The Sweet Feeling of Success

[Peter Quinn]

Just finished shooting a third coat of finish on an entry way I'm making for a neighbor. Sort of a low budget side job. And it looks GREAT! Last New Year's I made a list of things I was determined to conquer in the shop before next year, and being able to spray a finish was high on the list. I like the process of brushing out a good finish, but there isn't always time for that, and its a hard way to make any money on side jobs in a small shop.

There's been more than a few mistakes along that road, but it seems I can officially put a check next to the "Get set up to spray" box! I built a series of ladder frames today, wrapped in 6mil plastic, that surround a window with a 2000 CFM exhaust fan, makes a knock down spray room in one end of my shop. It contains the over spray and exhausts the fumes. Even water born has fumes, and I don't want it migrating upstairs. That space has other roles at times, so the booth has to go up and down quick. Now spraying water borns is quick, clean and efficient.

Thanks for listening! Its the little victories that keep it exciting for me. A little taste of success seems to out weight all the mishaps along the path. One small step for wood working, one giant leap for Peter Quinn.....OK its not quite that momentous.:D Any one else have a small victory to share?

[Sam Layton]

That is great to hear Peter. Do you have Photo's... It would be great to see the photo's of the entry way, door, and spray booth. How long does it take you to set the booth up?

Sam

[Peter Quinn]

That is great to hear Peter. Do you have Photo's... It would be great to see the photo's of the entry way, door, and spray booth. How long does it take you to set the booth up?

Sam

Hi Sam. The "booth" sets up in about 5 minutes. I use the term booth loosely. Just a series of panels with a little L bracket fixed to the ceiling to hold them in place. I'm planning to take pics of the door when its reassembled, maybe I'll go shoot a few shots now. Its hanging by eye bolts run into the hinge screw holes on chains strung from the ceiling, which lets me shoot the whole door both sides in one shot. even with a low ceiling height. Needs one more coat of urethane and will get it tonight if I can separate my butt from the couch!

Sam, thanks again for the info about Infinity. I made the door with their Ogee set, and it worked just beautifully! I didn't get to my own door this fall (the one I actually purchased the set to make), and it doesn't look like I will until after the holidays at this point due to some unforeseen issues. But I can't wait to make my own door.

Peter

[Peter Quinn]

Here are some pics of the spray area. The first two are shots of the outside of the booth. The red door is a flannel sheet I stole from my dog's crate (I replaced it with fitted version!). It acts as a door and filter for makeup air. Very high tech! Its tough to get a good shot of the whole thing with all the stuff in the way. Its about 9'X11'. The third shot is the exhaust fan. It sucks the air out pretty well, I still wear a respirator. The whole thing needs to be tightened up a bit to improve the air exchange.

The other three are shots of the door being finished. Its hung from pipes on the ceiling horizontally, hinges up as thats the attachment point. Its African Mahogany with 4 lites. The last shot is me trying to show the way this thing "glows" with the soft satin look of the Target EM9300. Its got three coats of Smiths CPES as a sealer/primer and at this point 3 coats of the EM9300. Not sure the photos really show what I'm seeing in person. The photographer is not great!

[Sam Layton]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the photo's. Your spray booth looks good and very useful. Your photo's do show the door very well. That glow is very nice. It looks great. I have never heard of Smiths CPES? What type of glass will be used?

I am glad the cutters worked out well. Make sure you take photo's of the finished project. I am looking forward to seeing it.

Great job, Sam

[Jeff Monson]

Looks great Peter, I like the idea of taking it down quickly, that would work well for me also as space is always an issue. Where do you exhaust the air to?

BTW, the door looks great too, nice work!

[Peter Quinn]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the photo's. Your spray booth looks good and very useful. Your photo's do show the door very well. That glow is very nice. It looks great. I have never heard of Smiths CPES? What type of glass will be used?

I am glad the cutters worked out well. Make sure you take photo's of the finished project. I am looking forward to seeing it.

Great job, Sam

Smith's CPES is a "Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer" meant as a marine or exterior grade primer. I got mine from Jamestown Hardware, a boat maintenance company. Both have pretty good web sites. I've been using it a few years now for window restoration. Last year FWW did an article about exterior finishes, they found CPES with Ephanes marine varnish to be highly durable combination. This is the first time I've used CPES as an undercoat on a clear finish, and I'm pretty happy with the amber color it imparts to the mahogany, especially given the top coat is water clear. The large lite in the center will be a piece of tempered glass out of the door this is replacing, the top three lites will be 1/4" laminated glass. A piece of tempered that big gets expensive, this is for an unheated mud room, so no great reason to use insulated glass there. The client wanted laminated beveled edge glass to match their front door until they got the quote for that! Plus its a long lead time, and things are getting cold here in New England soon. I told them I could install plexiglass for now with temporary stops and wait for the beveled edge, but I think the budget won that battle. I'll be sure to take some shots after install.

[Peter Quinn]

Looks great Peter, I like the idea of taking it down quickly, that would work well for me also as space is always an issue. Where do you exhaust the air to?

BTW, the door looks great too, nice work!

Jeff, that plywood fan box pushes into a 12"X24" window that swings in. I built the box so the window swings in and horizontal where it is held by a catch, there is a flap on the side of the box so i can reach in to open and close the sash. Exhaust is vented to fresh air, basically towards my drive way and neighbors house. This precludes the use of anything smelly or dangerous. I'm in a residential neighborhood with small lots and tight spacing.

I can feel it drafting air through the cat door at the top of my basement stairs, which is on the other side of a partition wall half way across the house! Not going to use that fan much during heating season I think. The fan is a gable vent unit from the Home Depot, I removed the thermostat and added a manual switch. Its not explosion proof in any way, so nothing flammable can be used in there at all. I might get away with an oil based wiping varnish? It does keep the over spray contained, and the shop dust out once I blow the thing out well. Stacks neatly against the wall when not in use.

[Sam Layton]

Peter, I will check out the CPES, I have windows to finish, and that sounds like good stuff for that. If it is available in Calif.

Thanks, Sam

[Peter Quinn]

Peter, I will check out the CPES, I have windows to finish, and that sounds like good stuff for that. If it is available in Calif.

Thanks, Sam

Hadn't though about that! Its pretty high in VOC's, thats what makes it work! It stinks like almost nothing else I've used. I wear a respirator outside with a stiff breeze and a fan at my back. Its noxious.