Harvey,
I am the man of a different world here. When I went to work for the body shop in La Grange, Texas, they all laughed at me when I pulled out my breathing machine. These guys painted with half masks on, and painted in their shop with the fumes just pouring upward and out the doors. When I saw your email, it hit me deep in my heart in a place that today, is still difficult for me to bear, after being injured in this place of employment. My air machine is a pump with air supplied from outside and positive pressure keeping fresh air in my full face mask with hard hat hood while I painted. When painting old bikes, old cars, etc., the fumes are cancerous and when an individual washes out their paint gun in the gun cleaner, lacquer thinner goes straight to their liver. These chemicals are indeed dangerous. Harvey, I love painting. It is so much fun and many others here could add that it makes you feel like an artist. Harvey, certain cities and state governments have different codes than other cities. There are so many things that you will learn the more that you paint. Good luck and be careful.
John Proch La Grange, Texas
________________________________ From: Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net> To: cozzolino77@hotmail.com; Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Sun, June 6, 2010 7:51:18 PM Subject: [CR] Bike Painting at home: CAUTION
Nathan, we've been through this before, and I wrote something about it decades ago in a different context. There are a couple of folks on this list who do superb paint restorations at home. But, in addition to the environmental regulations that have changed paint so much in the past decades, the professional stuff can be very dangerous. Imron, for example, is an isocyuranate "thing," related to the Bhopal solvents. In the auto body business, painters would get fired for even being caught in the booth w/o full gear - regardless if there was paint around. Please help your dad get with the full industrial hygiene program.
harvey sachs mcLean va. (I'm real pleased with the powdercoat on my formerly rusty Hamel).
Nathan Cozzolino wrote: I've read through the archives and thanks To Brian Baylis found out that the Binks #26 gun can be used to cover all the bases of bike painting. But looking for one to buy online just confused me on the matter. My dad just built a spray booth in his garage and wants to get into painting. He bought some how to dvd, but just needs to know what the proper equipment for painting bicycles is, and where to get it it. He's extremely meticulous and thorough, so I think he'll make for a great frame painter/restorer. He's taking it very seriously and wants to make a small business out of it eventually. Perhaps before long we'll have another option when it comes to a worthy frame restorer. We'll see. I would think some of the other well-known guys doing this kind of work in California could appreciate the thought of a newbie picking up a spray gun, and making their waiting lists less overwhelming. Thank you in advance for any advice, San Francisco, California