Side xit downdraft opinions?
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We’ve been crazy busy at work for a while (heck, its just starting to slow down for the first time since last June). The boss is looking at moving the shop (which is looking like it will happen around the fall). He has made a deal towards getting a second paint booth, and it is almost certainly going to be a Junair. We cannot put a pit in the building for a downdraft. We are currently debating on either a raised pit (drive up booth) or a side downdraft model. The idea of not having ramps on a production booth is appealing, but none of us have ever used a side exit downdraft. Anyone have and big pros/cons with them?
One booth salesman (for a different brand of booths) told me the side downdrafts are awful, that they are dirty and suck a lot of the paint away from the panel. Other than him, I haven’t ever heard anything “bad” about them.
Hi Ben,I have never used a side exit downdraft or know anyone that has,they seem quite popular though so I can’t see them being bad.I thought the spraybooths job was to remove paint from the panel LOL would have been fun to bug that salesman.I can tell you that a raised floor booth is a pain in the ass to work in(I use one for 40plus hrs a week) the grated floor can be hard on the feet and knees while masking and working.If you have the choice I would pick one with 3 rows of grates in the middle and nothing on the sides,it will make your feet much happier.I would look at a semi downdraft similar to the one that jimmos dad put in his shop,I have sprayed in these types and found they work really well.I would also consider and older crossflow that has been pressurized and uses an airmakeup unit so you don’t suck from the shop.My tech rep and I were having a conversation one day about how good one of these old crossflows thats pressurized with heat would work killer with waterborne.The dodge dealership put in a new junair booth a couple of years ago and I know one of the bodymen there and I stopped in to see it.It sure looked impressive but it should be for over $100,000,I think there are better options out there that will give you more bang for the buck.Not sure if that helps but will give you some options.
By the way it was nice to meet you the other night at the aluminum class,would have been nice to actually have a good visit and not be so rushed,hopefully next time :cheers
Thanks Jayson.
There is a deal being made (I won’t get into details online), but essentially we are getting a new booth and the only brand we can get is Junair.
The sales rep I referred to earlier sells 2 other brands of booths. Some of the things he has said before are just laughable.
I have sprayed in 1 Semi downdraft and it took some getting use to. Just really odd airflow at the end with the intake. I imagine an old pressurized Devilbiss would be the best bang fir your buck.
That aluminum class was rather dry. I’m not sure if the instructor could have made it any less interesting. Good info though, and it was nice to meet you and your coworkers. Hopefully we get a better chance to meet another time
I’ve worked in a couple, but I’m on my phone in between coats so I’ll reply later when I get home.
Better late than never! :blush:
First thing I’d say is that nothing I’ve worked in compares to a full floor exit downdraft for evenness of temperature and airflow, but some have been better than others.
One booth had been converted from pit extraction to side wall. There was definitely a cold side, with the heat noticeably coming in at the centre of the roof and travelling down to one side where the extract was. Another had exits along the length of both side walls, down at floor level. That was as near as dammit ideal, with a really even spread of heat and airflow.
I’m not exactly sure what you mean when you say semi downdraft, but I used a booth with inlet at the top front, and exit at the rear floor which I think is the same kind of thing. That worked fairly well, but again there was a definite dead area low down towards the front.
These cold spots can always be worked around if you are just doing one area of a car, by turning it around or moving it over to one end or side of the booth to ensure you are working in the area of best flow, but that doesn’t help on a complete.
And I agree with Jayson about the gridded floor on a downdraft! I’ve come home limping some days when I’ve knelt down funny on one of the grids :cens
[quote=”Andy T” post=35220]Better late than never! :blush:
Another had exits along the length of both side walls, down at floor level. That was as near as dammit ideal, with a really even spread of heat and airflow.
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The first booth i ever worked was like this an old burntwood circa 1982, it was the first proper oven in our area at that time, though it was about 15 years later before i used it.I loved it got some real clean work in it, i am curious as why it is not regarded as an efficient setup, surely it is close to full down draught as you can get.
Just so we’re on the same page, I call full downdraught where air comes in from ceiling and out through grates in floor to pit(s) underneath. Semi downdraught air comes in through ceiling and out along bottom of wall(s).
The full downdraught are nice but a semi downdraught can be as good or better if set up/designed right. I’ve worked in one which had exits spaced along the side walls was maybe the best I’ve ever used but another which only had exits in the centre had strange airflows and dead spots. I like the idea of pulling the air, along with any dust that I’m creating, away from the job rather than past it. Raised floor booths are the pits. Rather have a semi downdraught.
Thanks for the input everyone. Sounds like a well designed side exit downdraft could be an excellent booth.
Just to clarify, around here what we call a semi down draft has an intake in the ceiling (usually at the door end, about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the booth) and the back wall is all exhaust (like in a cross flow). I know the terminology seems to differ a bit amongst regions.
I spray in one every day and it works very well. I can get the jobs just as clean as a “pit” style downdraft any day. Ramp pit downdrafts can have a tendency to cause turbulent air because the “pit” is not nearly as deep so you have air moving down then hitting the pit bottom and being pulled to the sides violently. A side downdraft pulls the air away much more consistently with respect to comparing it to a ramp pit booth. Now keep in mind my opinions are based on shooting solvent base coat so the need for fans or high movement air systems is not relevant to my situation. I have seen this be an issue for a friends shop in the area that has a similar booth to me but he shoots water and his fans really cause trash issues for him if the booth isn’t immaculate. So keep that in mind if you are spraying water.
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