DIY Spray Paint Booth
If you draw, paint, sculpt or make crafts, you will need to use spray paint, an air brush or fixative at some point. Spray paint, air brushes and fixatives are messy when you spray them, and some of them have noxious fumes. If you put newspaper down around what you are spraying, it will control some of the mess, but it doesn’t keep all of the paint where it should be. The best method of controlling spray paint or fixatives is to make a spray paint booth. When you use the spray paint booth, you control the amount of fumes that come out of the box, and you keep the spray paint exactly where you want it. There are several types of spray paint booths that you can make. These directions will show how to make a quick booth that can be used for a few projects, and a permanent booth for a studio artist.
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard box
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Sheetrock ripper
- 2 Masonite panels, 4 feet by 12 feet
- 2 pieces of wood, 2 inches by 4 inches by 8 feet
- Nails
- Saw
- Hammer
- Caulking
- Paint (optional)
- Piece of heavy plastic, 6 mil or higher, 3 feet 4 inches by 3 feet
- Hook and loop tape
- Sponge
- Water
Instructions
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Temporary Spray Paint Booth
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1
Get a cardboard box large enough to hold your project. If the box is folded up, open the box and put it back together to form a box.
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2
Tape all the bottom edges and center flaps together with duct tape. Don’t be stingy with the tape. You want the bottom completely sealed because that is where you will be spraying the paint, and you do not want any air leaks.
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3
Lay the cardboard box on its side so that the top flaps are open towards you.
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4
Bend the top flap down.
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5
Cut the top flap off.
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6
Tape the bottom two corners straight down the open line to seal the bottom of the box. The U shaped area will be part of the spray area.
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7
Place the flap that you removed on the bottom of the U shaped area of the box, and tape it into place with duct tape. This will prevent any spray paint from going out of the box.
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8
Use the spray paint box. Make sure you place any items that you are spraying towards the back of the box. This box will control over spray, but will still need to be used in a well ventilated area. It controls some of the fumes, but not many.
Permanent Spray Paint Booth
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9
Cut the 2 inch by 4 inch by 12 foot wood into 3 foot long pieces.
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10
Form a square on a flat surface with the 2 inch sides of the wood facing upwards.
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11
Nail the corners together.
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12
Make a second square exactly the same way.
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13
Place the second square on top of the first square, and line them up.
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14
Write the letter “A” on one side of both pieces, go to the next and write “B” on both squares. Continue to the next two sides, and label them “C” and “D."
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15
Place the 4 inch side of one of the 2 inch by 4 inch by 3 foot pieces against the corner where “A” and “B” connect. The outer edge should be touching the corner of “A” but on be on side “B." Hammer into place.
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16
Place another 4 inch by 2 inch by 3 foot piece at the other end of side “B." Line the wood up so that the outer edge of the wood is touching the corner where “B” and “C” connect. Hammer into place.
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17
Repeat this procedure on the opposite side of this square. You should have a square with four 2 inch by 4 inch by 3 foot pieces sticking up in the air. Turn this piece upside down, and place on top of the second square. It should slide right in place. Hammer in place, once you have lined it up. It will form a cube.
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18
Cut the Masonite into two 3 foot by 3 foot pieces, and four 3 foot 4 inch by 3 foot pieces.
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19
Place one of the 3 foot by 3 foot pieces of Masonite on side “B" and hammer into place. Put the second 3 foot by 3 foot piece on side “D” and hammer into place.
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20
Place one of the remaining pieces of Masonite on side “C." Line it up, and hammer into place. Place one piece of Masonite on the bottom and another on the top, and hammer into place. This will create a cube without a front.
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21
Squirt caulking into the corners all the way around the inside of the box. Dampen a sponge and smooth out the caulking.
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22
Paint the box. This step is optional. If you want to paint the box, you can, but you don’t need to. It is purely for decoration.
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23
Place a piece of hook and loop tape all the way down each of the four pieces of 2 inch by 4 inch wood that is visible on side “A." Line up the plastic on top of the hook and loop tape. Place the hook and loop tape on the plastic, so it will attach to the hook and loop tape on the wood.
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24
Use your spray paint booth. Open plastic at front, place item in, spray and immediately seal plastic. Let it sit until the spray settles, and remove item that you sprayed. This will keep most of the fumes in. Work in a ventilated area.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you want to remove all fumes you will need to hook up a strong bathroom exhaust fan, and run it outside.
References
- Photo Credit red rose sprayed with gold paint image by ennavanduinen from Fotolia.com
