I was convinced you needed a full spray booth for a proper clear coat until I saw a mobile repair guy's setup in a parking garage.

This was in Phoenix, outside a corporate office park. He had a pop-up tent, a serious respirator, and a high-end HVLP gun. The finish on that BMW bumper was flawless, no dust nibs at all. He said the key was a 3-stage filter on his air supply and only working super early in the morning when the air was still. Made me rethink what's absolutely necessary for a quality job versus just ideal. Has anyone else pulled off a showroom-level finish in a less-than-perfect environment? What was your trick?

3 comments

3 Comments

anderson.taylor23d ago

That bit about working when the air is still is so true. I wet-sanded and cleared a motorcycle tank in my driveway under a pop-up canopy. The real trick was using a garden sprayer to soak the ground all around me first, which kept the dust down. I also hung damp sheets around the inside of the canopy as a final dust trap. Came out mirror-smooth, but I was done by 8 AM before the breeze picked up.

casey81822d agoMost Upvoted

Absolutely nailed it with the damp sheets, that's a pro move right there. Did something similar painting a guitar body in my garage, soaked the concrete floor until it looked like a rainstorm hit. Even taped up plastic sheeting over the door gap. That morning calm is everything, you can actually see the dust in the air once the sun comes up and the world wakes up. Worth getting up at the crack of dawn to avoid those last minute specks ruining the clear coat.

mark_thompson22d ago

Nah, @casey818, I'd rather just run the shop vac.