What is a paint mixing room supposed to look like?

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:21 pm
Hello,

I have a quick question as it relate to paint mixing rooms.

I was on Google the other day, and found that a lot paint mixing rooms seem to look this one here: https://imgur.com/FGQCJzi - very high-tech and modern looking.

The mixing room at my dad's body shop looked like this (i apologize for the awful picture of the room just behind the Jeep, but its all i have) https://imgur.com/f8wGGtA - a small room in the corner of his shop perpendicular to his booth, with what looks like a vent leading towards the booth (im guessing the air from the mixing room is funneled to the booth?).

I guess my question is this - are simple paint rooms like my dad's common in the auto body business? His body shop is a smaller, family-owned operation, whereas I would guess that a lot of businesses with these fancier rooms operate on a larger scale.

The reason for my concern is that I would sometimes visit his shop growing up a few times a summer from when i was about 6 years old to 17 to wash/wetsand cars outside, and hangout in the office. I wouldn't really go into the mixing room itself, but i would sometimes be in the same building as the mixing room, and i know that when paint is mixing, chemicals are released into the air, so i'm wondering if its likely that the air back there would have been really bad. During working hours he would always have the garages open for ventilation of course (see building on the left https://imgur.com/0CWnVh7).

Can you guys let me know what you think? Thank you!

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 6:56 pm
So mixing rooms are like that now because the chemistry is much more toxic than it was in the 90s. Also, if you are applying for any type of booth permit they are most times spec.ing those higher tech mixing rooms. What are your concerns? Are you having health problems?
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 8:31 pm
DarrelK wrote:So mixing rooms are like that now because the chemistry is much more toxic than it was in the 90s. Also, if you are applying for any type of booth permit they are most times spec.ing those higher tech mixing rooms. What are your concerns? Are you having health problems?


I heard something in the news recently about a cover up, asbestos in the powder? In another post I planted a picture of a Blue Camaro. Well, the wind was blowing from the North and the clear coat floated south. My neighbor, away on a trip the weekend I sprayed the car, had a big tree living large in his yard next door. He came home and the tree was dropping leaves? What's up with that I wonder? Live and learn.

As DarrelK mentioned, times are changing. We know more. Mostly better.
While I'm sure any modern autobody facility today will be Engineered, for air quality, filtration, fire suppression and such things, my experience in visiting a few around town suggest, some don't understand the hazards, nor hold themselves to as high a standard for safety/safety procedure, or worst a total disregard to potential health affects to those employed or in proximity.

In the state of California, it's all bad.
As a father I ask, son, can you forgive us our sins? We knew not better, and held a false trust.
I commented to a similar posting about a welding shop youthful exposure to fumes and gases on another forum. If you got a problem the focus should be on fixing it not casting blame. Chances are you did suck something up and whether it was enough to cause you or someone else problems...I can't say. Parts Per Million? What's that in how much house dust and pet dander a person sucks up? What I can say is learn from past mistakes, avoid them or prevent them where possible, and think a bit more of the world around you.

On a final note, someone thought seat belts saved lives and a million kids in one foul swoop lost the chance to sit on dad's lap and drive.

And the neighbors tree, didn't kill it. But it lost a lot of leaves from that mist coat of clear.



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:17 pm
DarrelK wrote:So mixing rooms are like that now because the chemistry is much more toxic than it was in the 90s. Also, if you are applying for any type of booth permit they are most times spec.ing those higher tech mixing rooms. What are your concerns? Are you having health problems?


I dont have any health problems currently, but I'm just curious as to whether or not its likely the bit of exposure I incurred is likely to cause any issues later in life.

In order to gauge whether or not I'm in trouble, I was wondering whether nearly all body shops have a high tech mixing room, or whether its common for some shops to have a more simple mixing room, which is what I'm assuming what my dad had strictly judging by the aesthetics of it.

After some more searching online, it looks like there actually are some shops that have mixing room seemingly tucked away in an extra room, or just have a mixing area in a corner of their shop (https://imgur.com/TEBxl5T & https://imgur.com/a/SunvBSQ), so it looks like my dad wasnt the only one without a fancy mixing room lol.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:16 pm
Sure would be handy to have a crystal ball...... we could look forward and back at all of our lives "cumulative" effects and exposures and see how we arrived here. Early in my training for working with woods, metals, and plastics my one mentor in particular explained the difference to us between "acute" (immediate health problem such as overexposure, a broken bone, etc.) and "chronic" ( a long term health problem such as diabetes, arthritis, etc.) health condition. The problem with life and what we do at it for a living is that when you have enough acute exposure/episodes they can turn into a chronic long term problem. For instance, I'm a big guy that has always done a lot of heavy weight bearing work and hobby/car work. The net effect of doing this for a lifetime is now a body, which was just pointed out in like 27 xrays that were taken, that is riddled with arthritis. Now with inhaled or contact chemistry it is a little different..... I took all the precautions around isocyanates that would be normal for most people BUT I got overexposed with just one acute exposure and WHAM!, I was diagnosed with chronic COPD, taking inhaled steroids, emergency inhalers, the works..... So after dealing with that for 10 years or so my family doctor says it seems like some of the 65% of lung function I had lost was improving. Off the drugs I go and finally I get a clean bill of health with over 90% of lung function healthy again. No more chronic condition.... docs are still rubbing their heads.....
Okay, so the point to all of this....nope, still no crystal ball. Be as safe as you can, follow directions, everything in moderation. I do have my blood tested every 6 months looking for any telltale things that might show up from the stuff I am exposed to.....
On how shops are set up....follow the money. Bigger, more visible shops have to get zoning permits, booth permits, fire approval, etc. so they are going to be set up with those higher tech mixing units. Guy back a long lane out in the middle of nowhere with just his address number on a tree....nope, probably just has a mixing bench just off his makeshift booth.....
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:12 pm
Geeze DarrelK… That's some Grapes of Wrath stuff. But I dig it. Stuff they didn't teach a guy in school. Learned the hard way, lived to tell about.

Palms out. Appreciated the story. Read it all. Thanks for sharing.

Used to say, and they didn't even give a guy a tee shirt for attending. Well, You deserve a tee shirt. Thanks for the good post.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 9:12 am
Ha, ha..... :rotfl: Now that is funny.... Yeah, on paper (well, xrays too) I might be a train wreck but I can't complain, really. I'm still doing what I do and my hobbies have just slowed down.... I didn't have a heart attack or stroke sitting behind some desk when I was 42 like some that I knew did and I got out of that corporate scene almost 38 years ago, calling my own shots. Life is good...... :)
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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