24 replies to this topic

[beardylondon]

Today in the news they are saying picking your nose could possibly cause alzheimer's disease, as bacteria could enter the brain, so I don’t fancy the chemicals from 2k paint coming thru my skin!

[Daz1968]

I have painted 2 minis at home with 2k direct gloss, I built a frame inside garage on 2nd one and covered in masking film, 

I have a 3hp Clarke belt driven compressor and use a devilbiss Sri pro touch up gun with disposable full size cups, and this leaves just enough head room on the compressor for the airfed mask, the fan size of gun is about 6 inches and produces less overspray than a full sized gun, I wore disposable overalls and gloves, You can get filter masks that work with 2k, only issue is without positive pressure mask you cannot guarantee the seal to face, and don’t forget to keep compressor out of the painting area so you don’t take in the paint fumes.

[Ben_O]

If using an air fed mask, a moisture trap won't be enough.

You will need 3 stage filtration so an oil trap and a carbon filter to be safe.

I painted 2 things with an air fed mask connected to a compressor with only single stage filtration and was very ill as a result so would not recommend the risk.

 

This is where costs start to rise as a decent air fed is £300

Then a decent filtration system is £250

Factor in a quality spray gun for £4-500 and it starts to add up,  especially for one job.

 

you don't have a compressor so you would want to buy one that is more than needed so you don't keep waiting for air mid spray which will be disastrous as you can't keep the paint flowing if you keep stopping which will lead to a dry and uneven finish.

 

I would not recommend spraying any 2k product near to neighbours or animals even if they are a reasonable distance

Spraying it without filtered extraction is unethical and unfair to any poor unspecting neighbours who might have conditions made worse by the fumes 

 

Don't ever paint 2k with just a filtered face mask, it's absorbed into the skin and eyes so absolutely will not do no matter how good your extraction is or how small your job is

 

Cheers

Ben 

[sonikk4]

As Ben has alluded and being a professional there is a lot more than just a Air fed mask.

I went down the spray at home route ( workshop / Old apple barn I rented with a mate) just the prep work alone laying plastic to make a cocoon was time consuming, then constructing a rudimentary extraction system with filter.
Now onto the breathing side of things. I had been talking to Ben so he passed on a lot of top info. So the three stage filtration system was bought, my forced Air breathing mask did have its own water trap system but more is good here. I had another water trap off the feed line from my breathing air compressor. The other compressor I had for supplying air for spraying was set up with water/oil filters as well and also you can buy small disposable filters that screw into your Spraygun which I found to work well ( unfortunately after I sprayed the car but used for all things suspension that needed painting)

I had two compressors, and had being the word here. I had a 3hp 100ltr I set up for breathing air and then my 4hp 200ltr for spraying with. Part way through spraying the 100ltr failed catastrophically. I then tried to use a small 50ltr 2hp compressor for the breathing air and all I will say is DONT. It’s not man enough and will run constantly.

I ended up buying a splitter for the big compressor which enable me to carry on. I had to swap things around and needed to make sure the airflow for the spraygun was consistent and obviously enough flow for the mask.

To be honest I found it to be borderline but it worked. If I was to do it again I would ensure I had two decent compressors which I thought I had but hindsight is a wonderful thing and luckily when then smaller one failed I had something I could fall back on.

You get one set of lungs, so with 2k and to be honest any spraying product be mindful and just don’t take someone’s word for it that such and such will be ok. Oh and I tried a standard type face mask for spraying the underside of Paddy and even though according to the manufacturer instructions and the recommendation of the paint shop it still let fumes in around the seals and so not only the smell but when I took the mask of, there was evidence of Blue paint inside.

So a salutary lesson here and for those not in the know at work when we used to have a spray bay, any operators were required to have a face fit test of masks, this also was a requirement for Aircraft fuel tank entry. If you have a beard or any sort of facial fungus this has to be taken into consideration. Different sized masks for different sized faces. From a Heath and Safety point of view it’s a bloody nightmare.
Also again something to consider is the extraction system. Mine was very heath robinson but a professional spray booth is a totally different animal. A good quality spray bay will have extraction that will eclipse anything you can do at home by a country mile. The chap who sprayed Erm for us, his booth had a ground extraction system that sat under the car. When this thing was on its suction power was impressive. No way will a diyer will emulate that.

[Cooperman]

I can only spray celly as I don't have the vital equipment to spray 2k. As Ben says, you can end up very ill if you don't use the right kit. 

Fortunately with celly a good quality face mask is sufficient so long as the fliters are in top condition. Celly is also very forgiving if you get runs (you will!) and when 'nibbed' back and polished looks fantastic.

However, it does not last as long as a 2K paint, but for a classic doing few miles and kept in a dry garage it is fine.

[pete l]

Can celly still be bought today ? I can't find any here in France. It's all 2K here.

[Gaz66]

Its looking like cellulose then but.....
Im sure I read, probably on here, that there's a "safe" 2k now?
I may have imagined it though.

[cal844]

Isocyanate is the problem with old 2K paints, some still have them BUT very rare....
A double filter type mask is perfectly fine for spraying with.

My dad is able to get concourse results in a 36msq brick garage with a twin radiator fan in the wall (with filter set up) then external is a box that goes to the ground and we usually have our garden hose misting inside the box, to catch the remaining overspray. I can smell the paint fumes but can't see them in the atmosphere around the garage.

[SKIDDERWOLF]

Painted my mini in Cellelouse back in the early 90s, I was young and enthusiastic, bought a cheap machine mart compressor and bog std spray gun and painted in my single garage. Help my breath as best I could between each spray stint and got rather light headed. The garage was full of mist and the whole place stunk - I was sharing a garage block back then so god knows what the neighbours thought!!! End result was pretty good after some cutting back once the paint had hardened, Long time ago now though. would be wearing more PPE now.

[sonscar]

If you can smell it you are breathing in toxic fumes.One of the reasons for air fed is the positive pressure to prevent inhaling fumes.You have only one pair of lungs.The paint manufacturer will have data sheets,so will the government.Make your own choice.Choose life.Steve..