Do you need ventilation when using an air brush?

[justcrash]

I am getting ready to move, and for the first time in a LOOONG time i will have a "craft room" just for me, to do my models, draw, and play music in. The only down side is there are no windows in it.

Before, with the spray booth I built, I could venilate it out a window.

So does anyone use and airbrush with no venilation in the room? There is a door, and outside that door is another room with a sliding glass door.

I dunno, just looking for input.

[Digger1]

Always, however it's not as critical if there's not a lot of overspray.

If there's no windows, I guess you should keep a fan goins in a corner somewhere, maybe pointed AT the wall just to keep the air moving and if the fan was pointed in your direction, you run the risk of getting dust and other particulate matter on your paint job.

[Shinnentai]

Maybe attach the spray booth duct to a filtered shop vac? If it's a wet/dry vac, maybe put some water in the dust bin, and run a hose or pipe down into it from the vac outlet for extra filtration power. Kind of a "spray bong" . Seriously though, would that work?

[big-dog]

Another suggestion is to use non-toxic paint, like Tamiya acrylics, I thin them with rubbing alcohol, and use Future straight. Haven't tried PolyScale, but they recommend distilled water to thin, I will try them soon.

[DasPhule]

Just because it says non-toxic on the bottle doesn't mean it won't do you harm. Inhaled acrylics are just as bad or worse for your lungs as enamels or lacquers.

Best bet is to go to Harbor Freight and get ya a good respirator mask, then maybe even get a filter for the room. I used a big hepa filter and a mask for many years and the fumes never left the room.

Erin
<*>

[JimPV]

Just because it says non-toxic on the bottle doesn't mean it won't do you harm. Inhaled acrylics are just as bad or worse for your lungs as enamels or lacquers.

Absolutely! Even it's completely non-toxic, you're still spraying (basically) a liquid plastic/vinyl substance that you will inhale. At least get a good respitator mask.

[b5ranger99]

My spray booth is in the basement, too far from a window to be vented. It is completely enclosed, clear plastic front panel with arm holes. The bottom is a filter to keep the dust etc out of the paint and the top is a non- vented range hood with charcoal filters. Works great for acrylics, but enamels overwhelm the charcoal after about 15 minutes. I built it when I found the range hood on sale and I feel it is one of the beset investments I have made to support my hobby.

[Slave1]

lol, I never use ventelation, but I have a reallly fine nozzle for my stuff I do inside so there is no overspray

[Kylwell]

Absolutley! Even with acrylics (actually I think acylics are worse).

And a mask of some form, at least to keep the paint form collecting in your nasal cavities and draining down the back of you throat.

[seam-filler]

Absolutley! Even with acrylics (actually I think acylics are worse).

And a mask of some form, at least to keep the paint form collecting in your nasal cavities and draining down the back of you throat.

.... Or, indeed, covering the insides of your lungs with a nice coat of whatever color you're spraying. If it ain't air, you shouldn't be breathing it!

I expect that in twenty years' time we'll be getting law suits against paint & airbrush manufacturers much as we have seen against tobacco and asbestos firms

[Kylwell]

I've got a friend who's an airbrush artist, does cars or whatever he can find. When he was first getting seriously into it he when tto the doctor with a sore throat. The doctor looked down his throat and saw black & blue guck running down the back of his throat. Though Doug had some bizarre disease. What was happening was Doug had refused to use a mask (the cheap ones gave him a rash) so the paint dust was accumulating in his nose and giving him a sore throat as it ran down the back of his throat.

Fun eh?

[Atticus]

Sorry for the resurrected thread! Thought it would be better to continue with an old one.

I'm currently working on the FM Falcon, and have reached the point where I can start painting. It's important to note that I'm not in this for the long haul, just this one kit (OK, you got me, maybe a couple of kits if Molds releases a Y-Wing too).

In any event, I'm a Star Wars nut, not really a modeler, so I've bought the basics---necessary paints, thinners, cheapie Aztek brush and compressor, etc. I know Aztek stuff sucks, but like I said, I just want to do a decent (read: non-Tony-Agustinian, sub-Ignatzian), one-off job for this kit. I've already invested more $$$ than I'd care to admit (to myself or wife) in the Great Doomed FM Falcon Project.

SO--the problem is that my living situation works against me in every way possible in regards to airbrushing, as I live in a 3-unit condo in an urban area.

I could paint in the large basement, but it's shared, the first-floor condo's floors are thin (read: noise, so I could paint only when the owners were away), and I'd be painting relatively close to three gas-fired furnaces, three gas-fired water heaters, and a bank of gas meters. With no ventilation. Um, yeah.

I could bring everything up to my condo unit (second floor), but that would require painting around Things And Furniture That My Wife Would Not Me Want To Ruin. It would also require investing hundreds in a spray booth/ventilator setup, which I'm guessing still wouldn't prevent fumes from getting into the curtains. Not to mention the noise and smell and whatever fumes weren't ventilated turning a spare bedroom into a Superfund site in less time than you can say "moron."

I could spray outside, either on one of my front or back porches, or temporarily setting up shop in our very small (I'd have to move a car), detached, unheated garage. This could work, as long as I waited until spring (I live in the Northeast, and it's currently in the single-digit temps outside).

I could commission someone to complete the Falcon for me, but I'm guessing I could buy a Lexus for what that would cost.

The final, cheapest, safest option is to draw an outline of the Falcon on a piece of notebook paper and yell "VRRRROOOMMM!" while running around my condo.

So you see my problem. What I get for not doing my homework up front.

Any recommendations? I suppose if all of this proves too much, I'll have a partially assembled, unpainted FM Falcon up for sale, and a lot of paints and supplies going in the trash. :-(

Thanks!

Atticus

I've got a friend who's an airbrush artist, does cars or whatever he can find. When he was first getting seriously into it he when tto the doctor with a sore throat. The doctor looked down his throat and saw black & blue guck running down the back of his throat. Though Doug had some bizarre disease. What was happening was Doug had refused to use a mask (the cheap ones gave him a rash) so the paint dust was accumulating in his nose and giving him a sore throat as it ran down the back of his throat.

Fun eh?

[Tony Agustin]

....So does anyone use and airbrush with no venilation in the room?

I would NEVER do airbrush painting in an unventilated room. That's dangerous and a really stupid thing to do.
Is there no way for you to do a little room modification to attach some sort of an air vent that leads out of that space?

[Atticus]

Yep, very stupid. Which is why I'm looking at alternatives. I'd rather quit the project then blow up my condo and/or end up with brain damage.

The spare bedroom has two large windows that open, but how to set up ventilation of any sort, I have no idea. Testors' booth retails for several hundred dollars, and I just don't have the motivation to build my own, cheaply, for just this kit.

The garage has two very large doors that swing open to allow a car to enter. My front and back decks are open on all sides.

....So does anyone use and airbrush with no venilation in the room?

I would NEVER do airbrush painting in an unventilated room. That's dangerous and a really stupid thing to do.
Is there no way for you to do a little room modification to attach some sort of an air vent that leads out of that space?

[Jonas Calhoun]

I bought a large booth (large enough to hold the Falcon) on Ebay for about $150...it vents to the outside through a window. Very happy with it. You could at least vent it to a fume can of some sort.

I'd suggest at least doing the spraying in your garage with the door at least partially opened. I worked like that for a while, and it went OK...had a lot of dust though.

Dan

[Kylwell]

I bought a large booth (large enough to hold the Falcon) on Ebay for about $150...it vents to the outside through a window. Very happy with it. You could at least vent it to a fume can of some sort.

I'd suggest at least doing the spraying in your garage with the door at least partially opened. I worked like that for a while, and it went OK...had a lot of dust though.

Dan

Last meeting we had Dan was airbrushing with laquers and we never smelled a fume. Well, at least from the lacquer. Thinking about getting one myself.

[Godfather]

Picked up this one at HF for 20 bucks. Well worth it the mullah.

[haywire]

Dont forget a good set of eye goggles. When I first started using my airbrush, my eyes would swell afterwards. Realized backspray was getting in my eyes.

[lestatdelc]

A latex dust/spray mask and some glasses/goggles is sufficient if you are shooting acrylics. There are no toxic-vapors with acyrlics, like there are enamels, etc. It is only the fine particles of back-spray being inhaled you need to worry about.

If you are shooting anything that is not acrylic such as enamels, you need real ventilation and respirator mask.

[Atticus]

After evaluating the situation and reading your posts, I've decided to postpone the project until the spring and use my garage (with the doors wide open), and also buy the respirator that "Godfather" recommended (I'm using Testor's enamels, although I've read that acrylics are just as toxic).

I know it's not an ideal setup with regards to dust and dirt floating around, but at least I'll be away from natural gas sources (and drapes), there will be ventilation, and I won't disturb my neighbors with compressor noise. I checked eBay for booths, but at the moment, there's only one available for $279, which is still too expensive. I'll keep checking, though.

Thanks for preventing potential brain damage and/or property damage!

Att

[Jonas Calhoun]

This booth is what I bought...$165, I got it just a bit cheaper...he changes the price every so often, I think.

Dan

[Atticus]

Thanks, Dan! That's a lot more affordable. Hm.

Att

This booth is what I bought...$165, I got it just a bit cheaper...he changes the price every so often, I think.

Dan

[Atticus]

My cheapie compressor arrived today, and although it is cheap, good lord it's a step up from using compressed air cans.

So to get the booth, or not to get the booth...hmmm. I think it's overkill for this one project, epecially because I bought a ventilator mask, but perhaps I could be persuaded otherwise.

Luckily, my garage has a power outlet and even ready-made ventilation--looks like the previous owner boarded up a window, then cut out a circular opening. Would be perfect outlet for a dryer ventilation hose.

Att

[NikToo]

I'm in the process of setting up some sort of airbrushing station and my only location is a small garden shed, shared with some rabbits.

I was thinking of getting, apart from obviously a filter mask and goggles, a bathroom extractor fan and try to jury-rig it to an extension lead and put in a window or something. I toyed with the idea of getting some sheets of acrylic and cutting them to shape to make a box and fit the extractor fan to that. OK idea or completely stupid idea?

I want a hobby room too...

[Pat Amaral]

If you're thinking about mounting a bathroom fan to the window, you might as well go all the way and build yourself a full on spraybooth.

Here are some pics of the one I built a couple years ago:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/ ... Booth1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/ ... booth5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/ ... booth4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/ ... booth3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/ ... booth2.jpg

[NikToo]

Looks great.

During the day I've been sketching on a booth and looked at some fans before. I'll probably try to build something as well. Looked at just regular 150mm household extraction fans, but don't know if I can get a filter in those, or indeed where I can even get a filter to just put over it. As long as I get a cheap fan I can just replace it, I guess.

[Pat Amaral]

Looks great.

Looked at just regular 150mm household extraction fans, but don't know if I can get a filter in those, or indeed where I can even get a filter to just put over it. As long as I get a cheap fan I can just replace it, I guess.

Bathroom fans (at least the ones I shopped for) aren't cheap enough to be disposable. The one I put in was around $30 IIRC. You need to be sure that you have enough air movement. The filter is a standard airconditioning filter placed in front of the fan openning.

[kosherbacon]

when ever i airbrush i just open a window and turn on a fan in my room.
is this enough? and if you have a solution please remember that i am in a town house meaning that i dont have alot of space (so no big fan contraptions) and i am a young modeler so no big cost solutions
thanks

[Pat Amaral]

I ended up spending more than a lot of people usually do (about $70 once everything was purchased). The biggest expense, of course, was the fan at about $30 (I think), The dryer duct kit was about $10. I spent between $5 and $10 for the plastic bin. Another couple bucks for the filter. $15 or so for a flourescent light fixture and a couple more bucks for a switch that plugs into the power strip so I can control the fan.

I know you can spend less and get just as good results as I did. I think it's really pretty important to use some kind of booth for spray painting. Even if you use acrylics (which are supposedly clean and fume "safe"), you will find that overspray smells, gets on everything and can cause health problems for people who inhale the fumes. One of the nice things about a booth like this is that it's easy to store when you're not painting. You can just put all the parts inside the bin and store it under a table or in a closet.

By the way, just openning the window and turning on a fan isn't a very good solution. Here's why. To make sure paint fumes go out the window and not just settle on everything in the room, you have to be relatively near that window and the fan will need to be close by. The resulting air currents will make getting good results on your models difficult at best. A booth generates only one, predictable current which you can compensate for.