Finishing Room

The Finishing Room

The Finishing Room is a well ventilated room that is a great place for dirty work such as painting, staining, sanding, using epoxy, etc.

The current Aces of the Finishing Room are Needed (Makerhub@georgefox.edu).

Schedule

This room is available during Machine Shop hours.

Equipment Overview

The room is supplied with compressed air. All painting should be done with a rattle can unless otherwise approved.

Equipment by Icon

If any paint equipment is added to the room it will be shown here.

3 Commandments

Safety First

Here are some safety instructions for the Finishing Room. Remember... SAFETY FIRST!!!

• All of the Machine Shop safety guidelines apply for the Finishing Room.
• Wear SAFETY GLASSES when working in the Finishing Room. It does not matter that you are outside the "safety glasses zone" taped on the Machine Shop floor. Use common sense.
• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as eye/face protection, gloves, protective clothing, and a respirator or dust mask.
• If the paint product specifies a respirator is needed, the operator must follow George Fox University Voluntary Respiratory Protection Plan.
• Minimize skin contact with paint, resins, epoxies, stains, finishes, or any other chemicals. Never point a spray paint can or the air brush at any part of your body. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the Finishing Room.
• If any liquids, sprays, or particulates get in your eyes, use the eye wash station at the sinks by the Machine Shop door to flush the material out of your eyes.
• Do not stand downwind of your workpiece. The whole point of the Finishing Room is to pull harmful fumes and dust away from you, through the filters, and out of the building. If you are standing between your workpiece and the filters, you are defeating the purpose of the Finishing Room because all the fumes and dust you are creating are being pulled past your body on their way out of the building. Rotate your workpiece if you need to access the other side.
• Allow freshly painted items to dry in the Finishing Room with its exhaust ventilation operating (but not overnight). Notify a shop supervisor if you intend to leave the exhaust ventilation operating. Set a timer for yourself to return and reset the space.

portable fire extinguisher

• Food or drink is not allowed in the Finishing Room.

Safety First is the rule we hold highest of the three. This rule applies to both the safety of you as well as others.

Keeping yourself safe in the Finishing Room is very important, as there are possibilities for accidents if you don't follow the safety guidelines.

The following rules must be followed at all times.

• Safety glasses must be worn at all times.
• Ear protection must be worn when the exhaust system is on.
• Read the label of any paints or chemicals in use and understand what you are doing.
• No horseplay in the room.
• Don’t do anything distracting to yourself or others while working in the room.
• No open toed shoes.
• Hair will not extend below the collar.
• Do not attempt to operate equipment without being certified by the Ace or other Maker Hub personnel.
• Do not argue with volunteers or shop staff. Contact Justin Johnson if you have issues that need to be resolved.
• You should have a buddy in the shop if you are using the room.
• Reset the space. A clean space is a safer space.
• If you see a safety violation inform the person immediately and encourage them to comply with the policies.
• Don’t do anything that would require an additional rule to be added to this list.

Hazard Information

Employees, students and volunteers who use the George Fox University spray booth may be exposed to health and physical hazards from the chemicals contained within the paint or material.

Potential health hazards include exposure to chemicals such as paints (aerosol paint cans, stains, varnishes, latex or water based paint), silicas, or fine dust from sanding operations. An individual may be exposed through inhalation or dermal absorption. Organic solvents and vapors through inhalation or absorption have been linked to central nervous system disorders. In addition ,skin contact may cause dermatitis and localized skin irritation. Exposure to additives and paint pigments such as lead, cadmium, and chromium is considered highly toxic. Sanding operations can create fine dust that can be inhaled.

Flammability exposure is another identified hazard. Paint spray operations have the potential for a fire event. Certain paints, lacquers, varnishes, shellacs, solvents, and thinners are very flammable. Before using any chemical, check the SDS sheet or the label for instructions.

Fire Protection System

The spray booth is designed with an Amerex industrial dry chemical fire suppression system. The system used a dry chemical suppressant when discharged through a fixed nozzle network into the paint booth. In conjunction, the system is equipped with a manual pull alarm and signage.

The fire suppression system can be actuated by automatic or manual means. During automatic system activation, the heat from the fire melts a pressurized detection line relieving air pressure, which allows high-pressure nitrogen gas to pneumatically open the dry chemical cylinder(s) to disperse the chemical through the fixed nozzle network. In a manual activation, the operator must activate the system located at the entrance to the spray booth by first pulling the ring pin and then pulling the handle of the manual pull station firmly. This triggers the system to activate.

In Case of a Fire

The following steps are required if the system is activated. Alert others working around you. Alert the Makers Hub Manager or any engineering staff working in the Makers Hub. Actuate the fire suppression system by pulling the ring safety pin and by pulling the handle of the manual pull station located next to the emergency doors. Evacuate all employees, students and volunteers by activating the pull station. Notify the fire department by dialing 911. Stand by with a portable fire extinguisher and watch for re-ignition. Makers Hub Manager must contact Plant Services for service of the spray booth, service to the AMEREX fire suppression system and clean up of the suppressant. Note: The discharge of the fire suppression system is noisy and produces a large cloud of extinguishing chemicals. Breathing the dry chemical is unpleasant and may cause some irritation to the nose, throat, and eyes, and may cause coughing. Dry chemical is non-toxic in all forms and is classified as nuisance dust by OSHA.

After the Fire is Out

The following safety precautions shall be followed: DO NOT restart the suppression system. DO NOT use any other equipment that may have been exposed to the suppression chemicals. Identify and address the root cause of the fire. Make necessary repairs. USE a water stream, vacuum, or compressed air to remove dry chemical residue. Because this is an open system, the surrounding area will need to be cleaned. All equipment may not be used till they are cleaned and inspected. Clean all other equipment that may have been exposed to the suppressant per manufacturer's specifications. Suppression system must be serviced and the system recharged by a certified professional.

Adequate Ventilation

Ventilation is crucial to the spray booth. During operations, ventilation must be continuous during spray or sanding operations and for a sufficient time after operations have stopped to allow vapors from drying coated materials, dust from sanding to settle, and residue completely exhausted. Work shall be positioned as far back as possible into the spray booth for the booth to provide adequate protection to the operator.

Make-up air for the paint booth shall be provided. Make-up air shall be supplied to the spray booth in a quantity equal to the volume of air exhausted from the booth. The ventilation system pulls 4 exchanges of air per hour. When turning on the spray booth no make-up air is felt, the booth shall not be used till repaired.

Air supply to a spray booth shall be filtered. Plant services will exchange the filters (see maintenance section). If filters have been damaged or removed, the paint booth will be locked out and not used.

Reset the Space

The Finishing Room has a specific organization to it. Put anything you use back where it belongs. There is a place for everything and everything has a place. This rule applies to everything in the space. If you use a tool, put it back. If you use a pen, put it back. Do not leave your projects in the room unless you have made prior arrangements. Throw away your trash and recycling.

Now, we understand that sometimes you need to leave projects out. Maybe you are in the middle of a large project and the paint needs to dry overnight. In cases like this, it is okay, but you NEED to make prior arrangements with Nick or Justin.

Please put the equipment back the way you found it. The compressed air line should be coiled up neatly. Always put any unused materials back on the storage shelf, and throw away unusable scrap.

Pick up any used paint cans or rags.

Make sure to shut off the lights and room ventilation before leaving.

Always leave the space better than you found it.

The spray booth must be maintained to reduce potential exposure. There are two types of cleaning: daily and yearly.

George Fox requires the spray booth to be free from trip hazards and removal of fine particles in conjunction with the combustible dust plan. After each use, the operator shall sweep and/or mop the floors to keep dust off freshly painted surfaces. Filters must be inspected for buildup or material such as dust or spray residue. In addition, the suppression system must be inspected daily by checking the pressure gauges on all cylinders for proper operating pressure. Proper pressurization is indicated when the pointer on the gauge is pointed in the “green” zone.

If there is a spill within the spray booth, spills must be cleaned up immediately and disposed of properly. Absorbents such as wood chips or kitty litter shall be used to absorb the spill. Debris must be placed in a garbage bag or a box and thrown away in an external dumpster. The residue of the spill must be wiped up with a dry paper towel.

Be Professional

This commandment has two sides to it. It covers the idea of acting like professional (which Webster’s defines as “exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace”). The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their specific role within that profession. Hopefully, you are learning both of these as part of your education at George Fox University. In the Finishing Room we expect you to develop as a courteous, conscientious, and skilled craftsman, understanding the tools and equipment in the Maker Hub and how to use them effectively.

Being a professional has some obvious ramifications in terms of behavior. First, be Christlike. Think of others as better than yourself. Share. If you have been occupying the Finishing Room for a while and someone else is waiting to use the space, let them use it for a while. This is being a professional.

If you are learning to paint or sand, and you can't get something to work the way you want - ASK SOMEONE! Learn! Become a professional. Learn the craft. This is an educational space. You might think it will be quicker for you to just get it done “your” way and not learn how to do something correctly. Be a Professional and learn the proper way, and then be available to teach others.

One very important, and likely difficult, part of being a professional is correcting others when they are not being professional. It is your responsibility to speak up when you see somebody doing something inappropriate. If you see somebody doing something unsafe the Christlike way to care for them is to let them know they're not safe. This is one of many ways to love our neighbor. If someone is not resetting the space or being unprofessional, the professional thing to do is to remind them of the three commandments and ask them politely to correct their actions. This is OUR space, not any individual's. As a group, we expect everyone in the space to keep the space safe, clean, and operable for everyone. 

If someone acts unprofessionally in the Finishing Room, you are welcome to bring the issue to Justin or Nick's attention.

General Finishing Room Knowledge

The finishing room serves multiple functions. It can be used to paint in, sand and stain as well as other uses.

These are a few things to keep in mind when using the Finishing Room.

• Make sure you read the label of any paints or chemicals you are working with and understand the dangers.
• Make sure the fan is turned on and moving air.
• When you sand it creates dust that may be hazardous to breathe.
• When painting make sure you are not breathing paint vapors.

Paint George Fox University takes special precautions while handling, storing, and disposing of paint material. Before using any paint material, read the label carefully. Never use any paint product that has a missing or unreadable label. The user is responsible for wearing appropriate personal protective equipment such as goggles or safety glasses and gloves. Storage of Paint Material All aerosol or flammable paint must be stored when not in use in a flammable cabinet located to the right of the spray booth. Cabinet must remain closed at all times. Storage of water-based latex paint is exempt from these storage requirements. Paint lids or aerosol can caps must be closed tightly. Disposal of Paint George Fox University disposed of paint per its Waste Management Plan. Aerosol paint cans must be delivered to Plant Services for puncturing. All latex paint is disposed of in accordance with the Oregon PaintCare program. If the paint canister is empty, it may be thrown in the dumpster. Other Operations Any other operations such as cutting, grinding, or sanding inside the spray booth must not create a flammable hazard. Fine dust created by sanding can be a fire and explosion hazard. Operators must clean fine dust daily to prevent buildup.

Certification

Before using the Finishing Room, you will need to take the general lab quiz. The Canvas quiz for this facility is coming soon.