How to avoid overspray? Options

[doug_b_928]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question/topic. I'm still in the researching stage for my restoration. I was at the local autobody supply store yesterday and was asking them about spraying epoxy primer with a gun vs. using etching primer in a rattle can. I don't have a gun and have never used one. I know Jeff Hail's thread says to spray epoxy primer after each area is repaired. They said that either way (i.e., even with a rattle can) there is an issue with overspray. I don't have a dedicated shop and there is literally no place at my house where I would want overspray. They told me a story about overspray going hundreds of feet. So, I was thinking that what I could do is have a tarp on the concrete under the car (plan is to make a bench a la Hail) and drape a poly tarp over the car. I can't tape poly to the ceiling to make a pseudo paint booth because the garage door would hit it when it's open. I suppose I could make a makeshift poly tent that fits under the garage door. But, I would think that lack of ventilation would be a big problem. Would this work? Be too unsafe? Better to rent a workspace and do all the metal work/priming elsewhere? Your thoughts and experiences would be helpful.

[Katmanken]

Overspray usually happens with crappy nozzles that spray the paint everywhere. Some of the paint goes onto the intended areas and some of the paint semi- dries in the air as dry or tacky balls that drift around onto the just sprayed paint, onto parts of the car you didn't want to paint, and some onto the floor. Corners increase the risk of overspray as the propellant bounces off the surfaces. Think spraying into the wind.

Rattlecans are notorious for crappy nozzles and overspray. Sometimes the paint layer is nothing more than a bunch of semi-tacky paint balls sticking together with gaps between. Not real fond of rattlecans and use them sometimes, but know what to expect.

One thing I did to avoid overspray was to buy a HVLP system with about 96% paint transmission. Paint goes on like fogging a mirror with your breath, and only 4% drifts around into unintended areas.