Saw a big difference in my paint jobs after switching to a heated booth setup

I've been going back and forth on whether spending the extra cash on a heated paint booth is really worth it for a small shop like mine. For years I just used a regular setup with portable heaters, and my clear coats always had some orange peel or dust nibs I'd have to wet sand out. About 6 months ago I bit the bullet and bought a used heated booth from a guy down in Phoenix for $3,200. The difference in my final finish is night and day. The paint lays down way flatter and I'm hardly doing any correction work after. But I know some old timers who swear by the old methods and say booths are just a crutch. What's your take? Have you seen a real difference with temperature control or is it more about your prep work and technique?

2 comments

2 Comments

cooper.reese5d ago

@charlie269 nailed it with the physics bit. I had a buddy who thought he could skip the booth and just run a few space heaters before spraying, ended up with a finish that looked like an orange had a baby with a golf ball. He spent more time sanding than I did building the whole booth setup, which I found out after he told me the story at a car meet (he was not happy about it). Temperature control just makes everything flow out right, no amount of prep can fix paint that won't lay down because it's too cold. That Phoenix booth you got for $3,200 sounds like a steal, by the way.

charlie2695d ago

Hate to say it but those old timers are wrong on this one lol. Temperature control made a way bigger difference in my final finish than any prep work or technique change I ever made. You just can't fight physics when it's 55 degrees in the shop and your clear is too cold to flow out right.