People keep saying you need a spray booth for perfect clear coat, but my garage setup proves them wrong

I've been doing my own paint jobs in a basic two-car garage for 3 years now. I just finished a 2018 F-150 hood that looks factory, no orange peel or dust nibs. The key was adding a second stage water filter to my compressor and hanging plastic sheeting to create a clean area. I spent maybe $200 on those upgrades instead of thousands for booth time. The finish is as good as any shop work I've seen locally. What's one job you've done that went against the common shop wisdom?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_grant3418d ago

Nice work on the hood, that's a solid result. The water filter is a huge help for sure. The one thing I'd push back on is saying it's as good as any shop work. A booth controls airflow to keep dust from settling while the paint is wet, which plastic sheeting can't do. You can get lucky with a still day, but a slight draft can ruin a whole panel. I've seen amazing garage jobs, but consistency is where the booth really wins.

elliot_patel18d ago

Come on, you can totally beat a booth with a homemade setup if you know what you're doing. I've seen cleaner garage jobs than some shop spray-outs.

riley4317d ago

My first three garage paint jobs made me agree with you. Then I watched a single dust speck ruin a fender that was drying, which is exactly what phoenix_grant34 is talking about with airflow. I rent a booth for final coats now.