Drying racks

[Bill Ryall]

I don't know if this can be posted here, or if it belongs in the Finishing forum. If I have posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies.

I am negotiating with a client for a contract to build a series of custom equipment road cases. I will need to paint all the case sides prior to assembly.

I will need to build a drying rack for the panels. Can you show me yours so I can get some ideas? I have some sketches on paper, but I would appreciate some input from others so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Thanks in advance.

[tod evans]

bill, when i have lotsa flat panels to dry i shoot gun nails through scrap and rest the panels on the tips outdoors on sawhorses...02 tod

[Larry Fox]

Udo Schmidt has a picture of one in his book "Building Kitchen Cabinets". It is baseically two verticals (with support base and all that) with a dowel sticking out as far as he needs about every 6 inches on each of the verticals. It looks like he can dry a lot of panels on it and use very little floor space. I don't have a scanner or I would post a pic.

[Bill Ryall]

Tod- that is what I have done in the past, but leaving them outside is the issue. That worked ok when I did this full time, but unfortunately I have a "real" job again. I will have to spray in the morning before work, let them dry during the day, and assemble in the evening. I am not comfortable with leaving the panels outside unattended during the day. There is also the issue of weather...

Thank you tho- I greatly appreciate any and all input.

I hope this all works out- I really need to be completely self employed again.

[tod evans]

bill, i`ve seen 3/4 dowel set into 2x material at about a 10 degree angle used in pairs. never had the need to try that setup but it would be pretty easy and cost effective to make. if you go this route leave the dowels loose so you can turn or remove them when they get covered in gunk..02 tod

[Tom Hamilton]

Bill: Can you hang them from the ceiling and spray and dry in the same place?

Tom

[Bill Ryall]

Tom- thought of that, but space is an issue. I need to keep things as compact as possible. Because of my space issues, I need to spray or roll 1-2 panels at a time, turn around, load them in the rack to dry, spray the next couple, etc.

[Brent Harral]

Bill, I'm not sure how big your panels will be, but this is my set up for doors and small panels. It's a real space saver being the racks are hindged and can fold away when not being used. D-wall screws through the supports keeps things level.

<img src="http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL563/2750473/5941405/145222626.jpg">

I also use a fold down lazy susan for shooting doors..maybe something like this would work for you if your panels are on the small side. Good luck!

<img src="http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL563/2750473/5941405/116420357.jpg">

[Steve Clardy]

I had a multi-task roll around cart for holding doors and such but switched to a wall system after my 1000ft shop addition with 16x16 finish room.
I went with a wall system. Easy to hang, and the cost was somewhere a little over $100.00

I can adjust the spacing if necessary.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here are mine. They're made from baltic birch. I think I got both of the racks from one sheet. The arms are just glued to the uprights, with a staple or two to hold 'em while the glue sets. The sides are hinged together, so that they fold flat for storage. They have casters, so that I can load 'em up and push 'em out of the way while paint cures. One of the racks has the uprights hinged directly to each other, so it opens to form a V. The other rack has a spacer between the uprights, so it opens to form a U. I use the U-shaped one for longer things, and the V-shaped one for shorter things.

[Matt Meiser]

Lots of great ideas guys. I'm saving all your pictures for future reference. Do you guys spray one side, let it dry, then do the other?

[Jamie Buxton]

Lots of great ideas guys. I'm saving all your pictures for future reference. Do you guys spray one side, let it dry, then do the other?

You pretty much have to do it that way; you can't put something down on a freshly-painted surface.

The only exceptions I've seen to this have been tricks for painting doors where the top or bottom edge will not be seen. For instance, for standard interior doors, you can fasten two together at 90 degrees, while they're standing up in their usual position. Then you can paint both faces at the same time. Another way to do interior doors is to drive nails into the top and the bottom edge. You suspend the door horizontally between two sawhorses, with only the nail heads touching the sawhorses. Paint one face, then flip the door over to paint the other face.

However, those tricks are mostly useful in the case of paint which takes a day to cure. With modern sprayed finishes, the paint is cured enough to turn the piece over in a half hour or so. I can shoot a bunch of parts, take a coffee break, and flip the parts to finish the other side.

[Matt Meiser]

I ask because Jeff Jewitt talks about spraying one side, flipping the piece and spraying the other. He sets them on peices with nails sticking out. I can't see myself NOT dropping it, putting my hand in the middle, or flipping it into my shirt.

[Paul Prescott]

I've used nails in a board (with the heads cut off leaving a pinpoint sticking out) a lot for small projects, drawer fronts, small doors, etc. Works great. But for larger panels ???

[Bill Ryall]

Thanks all! Blatantly stealing some of your ideas, I shal go forth, redesign and build.