There is a recent thread on painting with urethane in or own garages and how dangerous it is to breath the fumes. And basically you would need a fresh air system that can be very pricy. Well I found this and wondered if you guys thought it could be the answer to the budget minded paint job with urethane.

Forced-Air Breathing Apparatus for Painting

 

Better than nothing, but you really want a hood to cover the whole face. Isocyanates are absorbed thru the skin including eyes.

The other thing is where are you going to spray? A booth moves thousands of CFM's a minute, so when you finish painting, you don't have to worry about there being mist in the booth. Not the case if you're spraying in a tent.

 

I have used duct tape a lot over the years and found it to be a valuable tool. However, when it comes to something as critical as MY health, um..........
NO WAY!! Oh, and hook it up in the bathroom, the closest room to the non secure spraying room?

This guy does NOT get my Einstein award of the year.

The guys shirt says "Let's get loopy", I think he is already there.

 

Yeah I definitely thought that he could have done a little better with the setup. I wonder if you could take this setup and tweek it to where it actually works. Instead of using duck tap, make an adapter that completely seals using hose clamps or even some kind of solvent. get a good fitting Mask, hood, glasses, and suit. Then check the system for leaks of course. I'm just thinking about the possibilities.

 

I would opt for a scuba tank or something more like what the firemen wear into a smokey environment. The mask is full face, the air in the tank is pure, and the hassle of dragging an air hose around with you is minimized by the inconvenience of a tank on your back.

 

After reading the entire story the first thing that hit me is he mentioned going through the wall into the house for a source of fresh air. The big problem I see is painting in an attached garage. Way too much chance that the vapors from the paint could seep through the opening of the door or other crevices between the house and garage. Not only will the dangerous vapors get in, the odor from the paint would linger for days. I just sprayed some epoxy primer out in the open air and changed clothes in the basement. The smell from my clothes wafted up to the first floor. I would only paint in a detached building to avoid the vapors sneaking into the house.

His basic idea it pretty good, and like Ross said, better than nothing, but I'd be afraid that there would still be a chance that his system, the way he has it arranged, could suck in some of the vapors he's trying to avoid. I would want the intake box outside, away from any openings in the building. I would also not use duct tape, it tends to fail at the most inconvenient times. With all of the different PVC fittings available I think I could come up with a more reliable design.

I have sprayed a lot of paint with added hardener with just a simple paint respirator and so far I'm doing OK. The last two weekends I sprayed a two part epoxy primer. I spray something maybe 4-5 times a year. If I did it on a regular basis I'd have to look into more efficient fresh air system.

 

You have more than justified the expense of a real respirating air system. Please don't play with something this hazardous!

 

Are urethane vapors flammable, or explosive?
Looks like another version of the Big Bang Theory to me - Along with the other concerns listed above.

 

I'd assume they still use aromatic solvents, so... Yeah!

Which brings up a good point. Water-borne paint systems are mainstream with OEMs, we need to follow their example. I'm not sure they are hazard-free, tho.

 

I've pondered asking the local fire department for a mask and tank. New, the set-up is $2000 or so. If they're throwing an old one out, then the price may be pretty cheap. I dunno.

 

Paint vapors are poisonous, explosive and leave a mess.

Driving a car down a two lane highway at 60+ mph is dangerous.

I go into industrial settings with big machines, chemicals and other dangers associated with my business. But I have to do it to make a living.

Every second you live could be your last. You just have to be careful. I'm not trying to be a smart *** but I think we go way overboard worrying about everything we do in our lives. There are dangers out there but with the modern media we hear about almost every single incident of tragedy that happens almost instantly which, IMO, magnifies the dangers and how we handle them. I'm not saying there isn't a danger in using paints and their additives or there isn't dangers in sandblasting but there's dangers in everything we do and if you're going to worry about every little thing then why do anything? Just sit inside and breath the contaminated inside air filled with mold spores and radon gas. If you're going to worry about the occasional exposure to paint, I might have a little more exposure than most on this board but a lot less than others, don't mess with it, leave it up to some one else. I could never afford to participate in this hobby if I had to farm all the work out. I also can't afford the latest and greatest safety equipment. For the small amount paint I expose myself to the equipment I have I feel is adequate. I take all the precautions I can. I spray a coat of paint and head directly to fresh air, I cover as much of my body as possible, and there's a lot of body to cover.

I also do all of my own body work which involves welding and grinding metal and plastic body filler. I try to take all the proper safety precautions when I do this also but there are many dangers involved in doing body work. I wear heavy gloves and head gear but I still get burns and I've set some stuff on fire accidentally. There are also noxious vapors in involved.

I'm not trying to down play the dangers of painting. I also don't want to offend any of you, I respect your opinions very much, I'm just saying we seem to get over worked up on the dangers we face on a daily basis and if we leave all the fears rule our lives we might as well just sit back and leave life go by.

 

I'm in agreement with Bob, but my biggest concern is that the enviro-police will make it illegal to even buy any paint, let alone apply it at home. Taking precautions to be safe are not to be ignored, but one needs to become as educated as possible before being "scared" into not doing anything.

 

Bob - I understand your point - 22 yrs in the Military put me in Viet Nam, Panama, Behind a crumbling Iron Curtain, and in Iraq playing with Iranian chemical agents.
I was involved with Gulf I as one of Those Guys Then moved on to Calmer civilian life running a Hazmat Team.
After all the above I still refuse to play golf in a Thunderstorm.

 

Dick, are you sure you've never played golf in a thunder storm?!!

 

pretty sure OSHA and NESHAP would eat a shop alive if they used something like that, starting the 1st of the year(here at least) if you buy automotive paint, gotta be certified and subject to random checks from the above mentioned bodies(whether you're pro or at home)