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Ok. I was searching the archives but could not find any real good info.
I am building a spraybooth, and need to know what kind of fan I need. will be spraying nitro etc so I am told I need a fireproof fan. BUT they cost like 800 + dollars. for the cheapest one ! Do any of you know of where I can find one cheaper than that . or and some links to some good fans for the booth. Wallmounted. or if you know of a cheaper way to go that would work AND be safe.

Lars

explosion proof fans are not cheap . I used a fan blower from a hot air furnace. I separated the motor from the fume area.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
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I just finished my booth & modified an old axial exhaust fan to run on a belt instead of direct drive.
I built a "wall" between the fan & the motor, still leaving the motor with lots of air circulation around it.
This is not "recommended" procedure, but with the quantities we spray, I am confident it won't be a problem for me.
All that said, every time a person steps out & takes a "risk", they must be willing to assume responsibility for their decision. I am not recommending this course of action. Just saying that's how I did it.
(There is also the risk that if something bad does happen, your insurance might be void because of unapproved equipment... or even simply because there was a spray booth on your property)
I got my fan for free & spent about $30.00 buying a shaft & bearings to get the motor out of the direct air path. A few scraps of plywood & some time was all i invested. The least expensive explosion proof fan I could find was over $500.00.
When I have $500.00 I don't need, I'll probably buy a real explosion proof unit.
To prevent sparks inside the booth, I mounted the fan & light switches outside, next to the door. I also used heavy duty switches, which have heavier points & don't spark as much as a standard light switch.
I worked for many years in a commercial space where we painted aircraft every winter. There was an oil furnace in the space, unshielded lighting & machinery all over the place & we never had a problem. Doesn't mean we weren't just lucky.

Taking the suggestion on a belt drive a step further you can isolate the motor in a separate container with the shaft and pully outside the box with the motor. A brushless induction motor would add an extra level of safety.

However that doesn't make it legal or protect you from liability. Hence the high price for the sticker that says, "explosion proof."

Another thing to consider is dry overspray in powder form. I visited a fellow luthier with a wonderful shop where he was spraying nitro with what is essentially a window fan. There was a lot of this very dangerous stuff on the walls and floor. You should see it burn. Very impressive!

Steve Brown

You won't find a 'cheap' explosion proof fan. They are expensive for a reason.

If I didn't have an explosion proof fan, I would have gone the isolated motor direction. Then I learned that not only should the fan be explosion proof, but the lighting and switches should be as well.

I switched to water based finish instead. I know I can spray nitro if I want but there are many water based finishes that are now acceptable (as we've seen recently). I'd still have to isolate my lighting and switch should I go back to nitro.

Then there is the health issue with spraying nitro....mind you, I don't think any sprayed finish would be totally without potential health issues.

If you really must spray nitro, why not just set up correctly? What's the potential for blowing you and your shop up worth? $1000 to get everything right? Pretty easy answer looking at your avatar picture there Lars.

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If you have insurance you may not be covered without an explosion proof fan. You only have to buy the fan once.

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I broke down and bought the Grizzly small booth. Cost another $1500 for the explosion proof hookup and explosion proof lighting, and probably another $500 for all the ductwork. It ain't cheap folks, but I feel a lot safer now, and there is NO lacquer smell anymore.

There is a post that was made on the OLF probably 4+ years ago in which the poster (sorry I don't remember who it was) told us that the white dust that we see everywhere after spraying nitro was similar in chemistry the stuff that you would find inside the shells for the battleship New Jersey.... I'm not sure of this information but that's what was posted.

In addition another poster indicated that they got very sick from nitro exposure and it ended their Lutherie career and was on track to end their life...early.

It was terribly sad to read and of course doing what humans do I did what I suppose others did too and considered if I wanted this to happen to me.... Prior to this I was spraying nitro in my toilet closet... in an unused bathroom in my condo.... with a respirator on. The bathroom exhaust fan, the usual variety 80 CFM NOT a non-explosive fan and the lights, outlets etc were all just what you would find in a bathroom.

What I was doing was very, very, VERY STUPID!!!!!

Although I enjoyed finishing and my results were getting good (finally... it was a learning process...) it was just too dangerous for me to do my finishing where I lived at the time. That is when I heard about Tony Ferguson and started sending my guitars out for finish.

Anyway Lars buddy as everyone else has indicated these fans are expensive but you my friend are priceless to us and others so please if you are going to do your own finishing stay your present course and get a proper, safe explosion proof fan and set up a spray booth that will serve you and your fantastic guitars well and keep you safe.

The insurance price jump for installing a spray booth made me use a shed building that is separated from my permanent structures and is not insured. The insurance would double with a spray booth in my area so I now have one but it is not included on the buildings or ins.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it