Newbie to modeling and getting ready to do my first air brushing of a model - finally!
I’ve been reading about Spray Paint Booths and would like to buy one that is a good budget buy. BUT I can not cut a hole in my house for a vent so am I missing something here in that that is the only way they work properly. I would prefer to use the booth in my man cave (small room inside) but last resort I could use it in the garage. Only problem is that I live in Houston where the garage is 82-103+ every day 24 hours a day from late April thru Oct/Nov. So can you all please let me know how these things basically work and what my options would be for a few that will not need a hole in my house re a vent.
I find that a spray booth with a good filter greatly cuts down on the smell even when not vented (I sometimes do not vent in cold Minnesota winters). And dust is almost completely eliminated whether vented or not.
That being said, I do not use my spray booth for air brushing. I use it only for rattle can work. I run my airbrush at about 15 psi, and adjust to a low paint flow rate. It is best for decent paint jobs to consider the airbrush as a brushmarkless brush, not a high volume spray gun. Do not rush a paint job. When airbrushing this way, I find so little overspray I even airbrush right at my assembly brush and have very seldom got ANY trace of overspray on anything sitting on the bench. Also, because of the low amounts of paints used, I get minimal smell, except for a few types of paint known for their stink (and, of course, the epoxy glue I sometimes use ).
So there are spray paint booths available that I can use to eliminate the dangerous fumes and that I do not need to use a vent via a hole in my house? As I re-read my original post, I wrote it in a confusing way.
So basically: (1) I have no idea how a spray paint booth works, and (2) I want to make sure that I am not breathing in poisonous fumes and those fumes going through our AC system.
This may sound silly but is there a system out there that “captures” the fumes within the unit itself and either breaks them down so they are not poisonous or something of the sort?
what i do is run the vent line out a window then when i’m done painting i pull it back in. Maybe when i go to reside the house i will have a permanent outlet for it but for now this works just as good
I built a booth out of a large Rubbermaid container and a bathroom fan. The container is made of translucent clear plastic to allow light in. I cut a hole in the bottom of the container and attached the bathroom fan, adapting the wiring so I could plug it in to the wall electrical outlet. Then I attached 5ft of flexible dryer ducting (you can get it at places like Home Depot) to the outlet of the fan, and made an adapter out of plywood that will fit in my hobby room window with the window partially open. The adapter has foam insulation fastened to it to provide a tight seal at the window. I’m pretty handy, though, so YMMV.
I airbrush acrylics in much the same way as Don, usually right at the bench, so I rarely use this setup. However, it only cost me $30 to build, and when I DO need it, it’s awesome. You could probably make a filter box for the back of the fan part - that way you wouldn’t need to build the window adapter, since you’re in a garage.
I got good results with ModelExpo’s Compact Spraybooth, Exhaust Hose, Filter Combo #HSE420PRO
The idea is to connect the spray booth (which folds exceptionally nicely for storage, BTW) to the exhaust hose and route it through an opened window (just a crack) via the flattened nozzle.
If you are using acrylics I wouldn’t be as concerned as with enamels. You could crack the window for the time while you paint and buy a good respirator that filters out the fumes. Otherwise enamels can get a little strong in a small space and you’ll want to vent out, which can be achieved with a temporary vent attachment to a booth.
Thanks for all your tips! I think the best thing for me in my situation is to make some space in my garage for a booth (DIY or purchased) and just buy a good respirator to wear while I paint. The fan that is built into the booth unit can suck the fumes in and I can attach a dryer type vent house and run it out the garage door (with the garage door open as well). Just can not spray between June and September as it is WAY to humid and hot here in Houston to do so!
Thanks again everyone!
I guess I am now looking for a budget priced spray booth - nothing major, just one that is roomy and will work well re the fan sucking the fumes away through to the vent house in back. Any suggestions??
Basically a spray booth consists of a box with some passageways, a filter (removable/replaceable), with a fan sucking air through the filter and exhausting it. Much of the vapor that causes smell comes from stuff evaporating from the droplets in the air- the droplets have maximum surface area for the weight of paint. The filter collects the droplets into a layer. The same total amount of vapor comes off, but at a much slower rate. If you do not vent, you will still have the same amount of vapor total, but spread over a longer time so it is not as smelly or irritating. While the chemicals in hobby paints are not highly recommended for breathing, at least they are not super-toxic like some auto paint projects (like two part acrylics and such).
A long time ago (mid 1980’s) one of my friends had much the same problem except it was his landlord who said he couldn’t cut any openings for venting. we took a piece of 1x1/2x8 board and inserted it in an open window in his model room (spare bedroom). We drilled out a hole and inserted a 4" dryer vent in the board and then inserted the board & vent in the window and then shut the window on the board. A short length of dryer vent tube was attached between the vent and the outlet of the paint booth. Worked great and when he wasn’t using the booth, he would remove the vent/board from the window (especially in wet or cold weather.
Acrylic paint is not much safer to breathe than other kinds. And whether or not you can “handle it” or wear a mask, if you have pets they are really susceptible, as are babies and kids, to problems breathing.
You really need to bite the bullet and vent outdoors. Since I own my house I installed one of those dryer discharge flap affairs in the garage wall and connected the booth to it. I also installed one in a house a friend of mine was renting, right above the other dryer vent. I doubt the landlord ever even noticed.
To answer your question, the way a spray booth works is to create low pressure in the booth, draw the fumes into a filter and then discharge the air out the back. It’s instructive to try turning the fan off one time when painting. You’ll notice a fine haze on your glasses, your clothes and it smells a little.
One other thing. Get a steel garbage can with a tight fitting lid. A small one say 5 gallons is fine. Put ALL of your empty jars, paper towels, q tips and anything else painting related in it. Empty it regularly. Never want to come home to a smoking foundation.
Hi, my name is Lee & new to this group. I also live in Houston, Memorial area. I reversed enginered a paint booth. But mine has a very different design than most of the tin stuff they are getting $500+ for. I build mine out of plywood, for the main structure. It has lights above, and on both sides. The booth has 2 entry doors. First it is build in a cube shape. There is a door in the front that opens like a house door. In the center of that door is a 1’ plexiglass viewing window,which has tear offs on the inside so when the paint builds on it, I simple tear it off. Trick i learned from racing cars. The other door is on the top of the cube. There are lights mounted under this door. The 6 other lights are halogen, placed on the right & left. These lights also serve as a baking oven for the type paint which benefits from this method. There are also a protective cover for these lights using the same tear away concept as the front window. I think the cube is 3x3. There is a metal screen at the very back. Behind it is the first set if filters. This filter can be bought at walmart. The filter is installed into a custom slot I build between the back if the cube, between the metal screen & a frame holding the filter in between. Now, next I took a standard box fan & tore it apart. I insulated areas needed,as not to catch fire. I custom mounted that at the very end of the cube. I have left out a few steps like the other seris of carbon & secret filters, that are placed before the exhaust fan. I custom built a plastic shroud that covers the fan and used common duct tubing, to divert the very small amount of paint fume out of a window using another custom plexiglass piece that fits in between the window, all you do is close it, and with the use of 2"wide foam tape, it is sealed. But giving full disclosure, I stopped using the duct exhaust to the window, because the seris of filters do the trick. I have been using it 3 years now. Been tempted to write an article about it, complete with diagrams, photo’s and the best thing about it, the cost. Not counting my time the total materal cost is about $150. Yes, I’m sure I will here it from all the haters, naysayers, and doubters. But, keep in mind the owner of one of the largest and best paint & bodyshops helped me with this. He sponsered my race team for years, but I am in a wheel chair now, so I’m retired and have wayyyy too much time on my hands. I am so new to this forum, I don’t even know if you can post pic’s. If you can, I will shoot some so those interested can check it out. PS: I have no, as in zero interest in making a penny with helping anyone interested in making this paint booth, I just like helping folks out. Respectfully, Lee Barret
bubbamoose, your design sounds somewhat close (the extraction portion at least to what I am planning. I have a box fan sitting in a box in the garage ready to go as redoing my spray booth will be my next project. But I to, plan on using staged filtering. And I think the trick to it for us smaller scale home painter, is keeping things like the filters to what you can get locally easily, without special ordering, stuff.
I would be very curious to see the modifications to the box fan you made to insulate it. Not to mention the overall design.
I will admit I have stuck to my separate “oven” for drying, which is simply a wooden box with a couple of light sockets on a dimmer with a thermometer. Simple and works for me.
One tip—i you get one of the “pre-packaged, purpose-made” kinds, ditch all the filters except the thinnest one. They really cut down on the air flow in the booth and it seems to clean more efficiently and do a better job of sucking fumes with just the thinnest (first stage) filter.
After many years I bought a Pace spray booth and set it up in my basement shop. I didn’t want to cut a hole in the wall so I vent it through the window with a simple dryer vent set up in a piece of plywood. I just insert the vent panel in the window when I’m spraying and remove it when I’m done. I live in Canada and even during our cold weather months, it works like a charm.
Hey Thlorian. I have a somewhat similar issue. Small area (basement room) with a window. As I live in Germany heat is not so much a problem (sorry). So, throwing around ideas with my father in law and we came up with a idea. Use a old range hood. Since you cant cut holes maybe one with charcoal filters. Even new ones can be relatively inexpensive and some have very bright LED’s built in. Just a thought.
Stick a swiffer rag on the back side of your box just before you use it. The dust sticks to it. You have to change it each time you paint but they are not expensive.
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