My ~$100 Fresh Air Hood System

Dean Jenkins

Promoted Users
I was tired of 3M respirators and googles and wanted to get a fresh air hood system.
Most of them look like they were designed for NASA and priced accordingly.

I enjoy the challenge of coming up with innovative and cost effective solutions.
Check out my thread on my ~$200 Paint Booth (which is working very well!)
http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?threads/my-200-paint-booth.7634/

So here is the deal with a "Fresh Air Hood," the whole idea is to have clean, fresh air to breathe while painting. What is so hard about that?

After ton's of research and trial and error, here is what I came up with for ~$100

You've got to have a quality air hood. Can't skimp on this and it is cheaper to buy one than to try and make one.
Here is what I found:

Allegro Industries 9910-D Maintenance Free Tyvek Hood. It has everything needed, plus you can get tear off lens covers for it for cheap.
It is $49.19 on Amazon.
Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012D8NLQG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Picture:

Fresh Air Hood.JPG



I tried all sorts of air sources. Crazy stuff like; Hair dryers, Bathroom vent vans in a box, Leaf Blowers. Crazy, right?
Bottom line is that you need both pressure and volume and it has to be regulated.
Sounds like Air Compressors are the perfect answer and they are. But, Air Compressors (unless you happen to have a very expensive scuba diving rig) produce air that is not safe to breathe. There is the possibility of oil mist and contaminates from old moisture and all kinds of potentially nasty stuff.

The answer? Use a compressor but get a filter system that will provide suitably healthy air.

Here is what I found:

"Supplied Air System for Spraying Respirator Gas Mask" by Chudeng (Yeah, it's Chinese, but the reviews were great and it works!)
It is $52.49 on Amazon.
Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU2Z17Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Picture:

Air Hood Regulator.JPG


Total cost for both = $101.68.

Of course, you have to have a compressor in a "clean air" environment. If you just use the one in the shop where you are spraying, then you are just compressing and breathing the contaminated air.

Here is what I used:

Ridgid 6 Gal. Portable Electric Pancake Air Compressor from Home Depot. I already had this so didn't count it in the cost.
If you don't have it, it is another $99.
Picture:

Air Compressor.JPG


I have the paint booth exhaust fans on one end of the shop, so I put the compressor outside at the other end of the shop where there is no chance of sucking in paint fumes.

I just tested it tonight while painting SS Rally Stripes on my hood.

Result? Awesome! Everything works as planned. Cool fresh air into the hood. I never smelled paint fumes at all (which I did with the 3M respirator)
Plenty of air volume. I could feel the air moving and if I closed the neck of the hood it immediately ballooned up. Plenty of positive air pressure and flow.
The compressor supplied a consistent 25lbs which is well beyond the Allegro spec of 14lbs for a 50' hose.

And it was great having a wider field of vision and not having the uncomfortable pressure of a respirator and googles.

Here I am in the hood:

DJ in Air Hood.jpg


Well there it is, my ~$100 "Fresh Air Hood," or ~$200 if you have to get the compressor. Still cheaper than anything out there.
And, it worked great!

Your thoughts?
 
This is pretty slick. Don’t these systems normally use the booth compressed air? At least the one I saw the other day did. It just teed off the paint gun hose.

Don
 
This could tee off the main compressor and supply the gun. It is all about where the main compressor is located and what air it is sending.
 
I think working with two air hoses in the booth is not ideal. Tee it on your belt. Just my opinion.

Don
A3F6BCD4-7DDF-426E-9C4D-14052BA4DC31.jpeg
 
It would be nice but I cannot do that. The compressor that makes enough cfm for hvlp gun is right next to the spray booth. If I used that, I would be breathing compressed paint fumes.
 
This is pretty slick. Don’t these systems normally use the booth compressed air? At least the one I saw the other day did. It just teed off the paint gun hose.

Don
yes, the SATA model uses the booth air thru a filter. I just do not trust my old compressors to not put an oil mist in the air. We ended up getting the TR600 size from vendor in cali for 900 as an open box model. When we were researching, I thought I read something about shine having a hood that fed the air at the neck, but never was able to find that post again. I thought it was bayonet maybe, something with a B? we got a healthcare hood, ordered the head suspension with the fitting real paint hood to have an option, figured get whatever to get the not used unit in here that are usually 1400.
 
I plan to use a "Motor Guard M-C100 1/2 NPT Activated Carbon Compressed Air Filter" in a backpack as my final filter before the gun. Would this unit being a carbon filter be safe to use for the fresh air system? I could "T" off the C-100 and add a regulator for the hood. I have a pancake compressor and could use that as the above description indicates but no additional hose would be better.

Would a 50' x 1/4" hose supply enough pressure and volume for this hood?

-----
Emil
 
Update:
I was checking the air filter on my compressor and realized it was just connected with 1 inch steel pipe fitting.
I ran to Home Depot and $50 worth of pipe and fittings later, my air filter and intake was outside in fresh air.
Put a tee in my spray hose and connect it to the air hood filter/regulator on a belt.
Now only 1 hose to tend, much better!
20220316_185749.jpg


20220316_185627.jpg


IBM
20220316_185843.jpg
 
Don't know how I missed this thread but, I'm glad I came across it. Outstanding solution to an expensive issue. I like the way your getting fresh air to the compressor from outside air. Are you confident your air compressor filter is getting all the contaminants out of the air hose.

Guess I'm missing the part of where you installed the new filter in your system?

I'm liking your idea though. Two thumbs up !
 
Don't know how I missed this thread but, I'm glad I came across it. Outstanding solution to an expensive issue. I like the way your getting fresh air to the compressor from outside air. Are you confident your air compressor filter is getting all the contaminants out of the air hose.

Guess I'm missing the part of where you installed the new filter in your system?

I'm liking your idea though. Two thumbs up !
Thanks. I have 5 stage arrow system for the main gun hose and then another oil/contaminate filter for the hood. I'm confident that it is enough. And definitely better than 3M respirator. When I use that I can always still smell paint.
Not a bit with the air hood.
 
Thanks. I have 5 stage arrow system for the main gun hose and then another oil/contaminate filter for the hood. I'm confident that it is enough. And definitely better than 3M respirator. When I use that I can always still smell paint.
Not a bit with the air hood.

If you can take a picture of your system (filters) that would be most helpful. If you don't have the time, I understand. I'm still trying to wrap my head around using one hose from your compressor and two filter systems.
 
If you can take a picture of your system (filters) that would be most helpful. If you don't have the time, I understand. I'm still trying to wrap my head around using one hose from your compressor and two filter systems.
Here is a list of filters that were recommended to me here on the forum: (links provided)
- Motor Guard AF4510 - 1/2 NPT Compressed Air Particulate Filter
 
Update:
I was checking the air filter on my compressor and realized it was just connected with 1 inch steel pipe fitting.
I ran to Home Depot and $50 worth of pipe and fittings later, my air filter and intake was outside in fresh air.
Put a tee in my spray hose and connect it to the air hood filter/regulator on a belt.
Now only 1 hose to tend, much better!...
You've inadvertently supported an Idea I have.
My current filters are attached via 1/2" fittings. My plan is to run 1 1/2" PVC from a single large air filter inside the house to the two cylinders on my compressor. This should get clean air as you suggest as well as pull less humid air into the compressor. (I'm in Florida)

BTW, how confident are you in the respirator air filter you are using? I am considering using a Motor Guard M-C100 Activated Carbon filer instead, but your solution is more compact and manageable. Plus I'm not sure if the C100 is an appropriate solution.

-----
Emil
 
If you can take a picture of your system (filters) that would be most helpful. If you don't have the time, I understand. I'm still trying to wrap my head around using one hose from your compressor and two filter systems.
Happy to. Here is the Arrow 5 stage filters that my 1/2" Flexilla hose attaches to for the gun.
(I have separate leg in the system for air tools with a simpler water trap - no need to run that volume of air through my desiccant canister.)

Air Supply.jpg

Now that the compressor is drawing fresh air from outside, I simply put a tee about 4 feet from the end of this hose and connect it to the air hood filter/regulator.

air hose tee.jpg


This is what the air hood filter/regulator looks like on a person (stock photo from the vendor since it would be hard to take a picture of myself all hooked up - I think it gets the point across. I am using a full hood, not the mask shown)
Once I'm hooked up, I turn the belt so everything is behind me and I just have the gun hose in front of me.
So the air being delivered to the hood goes through 2 filter systems and has been drawn in from outside.
The only thing that needs to be filtered is any potential oil mist from the compressor and I'm confident that between the 2 systems, it is safe.
Much cleaner air than the best cartridge mask in my opinion.

fresh air connection.jpg
 
Hi, are you wearing any type of filter mask under the hood?
No. Here is a picture.
A pretty high volume of filtered air comes into the hood through some sponge like pads at the top back. You can feel a breeze over your head.
The air exits at the bottom. If you squeeze the neck closed it balloons up quickly.
DJ in Air Hood.jpg
 
OK, thanks for the response. I have the Breathecool II system with the hood. My hood looks almost identical to yours. I was a little leery of wearing just the hood when I used it so I wore my 3M respirator under it, which pretty much sucked, literally. Next time I’ll try it with just the hood :) .
 
Many moons ago in the early 1990s I had to do some painting on some small planes, from repaired panels to the full plane. Rigged up a 2 by 4/clear plastic/filters and fans as a makeshift booth. For breathing I had one of these, an unused full face oxygen mask:
6FE4F129-BA5F-4804-BD92-657DAFDA1147.jpeg


bought a regulator so I could supply air at whatever pressure the mask needed. Air source was simply a bottle of compressed breathing air……think something like a 150 cubic foot bottle of argon or whatever, but breathing air..think something like a big SCUBA tank. Kept the bottle and regulator outside the booth, air piped in with a flex hose. Actually worked very well
 
Hi Dean, great thread! I've got a couple questions, I hope you don't mind.

How big is your compressor tank, and have you used this method to paint a whole car? I ask because I wonder about how much extra air your hood is using on top of what your gun is using, and I'm wondering if it's causing your compressor to cycle while you work.

Did you stop using that Chudeng filter system when you moved from your portable compressor to your big one with the fancy Arrow setup? Or is that still being used on your belt?

I saw someone on here mention needing needing a non-gassing hose from Gates if you're using it for air. How important is that for a hobbyist that only does this on an infrequent basis?

Thanks!
 
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