Mobile Spray Station

Keep all your spraying equipment and finishing supplies in one convenient mobile spray station

- Willie Sandry

PROJECT #2311

Skill Level: Intermediate

Time: 5 Days

Cost: $350

I'm getting to the point that I don't build general purpose shop carts anymore. I'd rather build a cabinet for a specific purpose. Something functional with handy access prioritized above all else. I've been spraying woodworking finishes since the 1990's with a variety of compressor powered spray rigs and recently, upgraded to a 5-stage turbine powered spray system. So, I needed a place to safely store the turbine, wrangle the hose, and stow related accessories. A turbine sprayer represents a significant investment, so I didn't want it kicking around the shop.

1 Breaking down full sheets of plywood can be a challenge, but a large crosscut sled makes the job a little easier. Here, my "X-Cut" sled helps trim the sides to length. If you want to skip full sheets of plywood, this project could actually be build with 24" x 48" pre-cut handy panels.

2 A setup gauge quickly helps you dial in the dado width.

Turbine units draw air into an internal filter and require unrestricted airflow when in operation. This creates an interesting design challenge when building a cabinet to enclose a sprayer. One option is to leave the lower compartment open. That would actually work pretty well, except I plan to store the cart under the wing of a table saw. In a dusty environment, it's ideal to keep the turbine enclosed when not in use. The only real hang-up with open cabinet doors while you're using the sprayerthey tend to be knee knockers. To solve this predicament, I installed "5-knuckle" cabinet hinges that swing open a full 270°. This places the cabinet door flat against the sides of the cabinet when open and you're free to work around the cart, without the doors getting in the way.