Filtering Aircraft stripper, ventallation Q's. (Bodywork and HVAC guys chime in!)

[Schema]

I picked up a gallon of Aircraft stripper for the Datsun project. This stuff is pretty vaporous, so I want the best ventilation possible, and need to filter it before it goes outside.

I don’t need help on the ventilation; I can get the fumes outside. What I do need to know what kind of filtration I should be looking at. I was briefly looking at activated carbon filters, but read that certain chemicals, gases do not adhere to the carbon. I know nothing about filtering gases other than what I'm currently reading up on.

Does anyone know the proper or industry standard for capturing these types of gases/chemicals? Will a carbon filter work? Are there any others I should consider?

[mikecentola]

You should be able to get some higher quality face-masks from paint and body work wholesaler. Some good ventilation to get the fumes outside and a good mask and maybe even a body suit would probably be adequate.

[Celtic1982citleC]

I would call any body shop and ask what they recommend. I look forward to what Evodesign says in this regard, they should be able to answer your question.

[Schema]

Originally Posted by mikecentola

You should be able to get some higher quality face-masks from paint and body work wholesaler. Some good ventilation to get the fumes outside and a good mask and maybe even a body suit would probably be adequate.

I already have a 3M mask with new carbon based filters. Don't need a body suite, just gloves, but I'll probably wear full clothing either way. More so looking to filter the fumes as they're being expelled from the shop, as there are suites/business' above us. Open window = bad.

Originally Posted by MYIX8UR8

I would call any body shop and ask what they recommend. I look forward to what Evodesign says in this regard, they should be able to answer your question.

Thats a good idea. A buddy found some information on strippers containing HAP's (I think the aircraft stripper I have applies) and I quote ;

"a combination of a carbon adsorber and catalytic incinerator can achieve greater than 99 percent removal efficiency, and would be essentially equal to the depainting standard of no HAP emissions."

I think that's what I was looking for, may not include the incinerator as this is a 1-time 1-shot deal, and should be relatively effective. I'm still reading in to it before I jump the gun though, so any additional advice or suggestion would be great!

[evodesign]

Oh you guys should love the answer to this one...and the DEC might knock on my door but it wouldn't be the first time. We do wear respirators and gloves. Don't care if I'm wearing body suit or full coverage clothing though, it only burns a little! Suck it up! Besides, if it gets on your clothes, you'll get it on your skin later, trust me.

As for ventilation, um...how to put this, we usually don't worry about it with paint stripper. You should be working one pannel at a time with that stuff, and at least in our shop that's not enough to linger in the air for more than a few minutes, or maybe we're just immune. ( We also have very high ceilings.) If it does get bad though, we just turn the booth on to blow it to the outside air. Because we are under the DEC legal limit that requires us to have full exit filtration....we don't really care where it goes....

In your case however, you should be fine with the filters you have, that will more than remove any actual scent from the exit air. If anyone complains, you are way, way under the levels that you can get in any kind of trouble for.

[Schema]

Originally Posted by evodesign

In your case however, you should be fine with the filters you have, that will more than remove any actual scent from the exit air. If anyone complains, you are way, way under the levels that you can get in any kind of trouble for.

That's great to hear! My main concern was to make sure nobody above us will get a wiff of anything and have our asses handed to us IF we didn't follow proper procedures. Glad to hear that I'm under the limit regardless. I'll post pictures of my little ghetto rig when it's done, I'm building a wooden frame around the car and covering with plastic, then taking a 250cfm blower attatched to flexible air duct to run it out the window.I'll just throw a carbon filter after the blower .

[Audiochef]

as ryan said we dont really worry about the vapors from it to much as long as we are not breating it in...your wooden booth idea is a good idea. but what i do and i find works great is to plastic off the area i just covered and let it sit on top of the pannal. it traps all the vapors into that spot. and after the chemical reaction takes place say 10-15 min later i just remove the plastic and the fumes are not so bad anymore...hopefully this helps you out...

idk if there is any scientific reasoning to this as well but i think it helps the paint lift faster as well....try it out

[Schema]

Originally Posted by Audiochef

.. .what i do and i find works great is to plastic off the area i just covered and let it sit on top of the pannal. it traps all the vapors into that spot. ....

I read that somewhere and ran it by the buddy who I share the space with and he made the point " if it tears through layers of paint, I don't think plastic has a chance" . Now that you mention it, was there a kind of plastic you've been using that holds up? I mean hell, that'd be much easier to do

[Audiochef]

right now off hand i dont remember the exact name for it. but its just masking plastic we use to bag cars while painting. one side has a static cling to it and the other side is a sprayable side where paint dont stick....idk if it really matters though thinking a heavy dutty black trash bag cut down the seams and folded out would work just fine and not get eaten up.