Guide to Buying a Benchtop Spray Booth

Guide to Buying a Benchtop Spray Booth (and How to Look After It)

A benchtop spray booth is a must-have investment for any spray shop or industrial workshop that manufactures or finishes small parts, equipment, furnishings or products. And if you're a hobbyist who spends a lot of time painting miniature projects, a bench spray booth makes for an enviable upgrade.

Bench-type spray booths aren't hugely expensive, but they are an investment. So it makes sense to do your homework and choose the best spec for your purposes and budget. Then, of course, you need to keep your paint booth in good working order if you want it to perform at its best and have a long lifespan.

This article provides the answers to some of the most common questions people have when they are considering purchasing a bench spray booth.

What is a benchtop spray booth?

Benchtop paint booths are configured differently from standard paint booths. They feature a built-in "bench" at counter height, allowing the technician to paint or finish small pieces quickly and easily. The booth is typically made of galvanised steel and uses a dry filter system.

Types of bench booth

Benchtop booths come in two construction types: standard and tabletop.

Standard benchtop spray booth

This type of booth generally stands around 2000mm tall and varies in width between 1000mm - 5000mm to suit a range of applications.

Tabletop spray booths

A tabletop paint booth is suited to DIY spray enthusiasts or spray shops with limited space. It sits on top of an existing table or counter, so it doesn't have an integrated bench.

How does a benchtop paint spray booth work?

A bench booth has an open front that draws in fresh air. The air then flows horizontally over the product and into an integrated exhaust system that exits via the roof. This system efficiently removes paint overspray while maintaining a uniform airflow throughout the work area.

When would you use a bench paint booth?

Bench booths provide a safe, compliant, clean and convenient environment for finishing small items. The counter-height bench makes for an efficient and comfortable spray experience – without a bench booth technicians would struggle to paint small items or products unless there was a pre-exisiting overhead rail system in place.

Objects commonly sprayed using a benchtop booth include:

Cabinet doors
Small pieces of industrial equipment
Small vehicle parts
Machine parts
Small pieces of furniture
Woodworking projects
Small-scale DIY projects
Models & figurines

Benefits of using bench-type spray booths

There are many reasons to invest in a bench-type spray booth for your paint shop, manufacturing plant, or home garage makes sense. Here are a few of the many benefits:

Unrivalled control of hazardous material when spraying small items
Removes airborne contaminants that can compromise your finish
Exhaust system complies with health and safety regulations
High-quality lighting lowers the risk of finishing errors
Improves air quality and reduces paint fumes for a safer work environment
Improves workflow efficiency
Reduces curing time
High-quality finish, even on complex pieces

Are there any disadvantages?

There are no obvious disadvantages to using a bench spray booth, provided you can commit to the required maintenance schedule and have the budget for regular filter replacement. Failure to maintain your booth will result in a poor-performing unit, costly repairs and a below-optimal life span.

Points to consider when buying a benchtop booth

With a huge selection of specifications and customisations available, it's important to think carefully about what you need from a bench paint booth. Cost, floor space, finish specification and purchase options are often at the top of a paint shop manager's mind

Cost

Prices vary widely, starting from under £2000.00 for self installation for a basic hobbyist tabletop spray booth. You can reasonably expect to pay between £2,000 and £5,000.00 for standard benchtop units installed.

Buy a benchtop paint booth online >>

Space and location

How much floor space do you have available? If you work a production line, where should your booth be located in relation to the other operations in your work area? Make sure that wherever you decide to position your booth will satisfy health and safety requirements.

Finish specifications

Think about the type and range of projects you will finish in the paint booth. In particular, ensure you know the dimensions of the largest item you will spray. If you have custom needs, check that your chosen supplier can accommodate this within your budget.

Purchase options

Different suppliers offer various solutions, but you can usually expect to buy a booth as a:

Standard booth supply in a range of budget options
Customised booth supply (built-in lights and fans, etc.)
Standard or customised package that includes fit-out.

Contact Ultrimax on +44(0)1302 856666 or email us at sales@ultrimaxcoatings to discuss our customisable fit-out packages.

How to look after a benchtop paint booth

Keep it clean

Your cleaning schedule will depend on how often you use the booth and the type of coating that you are spraying. As a minimum, we recommend giving your unit a thorough clean once a month. A weekly deep clean will keep the booth in good working order if you use the booth heavily.

You should always follow the cleaning guidance in the manufacturer's manual, but a deep clean protocol should look something like this:

Step 1:

Shut off the power supply and ensure the booth is sealed.
Close all vents and switch off fans before you start cleaning.
Remove exhaust filters for washing.

Step 2:

Wear appropriate PPE: painter suit with hood ; lint-free, nitrile gloves; and mask.
Clean the booth, getting into all hard-to-reach areas with a scrubbing brush and a solution of water and paint remover.
Rinse well with water.

Make cleaning easier

Nobody enjoys scrubbing paint booth walls and lights, even if it's a small benchtop booth! You can make the cleaning process significantly faster and less messy by coating your walls with peelable liquid, spray-on treatments that dry to a protective film, or self-adhesive film sheets. Once soiled, peel it off according to the manufacturer's instructions and recoat. Simple!

Buy bench paint booth coatings online >>

Change filters regularly

The whole point of a bench booth is to provide clean, uncontaminated air, so you need to look after your filters. But how often should you change them? If you use your bench-type spray booth daily, we recommend changing the filters every three weeks. Stick to the filter changing schedule in your manufacturer's manual, and always use high-quality filters to keep your ventilation system in top condition.

Buy bench-type booth filters online >>

Conclusion

Buying a benchtop spray booth is a sound investment for businesses and hobbyists that spray small items on a regular basis. It will provide your technicians with a better, safer work environment, give your production line flexibility, improve the finish quality of small parts and speed up your workflow.

Contact our friendly Total Paint Shop Support Team for more free advice on benchtop spray booths or to discuss our booth purchase options, including customisable fit-out packages.

+44(0)1302 856666

sales@ultrimaxcoatings