Airbrushing indoors?

[dubster72]

Well when you're brush-painting, it's not so much of an issue as the fumes from an open paintpot are small (as long as you don't put your nose down there & inhale!) The issue is more about the use of an airbrush & specifically the way the paint & thinner mix with the air into fine droplets. Also, there's much more of the stuff around when airbrushing.

Think of it like dabbing on a bit of aftershave before you go out, compared to choking when the missus squirts her perfume all over the place!

Patrick

 

[Fenlander]

Think of it like dabbing on a bit of aftershave before you go out, compared to choking when the missus squirts her perfume all over the place!

What a prosaic analogy :shhhh: But a very good one none the less lol The airbrush or spray can or spray gun are designed to throw a cloud, however small, of paint and thinners into the air, that is how they work. Some will stick to the intended object and some will go past and float around for a while. It is the floaty ones you need to be wary of.

With brush painting, there may be a bit of heavy spray from the bristles as you go over an edge and they flick. However, the heavy stuff just drops and does not stay airborne thus reducing the risk.

A simple question to ask with most things modelling is "Can I smell it?" If the answer is yes then you are breathing in fumes be it a safe amount or not.

Just to add something. Did you know that burning plastic gives off a lethal cocktail of chemicals? Be a bit careful when heating sprue for stretching.

Also one last thing.... if you drop a scalpel, don't try to catch it by closing your legs, it hurts :fool:

 

[Gladiator111]

Completed home made Spray Booth

Well, what do you think? One number Marley Vent Axia secured to a deep container, wired up with inline on/off switch with 3amp fuse. So if something does happen - the plug fuse should go first before the house MCB board. 2.5m extractor hose for easy access to an open window. When not in use, it shall be used as the storage container for all my indoor modelling goodies.

I might refine the design to include the lid somehow. I have a solid black lid that I may (or may not) cut out a window and place a clear plastic polythene sheet over, that way limiting the fumes back into the room. However, this may obscure my vision into the container... Just a thought though - what do you think?

Cheers,

Chris

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[dubster72]

That looks really good Chris, but I have one question-how did you cut the plastic box? It took me about a week to do mine as I found the plastic seemed to almost 'melt' from the friction which hindered the cutting action. In the end I drilled lots of holes to make it easier & used mastic to seal the extractor in tight. Patrick

 

[Gladiator111]

I did exactly that, I drilled a series of holes around the template, minus the mastic seal as it was a very tight fit. With the hose and extractor fan panel in place, it was a tight enough seal, though the mastic is a good idea.

Chris

 

[Fenlander]

The big question has to be, does it work? It looks quite impressive and I am suddenly thinking of the possibility of working over the kitchen sink with the hose hanging out the window. Mucho possibilities so long as the paint smell goes out and SWMBO does not moan about it lol. Look forward to hearing a working report.

 

[Gladiator111]

Turning it on you get a good steady breeze through the hosing but that's no test for chemical spray removal. I shall be setting the airbrush up tomorrow and give it a go. Will keep you posted.

Chris

 

[LLD]

Well, I've bought the fume extractor from Maplins & 1st impressions are good. A rather unscientific test was performed by blowing cigarette smoke at it, & it sucks pretty good! I'll be using the AB tomorrow so I can see how it deals with real fumes! Patrick

I just found this thread and it's been idle for a bit over a month...

How did your experiment work out...I'm thinking about a similar paint booth to the one that has been posted here. My filtering method would be a glass furnace filter then a fine filter and a carbon filter intended to remove pet odor, and finally through an air cleaner with a HEPA Filter w/ Carbon and an Ionizer.

I found a couple of small aircleaners that can easily be mounted to the back to draw air out through a $10USD HEPA/Carbon filter and Ionizer.

Good, Bad...

Safe for what paints inside...Curious as to the response or if somebody already tried this...

LLD

 

[noble]

Hi Arron i use my airbrushes and compressor in the house all i do is make sure that the windows are open and iam wearing a mask, for airbrushing you can buy acrylic paints that are mixed with water, i have just started to experiment with humrol acrylics and there are no fumes with this paint and it is easy cleaning the AB however i like my tamiya acrylics so i cant see me replacing them any time soon.

scott

 

[xlpainter]

Turning it on you get a good steady breeze through the hosing but that's no test for chemical spray removal. I shall be setting the airbrush up tomorrow and give it a go. Will keep you posted.Chris

hi chris you can test things like this with hairspray just spray one end and sniff the other end

 

[Dozer]

Hi, I'm very interested in this thread, I want to get back into model-building if I can use an airbrush! I live in a shared, rented flat with no garden, garage, or any kind of 'utility' space so any modelbuilding would have to be done in my bedroom, which does have a lovely big sash window and nice wide windowledge. No ugly PVC-framed double-glazing here! I'd like to put a spray-booth on the windowsill and vent it straight out the window.

The critical question is: if I use a DIY spraybooth like the ones described in this thread, can I airbrush enamel paints without risk (OK, with low risk) of contaminating my room with the smell of enamel paint and losing my tenancy deposit?

Would like to stress that the paints would be enamel!

I have never used an airbrush, but I've read a review of the Airbrush-Pro range that convinced me that a decent airbrush+compressor system can be had for roughly £100+vat+p&p. Very much want to order one but really don't want to incur the Wrath Of The Landlord!