Painting with the HVLP systems (Respirator?)

If you enjoy life.. it should be safety first.
I know alot of Painters from back in the day.. that didnt last long.. I know a few painters now from back in the day.. that are Suffering now.. it only takes one time to mess up a good life.

 

call your local 3m rep. and they will educate you on there safety products. I paint cars for a liveing (10 years now) and use what I am told are the safest products out there. Grant it I spray in a down draft booth but no one will tell you there product protects you %100 from everything. heck its not evein safe to eat meat or un organic food now a days.

 

I have one of the TP turbine systems. The first thing is the turbine stays out of the paint area not just for sparks but to keep the unit filter clean. My son has used it and my step son will be spraying my 32 truck and he was/is a painter. The system works well and I am satisfied with it. Everyone that has used it is impressed! I don't paint but I have COPD so unless you want a short life spend the time and money to make sure you have more than adequate air.

 

All that is true, but the 3M information proves what I said. You would need the breathing air regulator and a supply of air connected to a hose.

I won't be using a downdraft booth but with the less overspray factor of the HVLP system the supplied air system I posted should do the job.

 

In the USA you can only spray hvlp or compatable guns like a sata rp. everything here has to be aproved by osha. its crazy all the rules but thats off topic.

 

Some knuckleheads believe nose hairs take care of everything.



Ago

 

I Have the TP HVLP system..... for about 8 years

My comments:

1. Their guns suck. Buy the Fuji gun. Worlds better !

2. With all painting, you need to move air. I have two large squirrel cage fans in my shop. One on the floor, one in the ceiling. I crack the shop door and I get alot of air moving. You need to move air for your safety AND to let the reducers evaporate properly between coats.

3. I wear a paint suit and use a external respirator. The pump is in the basement of the house and supplies me with cool fresh air (positive pressure). I wear a hooded respirator. It's a pain to drag another hose around.....

4. I get zero over spray in the shop. I could paint my car black next to a white show car and you would see no over spray on the white car.

5. I have only painted a dozen cars in my life, I believe safely, never smoked, and still got throat cancer at the age of 50. Who knows why .... but you need to be safe .....

 

Ok I am a 3M rep working in the collision repair industry everyday for the last 13 years and prior to that was in the industry...for what you guys are doing ( 1 time jobs in your garages) a disposable charcoal element respirator is fine. They are used by thousands of Techs in the industry on a daily basis. The key is they aren't a buy it once and use it for life. The cartridges will protect you from the nasty stuff in the paint products....but for a limited amount of time I.e exposure limits. A down draft spray booth is going to move the harmful stuff out of the air faster than fans in a garage for sure and the mask will last longer in that environment. For a "hobby painter" wear a dust mask for your prep work I.e. sanding , a disposable organic vapor respirator is fine for the exposure you would get doing a 1 time job in the garge. That would cover inhalation of the bad stuff....but in a garage paint environment your eyes become your next entryway for isos. If you want great protection invest in a full face respirator like the 3M 7162 / 7163. It's a great investment, you get full protection and when you have finished the job you throw away the cartridges and put new ones on should you spray another project down the road. The other factor is storage of your mask. They need to be in a sealed container, if they are left out, they are working.

I seen the posts on fresh air pumps, one thing to remember is you need grade D breathing air..if you have the inlet outside wher you will be exhausting the paint fumes what will you be sucking in? Shops that use fresh air have it plumed away from any source of intake contaminants, c02 monitors, and decontesent filters before it reaches the painters mask.

A good full face mask with fresh cartridges should allow you to prime, base, and clear a car. I would also wear gloves and a tyvek type paint suit.

 

Another thing in relation to the above post by loveofit. Don't dwell in the garage, When your finished with a coat go outside. And another thing if your garage is under the house move your family to your in laws. Paint rep told me after the catalyst drys ( about 30 minutes) most of the danger is over.



Ago

 

Different people will have different reactions to exposure. Best bet is to not expose yourself any more than is absolutely necessary. You won't know your exposure limit untill its too late.

The 50 foot hose with that setup is probably too short to put the inlet far enough away from the contaminant and still let you work. You'll probably need some extra hose, but be aware that there are limits to hose length due to pressure drop, etc.

Not a good idea. If it is hard to breathe through then its not working properly, and almost guaranteed to be leaking more. It would be better to keep the second set of filters packaged and swap the filters out of the mask half way through the job (in a clean environment)


For the few who doubt the need for the safety gear, how many healthy old spray painters do you know?