Squirrel Cage Blower on the cheap

[burtonlinn]

As I'm 'tooling' back up to get back into the hobby I want to build/buy a spray booth, I know that I dont want to use a bathroom exhaust fan because you are just asking for trouble with LEL's and explosions/fires but I did find this link from Princess Auto (only available from Canada, Scott Gervin has mentioned them) for a squirrel cage blower fan for $49.99:

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8487100/Manual/115V-Squirrel-Cage-Blower

But I was also wondering about these spray booths, and wondering if they were any good?:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Hobby-Airbrush-Spray-Booth-Kit-Exhaust-Filter-Extractor-Set-Craft-Paint-Figurine-/390575900225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af0234641

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Really depends on the paint you are going to use.

I have a booth made with a bathroom fan and haven't blown myself up. Read up on stories that people have blown themselves up and you will find that they were using a spray can when it happened, and in those cases, it is the propellent in the can that is igniting, and not the paint.

If you use more spray cans and not an airbrush, then yeah, go for it, if you use nothing by an airbrush, and especially with acrylic paint, you will have no problems. Been using mine for 10+yrs, and no boom.

 

[burtonlinn]

Im not saying it will happen even 1% of the time, but I deal with similar situations out here in the oil field and the potential is definitly there, besides a $50 squirrel cage can move WAY more air than a $35 bathroom fan

 

[Drpepeprz]

Review: Portable Airbrush Spray Booth


Spray Booth Review


Just happenned to be watching that last week-end ;D

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Im not saying it will happen even 1% of the time, but I deal with similar situations out here in the oil field and the potential is definitly there, besides a $50 squirrel cage can move WAY more air than a $35 bathroom fan

Depends on the bathroom fan, the one I bought was 110cfm...definitely not a $35 fan

 

[burtonlinn]

Elm City that's for sure anyways I just wanted to give any Canadians out there an idea where they could find a cheap Cage. But I'm still contemplating on whether or not to just get that small portable spray booth. Thanks for everyone's input Really like the site can't wait to start posting some of my projects on here!

 

[sunsanvil]

I did find this link from Princess Auto (only available from Canada, Scott Gervin has mentioned them) for a squirrel cage blower fan for $49.99:

But I was also wondering about these spray booths, and wondering if they were any good?:

I haven't see that "portable" booth in the flesh, but they are notoriously underpowered from what I gathered. Paasche sells under their name but (they claim) they spec a higher cfm fan in theirs.

The Dayton blower like that one are a good foundation for a DIY project. Not explosion proof but the motor is at least outside of the airstream which has made them a popular choice for hobbyists. Just understand the CFM figures of these (and all fans) is pretty much free air. Add a hose, it drops. Put a curve in the hose, it drops more. You can without a lot of duct take your flow down to almost nothing.

 

[WebbyNZ]

I have one of the portable fans, you can get quite adequate airflow.
My tips, tape up the gaps, it just fills with crud.
If you are venting out a window make sure wind will not blow back up the hose.

The biggest improvements were from removing the supplied filters and replacing with either 1 layer or a 'kitchen wipe' that lets plenty of air through and catches most of the paint etc.
You can also get a bathroom extractor fan and put it further down the line to improve the airflow while being away from the paint.
On the point of explosions etc, if its good enough to pull warm damp air out of a room it should be fine with other fumes.