The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Temporary Heating

I'm finally getting to a point where I get to start primering my truck but the problem that exists is it is now winter here in Utah. I need to heat a non heated shop up to 70 degrees so I can spray the primer. I was just thinking of going to the rental store and renting one of those construction heaters? Will this work, any suggestions or people that had the same problem?
Thanks for the help as always. Glad you guys are here

57Chevy,

Heating and ventilation need to be considered. Of course, if you provide adequate ventilation, you will need a larger heating capacity. Room ventilation is important even if you wear a respirator suit.

I will be interested in seeing the advice you receive on this question. I usually wait until spring before taking on a large paint job in my unheated garage. I have ability to use electric space heat at marginal temperatures but my exhaust fan (from Grainger's) turns over the air in my garage every few minutes.

Tim

The one thing you want to remember is that spraying near ANY open flame is a big nono. So, you can't have any heat like that unless you turn it off before you spray. Also be careful about water heaters and other pilot lights that might be in the garage.

BOOM!

ditto on the paint fumes and ignition sources. I remember as a kid my nieghbors owned a fab shop in town and while he was primering a steel framework an employee at the other end of the shop was grinding. Kaboom . . . instant inferno.

Husband and wife died of severe burns within 3 days of the accident. Volatile fumes are dangerous and you need to take care to evacuate them and remove all sources of ignition. Painting in cold weather is simply not an easy thing to pull off.

Warm the room and body panels up and then shut the heater off. Use low temp solvents and allow plenty of time for the primer to flash before recoating. Have an exhaust fan in a window blowing out. This will pull air in from outside to clear the fumes before starting the heater back up again.

57 Chevy: I agree with Tim man it's cold here in In. got a heated shop and I'm still waiting for spring. Let alone fire hauzard (ret. firefighter) I worry about ventilation. I've ate so much smoke I'll have to put O2 bottle behind 59 seat. popcorn3023

For repair garages in general, by electrial code, nothing that could create a spark is allowed below 18 inches, that's where gasoline fumes collect keep that in mind also, especially on old trucks with vented fuel caps. There is far more to the code than that and the amount of air exchange is a factor especially in a drafy barn, but are paint solvent fumes lighter than air? I once went to a body shop for some advise, a floor mounted gas furnace was running 10 feet from a guy spraying a panel.

All paint solvent fumes are heavier than air. About the only vapors in a shop you would find lighter than air would be acetylene and natural gas. But they're still explosion hazards.
HLW

so basically you just want to use heat lamps
have a couple of large fans for good air movment
and make sure you dont have any open flames
have you ever thought about rolling on your primer instead of spray?