Did you paint your dust collection pipe?

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm getting close on seeing the light at the end of the PVC pipe :rolleyes: and I'm curious for those of you that have used PVC, did you paint it or leave it natural. All of my fittings are bright white, but most of the pipe is discolored in spots, and then there is the green and black writing. The discoloration looks like rust from something else stained the pipe. Not looking for anything wild here, but a consistant white throughout the shop would be nice. I even thought about taping off and painting an orange stripe on the vertical pipes for safety, but even I think that that is a little overkill. :D

Does anyone know if the spray paint designed for plastic would work on PVC? I'm guessing it would, but haven't picked up a can to see what it says.

Let me know what you think. I'm about to the point of taking it all down, making sure my joints are clean, and reassembling with some caulk. Jim.

[Cody Colston]

I left my pvc the original white. When possible I turned the black writing towards the wall or ceiling to hide it. I do remember reading on Terry Hatfield's site that he used acetone to remove the writing on his. I don't know if it will work on the other discolored spots you have but it's worth a try.

I'm not sure but I suspect some paints might deteriorate the pvc.

[Doug Shepard]

Dude - you're just determined to add more time-consuming steps and win the Longest-ClearVue-Install award aren't you? How bout taping it off in a spiral pattern, get some red paint, and do a candy cane motif. Tis almost the season.:D At least you actually have some ducting. I'm still just thinking about it.

[Ken Garlock]

Jim, do what you want. I left mine with the dirt and ink on it. After all, we are dealing with a workshop, not the the lobby to the Ritz Carlton.:D

[Jim O'Dell]

Doug, you may be right. But I swear it's sub-concious!!! :D I have one section of pipe that is nice and white, the other 4 are pretty dingy. I suppose if it continues to bug me, I can always paint it later. We'll see. I don't want to use something that would flake off. If the plastic spray paint is not intended for PVC, then it really doesn't matter if it bugs me or not.
Cody, I thought I remembered something that would take the writing off. Thanks for remembering what it is. I will try this first. Maybe it will even help with the discolorations.
Ken, of course you are right. It is a shop. And the color won't make the cyclone perform any differently. But I do want a shop that is easy on the eye.
We'll see. If I do it, I would prefer to do it before I put it together with the caulk. The caulk I'll use is the same that Ed puts the Clear Vue together with, which is clear, at least when it dries it is. What I've used on the TS shroud is not curing very fast. Thanks for the insights. Ken, you'll have to continue to be my reality check!! Jim.

[Bill Boehme]

The plastic spray paint (FUSION) will work just fine on PVC.

Bill

[Jim O'Dell]

The plastic spray paint (FUSION) will work just fine on PVC.

Bill


Thanks, Bill! I think...:rolleyes: You could be guilty of fueling my my sickness you know! :D :D I'll get back into the shop in the morning and try to decide what to do. I have a fitting I need to return to Lowes for an exchange, still part of my "it needs to be perfect" syndrome. I'll look at the paint and decide what to do. Jim.

[Bill Pentz]

I'm getting close on seeing the light at the end of the PVC pipe :rolleyes: and I'm curious for those of you that have used PVC, did you paint it or leave it natural. All of my fittings are bright white, but most of the pipe is discolored in spots, and then there is the green and black writing. The discoloration looks like rust from something else stained the pipe. Not looking for anything wild here, but a consistant white throughout the shop would be nice. I even thought about taping off and painting an orange stripe on the vertical pipes for safety, but even I think that that is a little overkill. :D

Does anyone know if the spray paint designed for plastic would work on PVC? I'm guessing it would, but haven't picked up a can to see what it says.

Let me know what you think. I'm about to the point of taking it all down, making sure my joints are clean, and reassembling with some caulk. Jim.

Try cleaning with a little lacquer thinner. Most of the writing and mess wipes right off.

bill

[Jim O'Dell]

I'll try that before I purchase anything. Thanks for the heads up! I tried my wife's fingernail polish remover, remembering that it is (was!) acetone. It's changed. Still has acetate and alcohol in it, along with a bunch of other things. It tried to clean the writing with a lot of work, but it didn't go away. Now let's see if I have some lacquer thinner .....Jim.

[Doug Shepard]

Try cleaning with a little lacquer thinner. Most of the writing and mess wipes right off.

bill

If that dont work try denatured alcohol. I used a "permanent" marker to put some layout marks on the GaShop floor epoxy paint for my DC closet. The DNA wiped it right off.

[Jim O'Dell]

I used to keep a can of denatured alcohol years ago for cleaning cassette heads and drives....hadn't had much use for that lately. :D :D :D Jim.

[Ken Garlock]

Jim, something I did when assembling my PVC pipes was to put a 1/2" sheet metal screw through each joint just for mechanical strength. Yes, they extend an 1/8" into the pipe interior, I would rather they do that than my getting out the ladder to re-tighten a joint.

Also, I used "PL" brand exterior window caulking on all my joints. It is easy to work with albeit messy. In a day or two it is strong yet flexible.

Just some random thoughts.:)

[Phil Thien]

Try cleaning with a little lacquer thinner. Most of the writing and mess wipes right off.

bill

Just remember to take precautions using lacquer thinner in the house. If using a lot of it (like, for cleaning PVC), the chances for a flash ignition go up significantly. I would just make sure the area is well ventilated so the vapors disipate. Maybe a box fan blowing outside.

[Dick Brown]

Interesting question on your pipe. I painted mine when I first put it up and then sold the place and moved to a diffrent shop. Now it looks like a pinto horse. A few years ago I asked the question on another forum about "conductive paint" for PVC pipe to eliminate the static problem but had no replies. Other than a search on Google to verify there is such a thing, I never went any farther as it hasn't been a problem for me. Sounds like a feasible thing to try though. Kill two birds with one spray can so to speak!:) :) :)
Dick Brown

[Al Killian]

Jim, either Krylon paint or you can useautomotive bumper paint. Depends on if you have a sprayer or not.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ken, I've thought about using an aluminum rivit...wouldn't protrude into the pipe much and could still be drilled out and replaced. I'm going to try to not do that if I can. I'm working on supporting the pipes well so there is no stress on them, hopefully. :D Even the vertical runs will be supported to the ground or wall. At that point I thenk the caulk that Ed uses on the Clear Vue will be sufficient. I've got some on my ABS TS shroud that I have added a piece of 6" PVC to, and even though it is not fully cured, it is very stable so far. We'll see what vibrations do to all of this as time goes on.

Phil, I'm using this in a detached work shop with a fan behind me and a 10' wide, 7'tall door about 4 feet in front of me. It is taking the writing off, but not touching the discolored portions on the pipe. I bought 1 (one!) can of paint to test with, then I'll decide from there if I get more and continue or not.

Dick Brown wrote: "Now it looks like a pinto horse."

Dick, is that because the painted parts changed? the new shop has some painted, some not? or are you commenting on your painting technique?:eek: :D :D I doubt that I'll worry that the unexposed portion of the pipes are painted, but the visible parts just bug me having black stripes and large brown splotches where it sat in something out in the elements. I'm not interested in sanding the spots out, that would be a lot of work. Hadn't heard of conductive paint. I've used the magnetic paint on a door before so LOML could use magnets on it in her studio for messages, and making poems for the kids she teaches (music). I guess it would need to be set up for plastics to adhere properly.

Al, I didn't get Krylon brand, Velspar I think. No, I don't have a spray rig yet, although I have used the vinyl paint for auto interiors before. It is essentially a dye. Available in spray cans, or we used a throw away sprayer that screwed onto the top of a glass jar that made it possible to spray automotive paint like a spray can. Could use any custom color you wanted. Can't think of the brand of it now. 15 years does a lot to the memory. :rolleyes:

Thanks guys, I appreciate the information. Jim.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Nope, I left mine grey, I also left the lathe stand primer and welds, and the jointer mobile base too.

I painted Big Blue, as it was rusty, but otherwise, I'd rather woodwork, but that is just me! :D

Maybe you should paint different sections different colors :)

[Jim O'Dell]

Stu, now I have to have a psychedelic ducting system to go along with being able to watch the dust go round and round and round and SLAP stop that (I'm talking to myself there :D :D ) ?? I'll never get any woodworking done! That's if I can actually get the shop finished. Sometimes having a lager space has it's drawbacks.:eek: Jim

[Jim O'Dell]

OK, I did a test with one can of the plastic spray paint. Not perfect, but better than it was. I have 2 shots of the same 3 pieces of pipe, at different distances.

The pipe on the left is the most offensive of the group. The one in the middle is about middle of the road, and the one on the right is the painted one. It was like the middle one when I started. I think I'll get a few more cans and work on the really bad ones first...might need to get one can of the primer. :D Jim.

[glenn bradley]

You don't cut your own shellac??? ;-)

[Norman Hitt]

Jim, the "Tub and Tile" Caulk (that comes in the red and white plastic squeeze tubes) from Ace Hardware or the other well known Brand I can't think of at the moment work really well on PVC. It is white, easy to apply and can be made perfectly smooth by wetting your finger and draging it over the caulked joint to give a curved "Filet" as such. It will not only seal the joints, but hold them together without any need for screws or such, and remains flexible similar to some rubber. If you ever need to take a joint apart though, it is real easy, just cut it with a razor blade, pull the joint apart and use the razorblade to shave off the remaining caulk. This mentioned as just another option.

Note: Cleanup is with water before it is dry. Very easy to use and the white will match your paint.;)

[Matt Meiser]

Keep in mind that at some point you will change your duct layout. You'll want to be able to take it apart easily. When I built my first duct system at my previous house I got the bright idea to use the caulk to fasten the connections by putting a ring of caulk inside the female end. Those joints were impossible to separate when I took everything apart to move. At this house, I assembled everything, mechanically fastened each joint with two pan-head automotive trim screws which where self-drilling and then caulked each joint on the outside. When I've made changes (first to add equipment, now to remove equipment) the joints were easily separated by cutting the caulk bead with a utility knife and removing the screws.

Oh, and static is going to cause dust to collect on those pretty white pipes and make them dingy again. Are you going to dust them regularly to keep them looking pretty? ;)

[Mark Pruitt]

Jim, by the time I had my PVC pipe in place I was so doggone frustrated with it all that the only thing I cared about was turning the DC on and making sawdust. If you're willing to paint the pipe you're far more patient than I.:p Like Matt said it's gonna get dirty anyway...

[Jim O'Dell]

snip Oh, and static is going to cause dust to collect on those pretty white pipes and make them dingy again. Are you going to dust them regularly to keep them looking pretty? ;)

I might!:eek: NOT. Actually if it gets real dusty, then the ceiling will have collected a lot. I'll use the blower off the shop vac to clear the ceiling off. The light reflectors I made are bright white and have a texture to them, so I know dust bunnies will collect on them and the lights.
Yeah, it will get dirty, in fact I imagine I'll end up banging into and marking it up, but those with the bad rust spots/discolorations that won't clean off, even with the lacquer thinner have got to change. The paint didn't cover up all the black marks that wouldn't clean off, either. But it's not orange anymore. Ant THAT I can live with. Jim

[Richard Niemiec]

Gee, I dunno, but all this talk about pvc has me confused. I used the green (grey) drainage pipe, its 1/3 the cost of white pvc and its handled the job for 6 years, with one relocation move to a new house. I didn't get anal about caulking or riveting, just some duct tape, and if it leaks a bit I can't really say its affected the dust collection.

Jim, your attention to detail is admirable, it would no doubt make my wife very happy, as she consistently frowns and scowls everytime she comes into the shop and is very disappointed in my choice of decor and color matching.... (".....why are some of the machines white, others grey, and still others blue?"). rn

[Jim O'Dell]

Richard, you were looking at the Schedule 40 or schedule 80 pipe, which is white. The thin wall sewer and drain is lighter than the schedule 35 you are using, which is a light green, but is available at the home centers. The 2729 thin wall that I used has a wall thickness of 0.10", so it is a lot lighter. Going rate for the 2729 here is 18.60 per 10' section. I lucked out and got my last 3 sections at 10.11 per section. The guy at the plumbing supply house I finally found this at sure made a friend in me!!:D And I've sent several others to his company.
And like you, I'm going to use some caulk, no screws or rivits if possible. I may get the pipe to within 1/8" of being seated, caulk around it, then seat the pipe. A little might go into the joint but not much. Some of the 4" pipe and fittings I'm using are too tight without anything on them. Some I couldn't get back apart after the dry fitting!

Hey Matt, i thought of something else why it may make sense for me to paint this up nice and pretty...maybe it won't blend in to the wall color, and I'll avoid running into it!!:D :D Thanks again for the comments and suggestions. Jim.

[Cody Colston]

Jim,

I've got over 120 ft. of 6" pvc ducting and occassionally (about twice a year) I'll wipe all the accumulated dust off the outside. Sure is amazing how pretty it is all clean. :)

[Jim O'Dell]

Man, Cody, that must be a good size shop! What are the demensions? Used to come out to Tyler once a year for dog shows. Haven't been there in a while. Jim.

[Cody Colston]

Shop's only 20' x 30' but the ducting runs at ceiling height with drops to the individual tools. There's two floor sweeps also, with one all the way across the shop from the DC.

I didn't know much when I installed it and may have done some stuff wrong but it sure works great.

Here's some shop pics since I know y'all like them. :)

[Jim O'Dell]

Cody, as long as it works great, who cares? My shop is 20 X 24, and I have less than 50' of 6" pipe, plus about 5' of 4", with some more 4" in the future. (over head TS guard, etc.) I mounted mine in the middle of a 20' wall, peek of the gable end, and ran the pipe down the center of the shop, with 2 branches. One branch is about 7', the other about 15', both including the turn down pipes.
Nice looking shop! is it open to the roof? or do you have a ceiling in it? Mines a real shallow pitched roof, and only 7'7" inside ceiling height. Jim.

[Cody Colston]

It's got 10' ceilings covered in 7/16" OSB and painted white. The lights are 4' T-8 double fluorescents. I could use some more.

I also framed a 6' wide "walkway" down the middle of the attic and floored it with OSB. I store light stuff up there like PVC pipe. The roof is 6/12 pitch which makes the attic space about 5' at the ridge. I have to crab around up there but it's still a handy place for storage.

I always wanted a shop and sort of rushed the building of this one. I had just recovered from by-pass surgery and thought I better git-r-done. LOML did nearly as much work as I did until it came to the roof. ;)