of sign companies I worked at. You will see the coroplast wear around the screws over time.

[@bryanmoir3184]

Daisy chaining the ventilation system to accommodate the laser, paint booth, etc is a great idea and solves having to have dedicated systems for each! I plan to add air filtration to vent fine particulate dust to the outside in addition to my air cleaned inside.

[@pieterspeybrouck885]

Nice video. I learn a lot of your projects. The bloopers at the end is a new and fun extra to watch. I hope you can do this in the future too. :-)

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks! We try to put them in on occasion when we have good ones.

[@sebastiancoetzee9672]

Great job as always!

[@williamdrake6711]

Sebastian Coetzee nice avatar. Monument valley?

[@sebastiancoetzee9672]

Yeah

[@jonnydrazzi4668]

Great idea! Totally didn't think about the whole paint fumes over an electric motor... Thanks for saving me from burning my garage down!!! Really digging the longer format too!

[@PaoRobsten]

Hey Bob, I'm a 21 chemistry student and I think I'll never make anything of the stuff you do here but I love watching your videos and learning somehow how to make stuff. So great job and thank you!

[@BruceAUlrich]

Really enjoyed this! What a cool project! I liked seeing how you solved all of the little problems that you came across. Oh, and stop clearing your throat. ;)

[@TheMacabreGamer]

Just got back from watching The Last Jedi and soon as I saw a new video from you I had to watch it to calm myself down from how awesome the film was. Keep up the great work.

[@djofire]

The Macabre Gamer Same for me ! May the force be with you !

[@Felisargyle]

Hahha mee too I finish it 1 hour ago

[@spagamoto]

Same! ILTMS has us at the end of a string.

[@JulianPx]

It's great to see how you're solving nearly every problem, great job and very inspiring! Greetings from Germany.

[@philliprowland2161]

Great project Bob! I was just talking to my wife about building a small spray booth in the garage and finding a way to eliminate fumes so it doesn't leak into the house. I'll have to see if I can modify this design to fit my shop. Might be able to link it to a larger plastic spray booth so I could spray finish on tables and other larger pieces as well.

[@WilliamJakespeareProps]

I need to try this now that it's too cold to paint outside!

[@TylerHill0]

I do joinery and it's interesting I love his methods he covers every angle :) the man your the best

[@SpecificLove7]

Great upgraded paint booth

[@shaunramkissoon2]

Love how you do your mid-roll ad copy. Brilliant way to show some love to your sponsors while maintaining the momentum of your video.

[@heat2283]

Mate, please do a shop tour!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Still have some more stuff to build out, but I will one of these days 👍🏻

[@heat2283]

Sounds great!

[@GibClark]

👍👍👍

[@masterofnone]

Oh ! You weren't kidding when you said paint booth. Nice work Bob. We love watching you guys plow through the problems and find the solutions. AND WE NEED MORE BLOOPERS. Durp, durp!!!!

[@LeeOfBent]

I think I can honestly say this is the first time I've seen a maker use duct tape in a build for duct tape's intended purpose. Great work Bob! I needed to re-do my paint booth for airbrushing and this gave me some great ideas.

[@cliffdoes_stuff4012]

Tape Champ!!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Ha!

[@cliffdoes_stuff4012]

Great project/video Bob. Your voice-over sounds really good too, anything new or is it just me? Enjoy Star Wars!

[@zanpekosak2383]

Tape mate!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Different mic but I honestly thought it sounded worse. That's really interesting to hear from you.

[@cliffdoes_stuff4012]

I just did a side-by-side of this video, the Christmas Cannon (best way to decorate a tree ever!!) plus a few others, old and new, and I do feel that this video's voice-over was better. Maybe it was your delivery, proximity to the mic, or post-processing but it just sounds warmer and clearer to me, but, like a lot of things, audio is just about personal preference.

[@CrownMountainWoodworks]

Durp, durp. Great video. Glad you didn't split it up into two.

[@victorbaeza295]

Great job again Bob, you never fail to impress me👍

[@TheTranq]

Awesome video Bob. Thanks for taking the time to make quality videos

[@micahwinters7021]

You really need to use the silver ducting tape that is recommended for hvac applications

[@Iliketomakestuff]

This isn't an HVAC setup. Not really a concern of mine.

[@micahwinters7021]

I Like To Make Stuff I figured so. Just I know you said you didn’t have the amount of suction you wanted so that would be one upgrade. Thought it is much more expensive. All in all great video though and I appreciate all the stuff you do. Gives me ideas and solutions for stuff I would have never even thought of.

[@user-jy6vd3uw1m]

@@Iliketomakestuff The aluminum tape actually works much better, as ventilation piping is its intendid application. It seals better, and has a much better longevity. Air leaks tend to dry out the gaffer tape.

[@Fugatech3DPrinting]

"Sorry this was a long video" Bah... there is no such thing as a video that is "too long" if you are making it.

[@I3urton]

The more the better.

[@H4IZY]

don't steal my life

[@decentral1zed_]

H4IZY ok

[@joshhibbs_nola]

GREAT BUILD! If I ever get a shop I am building this paint booth. Right now I just work in a large shed outside and I just leave the two big shed doors open when I spray paint so no need for a ventilation system. The small paint booth like space is right at the front of the shed right by the doors that will be staying open while I paint something.

[@FTWBIFY6667]

Great video! I think I will use this idea in a way in my metal work shop building. By far the best video on KZbin! Thanks

[@bayupw]

Bob do you excited about upcoming star wars movie?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Ummmm YES!!! :) Going tonight at 7pm!

[@arielnir2679]

I Like To Make Stuff Im Goin tomorrow to see it!! In 3D!!!! Hurray!!

[@noeraldinkabam]

I Like To Make Stuff Have fun! No spoilers.

[@raihankrn]

already watch it

[@Wes8761]

I Like To Make Stuff SAME

[@OneThatDied]

I inhale my fumes like a man

[@forestlampcraft472]

GREAT IDEA!!!

[@charliebowen4232]

A paint booth is on my list for a To Do! I like the tips! Thanks!!

[@punsabin0]

why now bob? i was about to sleep right now

[@Iliketomakestuff]

It'll be here tomorrow :) Go to bed!

[@ChauNyan]

Why does your son have such luscious hair?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

That's my daughter.

[@ChauNyan]

I Like To Make Stuff Lol Sorry my bad, I always thought you only have a pair of boys. The boyish clothing made her look like a boy from the back.

[@nascar10027]

Keep up the amazing work! You have inspired me to start woodworking. I recently had a traumatic accident happen to me and i am finally able to get back on my feet and start woodworking again thanks for the hard work and dedication bob

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Glad to hear you're back up and running Alex!! Have fun!

[@TheJulez91]

In a few months me and my brother are finally getting our own garage. I can't wait to scroll through your channel and build all of the useful things that we can use in our new garage! This is gonna be one of them ;). Thanks, Bob, for all of the awesome and interesting video's!

[@Wes8761]

Who’s excited for STAR WARS

[@itmeurdad]

Thumbs down for using duct tape on actual ducts.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Hahaha

[@jonnydrazzi4668]

The glue in the duct tape is going to dry out and lose any seal you had... Foil tape lasts darn near forever! And its shiny! Great build though!!!

[@itmeurdad]

Really I was just trying to be silly, but you may have a point there. Might be something to consider given the application is to attempt to contain the fumes.

[@jackielinde7568]

Yeah, silver flashing tape would be better, as it's designed for this application. (I've seen enough This Old House to know never to use Duct Tape(tm) or it's variety of knock offs.) BUT, if the pipe is piped so that the direction of airflow goes with the male ends of the pipe point to the exit point and the female ends point back along the path to the machine, it shouldn't be too much of an issue? He'll just have to make sure he periodically inspects the system for leaks. (Maybe it's time to invest in a smoke machine?)

[@jonnydrazzi4668]

Jack Linde lol up here in Canada it was Holmes on Homes, “Duct tape is NOT for duct work”

[@andrewsawatzke7110]

I always enjoy your shop and home improvement projects. I have an old pig barn that I'm slowly fixing up and turning into my shop and man cave.

[@josephscisson5253]

This is the perfect paint setup and can easily be customized to ones needs great job sir

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Thanks for sharing Bob , I have been enjoying your podcast with Jimmy,David, while I have been healing up from my hospital stay! I meet Jimmy at his house back in April of this year. That what got me to listening to the podcast. And I found you and David . Best Regards BobLee

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Bob! Get better quick!

[@MathieuThomachot]

Very interesting video. I did a smiliar project for a welding fume exhaust system in my basement. I used a fan like yours and made the same initial mistake of using a too narrow pipe with it. I started with 4 inches, like you, and I ended up with an 8 " one. Works great !

[@Dfrantz87]

Great vid bob! Loving the outtakes you’ve been adding recently lol

[@user-G626]

When I saw you throw that scrap 2x4 away I was like “nice shot, but that’s a waste”and then you went back for it. Only one of the reasons you’re my favorite

[@jsburklow]

cool stuff and well put together as all your videos are! thanks for all your work and knowledge

[@WayWoodworking]

That was a ton of work. Nice ingenuity with the furnace blower!

[@Ismail-xq9ry]

Seriously, thanks for the video. Even if it's long or short, we all love your videos. Keep it up. 🙋🙋🙋

[@swellestgoat3803]

This My First Time To See You In The New Office. Your New Office Is Big And Nice.

[@markmatt3751]

Great video, thanks for sharing! You may want to make it fully enclosed in the future, so that you’re not pulling dust or particles over the part you’re painting. A simple suggestion, you could add a filter to one of your doors for return air and maybe drape plastic over the front opening.

[@bulkhead]

I really like this format, and I don't care how long you make your videos. I will watch every one you put out. I used to core drill concrete as an electrician, in this case you would want to turn off the hammer drill function (why the mortar vibrated out) and just use it as a drill. A water drip would negate the dust and prolong the diamond coating while helping remove the waste.

[@schoonerlabs4656]

One thing you may want to add is a fresh air inlet vent, otherwise you may get reduced airflow from the negative pressure. I currently just open a window when running our laser extraction fan, helps increase airflow. In my other shop I added an external inlet vent for when the paint extractor fan is on.

[@lukegainey2459]

Love your channel! Your projects are awesome!!!

[@cathalwhelehan]

awesome build - seriously considering something similar to paint guitar bodies and this looks like it's close to perfect. Love the use of lightweight plastic for the walls!

[@Ryuuu]

I have a project for school and it needs alot of paint and i need a paint booth like this so i showed this to my dad and he got the idea for making the paint booth. Thank you Bob! Stay Safe! 😁

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Great! Thanks!

[@Ryuuu]

@I Like To Make Stuff, you're my inspiration! ❤️

[@Srchi]

I love your channel, since I do photography as a hobby this gave me an idea for a portable photo booth.

[@phuengadotcom6271]

Wow! Man, you're good at being handy. Wish I could be as handy! Keep up the good work!

[@ZERO_42069]

i love saving my 2x4 scraps, they always come in handy

[@MCsCreations]

Really, really nice! Fantastic work, man!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks man!

[@Hubbmade]

Still envy all the shop space... so much! Interesting choice to not add music, I noticed it, but it might actually have helped me focus on the info better. Great job ILTMS team!

[@bigguy78246]

Outtakes are awesome. Liked the idea for the side material