Yep, booth is a homemade jobber. Made it with 2x2's, polyvinyl sheets into 8'x 8' modular panels that can be broken down and stored. Salvaged a squirrel cage from a old swamp cooler and built a vacuum box to support the motor on the outside, didn't want to cough up the bucks for a explosion proof motor.
I've built 7 street cars and over a dozen race cars and trucks (mostly offroad racers) over the years. 4 Mopars total, 1967 Coronet, 1973 Charger, 1966 Barracuda and the 68 Charger at present. Not moving all that fast anymore but slow and steady seems to be getting something done.... I work mostly alone from home now (plus my full time 45 hr. job as a Moldmaker) unless I need an extra pair of hands I try to do all the work myself.
If your painting a solid base color with clear coat getting a quality paint job isn't that difficult. Metallic's , pearl's are another story for us garage commandos... Takes some experience and technique to lay that stuff right. Main thing is to have clean, cool dry air first and foremost. Getting the surface your painting squeaky clean is also paramount before you start laying color.
Interesting, I made molds for years to make artist resin castings. I started out making block silicon molds then "graduated" to silicon molds with fiberglass jackets. What kind of molds are you making? I used to do bronze sculptures and saw the lost wax process but never did it.
I've done metallic pearl, etc. with clear. The paint booth was less than ideal but for someone who'd never done it before, the stuff came out good enough that the body shop wanted to hire me full time. I got more help from watching youtube than the guy with 40yrs experience at the shop.
I'm looking at possibly buying a temporary shelter to paint in. My garage has show cars in it and my mechanic friend thinks that no matter how much I cover stuff or build walls overspray will get to it.
I build plastic injection molds for the medical industry. Been doing this stuff for over 4 decades now... Moldmaking is one of those trades that keeps me getting up for work, learn something new everyday... I like all the challenges this place throws at me.
If you build your booth right overspray is the least of your worries. I was more worried about fumes than anything. The booth and blower/vacuum setup works awesome for both of these issues...
I could exhaust right out the garage door. Fumes were bad at the shop I painted in but the respirator made a big difference. The veteran painter rarely wore a respirator which could explain a lot of his behavior...If I build a shelter outside, I don't think that would be much different. I also need to keep the dust from sanding out of my garage and am not sure
It's great when you like what you do. I was working for myself and virtually did everything which sometimes was stressful.
Did you have to modify those wire looms? I have valve covers like that and bought some nice wire looms but can't get them on as purchased.
Tweaked the looms a bit and fabricated some bracketry to get them where they keep the wires from roasting on the headers
Kinda thought so because I haven't seen any the did what I need them to do. I haven't fabbed anything yet and didn't have time to do it for the Nats.
