My shop's paint booth used to be a dust trap until I overhauled the airflow

For years, I just ran the booth and hoped for the best, dealing with nibs and trash in the clear. About 18 months ago, I finally mapped the air velocity with a meter and found dead zones under 80 feet per minute. I added two extra floor vents and sealed every seam with high-temp silicone. Now my first-pass quality is up by at least 30%, and I'm not constantly color sanding. What's one physical change to your workspace that gave you the biggest payback?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_perry22h ago

Honestly, I used to think airflow stuff was overkill for a small shop. Like, just open a window, right? But seeing your numbers, a 30% jump in first-pass quality is huge. It makes total sense now that you mapped it. I guess I figured it was all about the spray technique, not the air moving the dust away. You've totally changed my mind on even bothering to check my own setup.

dylan97621h ago

Wait, is a 30% jump actually from the air or just better prep that week? @claire_perry, did you control for paint batch or humidity? I've seen numbers swing that much just from a new can of primer.