I'm considering buying a spray booth

[Stevekir]

airbrush-pro.co.uk

Click on "Spray Booths and Filters" at the left.

I am a beginner so don't want to lash out too much dough yet. I thought of making one from 1/2" chipboard and a 6" desk fan, but it would cost about 2/3 the cost of the above, including the hose, and quite a lot of work.

Is this one worth having?

Are there any others worth considering?

Thanks.

 

[AlanG]

As a beginner i wouldn't splash out on one just yet personally. Unless you are spraying somewhere in the house that is close to others. I spray in a spare room in our house and always wear a mask personally. Cannot justify a spray booth yet

 

[Stevekir]

Thanks, flounder_al. What type of mask do you use, type, and where is it sold?

In theory, (my guess) no mask can prevent you breathing solvent vapour. Its a gas and mixes with the air. This implies that only a scuba-like compressed air tank system could be totally safe. But that's being rather obsessive!

 

[tecdes]

Yes I have one of these booths Steve & they are very good.

But they are not wide or high & for instance you would never get a full 1/72 Lancaster in there or probably many if any 1/48. Think you can get an extension kit which doubles the width.

I spray in front of mine. Also I found if I used the extractor, it works fine, but it pulls air through including all the small hairs in the air. Guess where they land. Tried it again only last week & hairs !!!!

On masks. I use Vallejo paint which are specified as non toxic so that is a great help. But spray gets all over in very small droplets not noticeable on skin etc but you can feel it in your nostrils so it is a good idea to have a mask. But you need to get the right mask if you need it to do the right job. Mine have two filters at the front about 2.5" dia. These are removable for replacement. You need, if you want the best mask & filtering, a manufacturer who does a series of filters each performing a specific task. You can then get the filters to match your task.

You are right some does get through but a lot less.

Laurie

 

[AlanG]

Steve i have this mask from B&Q

JSP Maximask 2000 Twin Half Mask, BHS583-005-81X

 

[stona]

(my guess) no mask can prevent you breathing solvent vapour.

That's not correct and is an important cosideration when buying protection. Many respirators (like mine from 3M) do protect you from organic solvents as well as small particulates and aerosols.

I can't check the numbers on mine as I'm not at home but any reputable supplier should be able to explain the various grades and levels of protection.

Steve

 

[Doggy]

make one out of wood. im in the process off doing it right now.

if wood is too heavy you can buy plastic sheets from ikea or b and q. fit a light inside it, simple.

 

[Doggy]

Or use a card board box on its side.View attachment 53306

View attachment 55678

 

[john]

Steve i have this mask from B&Q

And when your not spraying you can pretend to be a storm trooper and play star wars with the kids

 

[Ian M]

Any decent Mask with a close fitting nose/mouth cup and an active carbon filter will catch 99% of all the nasties. Just check that the filters are organic solvent safe. Also when not using the mask keep it in a closed (air tight) bag of box. Active carbon filters degrade in the air and lose their protectiveness quicker if just left out in the open.

When making a spray box. Just make sure that ALL electicals are gas safe.

Ian M

 

[stona]

Also when not using the mask keep it in a closed (air tight) bag of box. Active carbon filters degrade in the air and lose their protectiveness quicker if just left out in the open. Ian M

Good advice Ian. My mask came with a resealable airtight bag.

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

And when your not spraying you can pretend to be a storm trooper and play star wars with the kids

You are not helping John :laughing:

 

[tecdes]

Despite having all the correct filters in a half face mask you will not get anything like a 100% filtration.

First the mask has to fit tight to the cheek/nose the chances of that being achieved is very small indeed & reduces with age.

Secondly the air extract mechanism is primitive & although probably fair for a short time of its life but will then draw in some contaminated air in on each interval of breathing in & out. Do not know of any half mask with a filter on the out air.

A full quality face mask will to a great degree reduce all the above problems. A good spray booth will have face masks with a respiratory air flow connected bringing in out side fresh air.

The use of the more sophisticated units tells that a face mask is a primary defence. When I started with enamel Humbrol I used a good quality half mask with the specified filters for turpentine substitute thinners & I could still smell some thinners in the mask. There was also a smudge of paint around the out valve. The reason I went to Acrylics.

Not suggesting a face mask or more sophisticated efforts for intermittent use. But if you have any breathing difficulties then care is really needed with the use of a half face mask plus the materials used to airbrush.

Laurie

 

[stona]

And when your not spraying you can pretend to be a storm trooper

I do that to keep kids out of my den

Scares the crap out of them

I sprayed an entire 1/48 airliner with Alclad,very pongy stuff,wearing this mask or one similar,using an extractor as well,and didn't smell a thing......until I took the mask off.

You can see the spray booth behind me and the exhaust hose seemingly emerging from the top of my head before exiting the window.

Steve

 

[Stevekir]

Assuming that I get a booth some day, a question on where to expel the fumes. The booth is designed to expel via the flattened end of the hose pushed into a 1" opening in a window or door. In my case it would be the window in my spare bedroom which is in the roof space (but of course enclosed by walling). Opening a door or window would make it cold in Winter.

How is this for a crazy idea: poke a hole in the bedroom's plasterboard wall and expel into the rest of the roof space. Although I would not be doing long sessions of airbrushing, would the build-up of enamel thinner vapour cause a fire hazard? (The blurb advises expelling into a door gap. This implies a door leading into a possibly internal landing or stair.) The roof is tiled without any tarpaper lining — its a 1925 bungalow — so the roof space is quite well ventilated.

Crazy idea, or lateral thinking?

 

[tecdes]

Steve

I would not put anything into a wall or the roof space. Think you are asking for problems both fire & contamination building up over time. It will taint all it comes in contact with. White spirits that is.

I modified mine with a bathroom ventilation ducting from B & Q. Can you vent with ducting up into the roof space then out through the roof tiles. You can get roof outlets especially for this. Or if your eaves overhangs the outside wall you may be able to put a hole in the sofitt & fit a duct outlet. B & Q again.

LAurie

 

[Stevekir]

tecdes: Thanks. I don't think the ventilation into the roof space then out through the tiles would be practicable in my case. The tiles are, I think, made of asbestos cement and are tricky to play about with, and I think I would have to pay a builder with some scaffolding (unless he could do it by leaning out of the window).

Alternatively, the window is one of those that rise out of the roof surface with the glass vertical (of course) with two reveals, one on each side. These reveals are made of wood tongue-an-groove inside and some sort of roofing felt or similar on the outside. They face the outside and I could easily put an exhaust hose through one of them, although again a builder would have to fit a weatherproof seal on the outside, hopefully without scaffolding. This seems the best solution.

Changing to acrylics would probably not help. There would be no fire hazard from the fan but I would still have to expell into fresh air because of the contamination problem that you mention.

In the meantime, until the problem of a booth is sorted, I will do my painting in the garage, although the low temperature in Winter could cause problems.

 

[Ian M]

Which ever solution you choose, be sure to place the outlet in a place that will not allow the fumes to be blown back into the room in the summer if you have open windows. Or worse blow out into the neighbours.

do you have a picture of this window area, it might help some one come with a suggestion.

Ian M

 

[tecdes]

Steve I ran an architectural practice for 50 years but can only really help if you could publish here some pictures giving info.

One the outside of the house near your eaves pointing out the window you are talking of with the level of the eaves compared to the floor level.

One thing for certain. If you poke this end of the vent out of the window you are defeating the purpose. As you pump out air in a room it will need air to replace it. As it goes out of the window guess what comes back in fresh air mixed with a percentage of the air you have just extracted. So if you dangle it through your window block the remaining gap with a towel or something.

Also bit of experience. If you look at a sunlit shaft in your room from a certain angle you will see loads of bits floating in the air. If the air is still that is OK. Open a window, a door & close a door quickly those bits will fly every where. Same with using a vacumn cleaner it stirs the air more than anything. I bought a pound shop bottle with a moisturizer trigger thing. Spray five minutes before with water which clears the air around your spray booth.

Laurie

 

[Ian M]

I think the pipe out the window will be ok in itself as long as the end of the pipe is far enough out of the window. I had not thought of the back draft stirring all the dust up though.

Ian M