Chemical Incompatibility with plastics for knock-down spray booth

[Alan Lightstone]

Hot and heavy working on my knock-down spray booth, version 2.

I need either rigid plastic or a plastic sheeting to go on the walls and ceiling of the booth. Which plastics are safe to use with lacquer, WB finishes, shellac, solvent-based finishes, etc..?

I don't want to go through all this effort and have the walls dissolve when I spray.

[Scott Holmes]

This is definitely one for Sheldon!

[sheldon pettit]

LOL, i don't know if it's me or not that can answer your questions, but i certainly can ask some pertinent questions. first would be why you want to use plastic to begin with?? Plastics have problems as wall for spray booths, especially the more inert ones like polyethylene/polypropylene. Though these would be my choices for such if i was worried about melting or disfigurement, they are so solvent and coating impenetrable that the materials used will just build up and peel off in time [mostly in layers or flakes] - so i personally don't use them. This is especially true with the flimsy films more so than the rigid high density sheets, and the cost of such be it HMWP, or UHMWP, is to costly. You would be better off in my opinion using dry wall and framing it up and giving it a coat of epoxy and then a removable acrylic peel-able clear spray booth coating. 2-3 sheets of sheet rock and a couple dozen 2x4's can build substantial walls.

I would rather give you advice on this type of booth than one of plastic of any type ok?

[Alan Lightstone]

Space is of a premium, to say the least. I really don't have the ability to store the side panels. I thought of a way to stow them in place, but they will have to be very thin and lightweight - hence plastics or thin films.

Are there any plastics that can take the solvents / lacquer overspray?

This is for a knock-down spray booth. Not a permanent one, Sheldon. It sounds like you are suggesting construction more solid than the rest of the house, LOL.

[sheldon pettit]

Space is of a premium, to say the least. I really don't have the ability to store the side panels. I thought of a way to stow them in place, but they will have to be very thin and lightweight - hence plastics or thin films.

Are there any plastics that can take the solvents / lacquer overspray?

This is for a knock-down spray booth. Not a permanent one, Sheldon. It sounds like you are suggesting construction more solid than the rest of the house, LOL.

Well, like i said if i had to recommend plastic sheeting it would be polyethylene or polypropylene for sure at least 4 mil, six or 8 would be better because you can pull it tighter without ripping or dis-figuring it as easily. I won't recommend rigid plastics simply because once they get any amount of over-spray film build on them you can't clean to like new again, at least with the film you can just "cheaply" replace it as needed. Keep in mind, i would normally not recommend either for reasons stated, but i understand your situation and space concerns. My secondary collapsible booth only came out 4" from the wall when the sides were swung back to it, so it's not like it would take up lot's of Space Alan, but i will leave it to you.

[John Coloccia]

My permanent booth has sheet metal walls. I "coat" it with paper, held on by magnets. When the paper gets crusty, I throw it out. In your case, I would find a way, either with magnets or staples....or double sided tape, to put up paper and then tear it away when you're done. I buy masking paper from my local auto paint store. It's a big roll and it's cheap. I use it to get the pattern on the gun right just before I spray, too. Then you can use whatever you want for the walls, though I question spraying lacquer in a knock down booth. It took me a month to get the airflow right in my permanent booth.

Lacquer, especially nitrocellulose, can be extremely flammable, and I'm not just talking about the solvent. Whatever you do, you need a way to clean off the overspray periodically. Tearing down a bit of paper and tossing it out is a convenient solution for me.

[Jim Becker]

Water borne finishes, shellac and oil-based products (I don't recommend spraying the latter due to slow dry times) will not likely affect plastic sheeting, but some solvent based finishes like NC lacquers, etc., may very well not be compatible. If you need to spray these (be sure you have appropriate ventilation and personal safety gear) you may be better off with a knock-down, "hard" wall type spray booth setup. You certainly could use the paper method mentioned to help mitigate, but some of those solvents are pretty nasty materials when it comes to certain types of plastics.

[sheldon pettit]

Polyethylene and propylene are inert, even to acids like muriatic[ hydrochloric] there is no danger of them melting or dissolving with any finish i know of. I use to use it to line my wood stripping tank with for decades, considering i stripped every finish know to man as to wood types used, there is no reason [outside of those i formerly mentioned], that would stop one from using it as a barrier sheet for spray-booth walls. That said, i still think 3/8ths drywall would be best and give you some fire protection, one thing plastic wont stand up against is "fire", hopefully that will never be the case, but worth consideration always!


Which ever way you choose to go, be safe!! Metal is always the best way, as others have pointed out, but again, i will leave that to you to decide.

[Alan Lightstone]

Metal sheeting is an interesting thought. Perhaps can stow it on the side of the table if it's light enough. I'd have to think about how to make it airtight at the seams.

Who sells thin sheet metal?

[ray hampton]

thin sheet metal is metal roofing , if you can buy paint thinner in plastic containers then it will be safe for spray paint [ I think]