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Airbrush Work Station

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  • Member since
    January 2014
Airbrush Work Station
Posted by ems28ret on Monday, February 17, 2014 12:03 PM

HI

Could someone advise me on the set up of a paint booth for airbrushing in the home. Where do you set up?  In the basement?  How do you vent when working. I'm new to airbrushing and could use some help.

Thanks ems28ret

  • Member since
    June 2013
Posted by RobGroot4 on Monday, February 17, 2014 12:35 PM

You have several options here.  I'm guessing you have a prefabricated booth with a vent attachment.  Generally dryer vent pipes are ideal for venting the thing.  These are metallic and you can find rigid or flexible ones at your local hardware store.  I would recommend the flexible for a paint booth.  They can constrict airflow on a dryer, but you won't be creating nearly enough with the fan from a paint booth.  You can just run the thing to a window and vent it that way, or create a more permanent mount (just like for your dryer) on an exterior wall.  It's easy enough to mount the vent pipe to a board and just stick that thing in an open window and then close the window until it hold the board in place, which also allows for quick and easy removal when it rains or you are done.

As for location, it depends on what you have available.  I generally opt for the garage or basement (I prefer the basement as it typically has less dust than a garage).  In the basement you have to worry about fumes and the rest of the house.  Does your basement have ventilation connected to the rest of the house, if so the fumes may stink up your whole place, if not you need to worry about inhaling paint fumes and may want to invest in a mask.  You can manage fumes by closing vents, but it isn't perfect.

The garage is great because you can generally open a door or crack a window, but then you have to worry about dust and temperatures.  Dust you can manage with something to put over your models while they dry (a tupperware cake carrier if you can get one big enough perfect for most models other than 1:350 ships.  Temps you can manage with a space heater/window AC unit.  It's all a tradeoff as to what works best for you, but those are probably major factors to consider.

If you have a spouse, you may want to check with him/her to keep the peace!

Groot

"Firing flares while dumping fuel may ruin your day" SH-60B NATOPS

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by ems28ret on Monday, February 17, 2014 1:19 PM

I have started setup in the basement but I do like the idea of the garage (In warmer weather as I live just outside Toronto,Ontario)  I do mask but haven't set up a venting system.  I like your advise about the window with pipe and board attachment.  I will try this

Thanks

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 8:52 AM

There is a whole forum in the FSM forums for painting and airbrushing.  Paint booths are a frequent thread in that forum.  You might check in there.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: portland oregon area
Posted by starduster on Sunday, March 2, 2014 12:18 PM

I do all my modeling work and that includes airbrushing in a spare bedroom, until recently I had a single tank air compressor in the garage with an air hose through the attic down into the shop ..... er ..... spare bedroom but with the noise the air compressor I could only work in the day .... with the wife out of the house as she did not like or trust that large contraption.

So I bought a California Air Tool dual tank silent air compressor that I can airbrush even at night while my wife is asleep, using only acrylic paints I only open the window slightly for air circulation any enamel painting is done in the garage or in the backyard, some photos of my setup.   Karl

[

photograph what intrests you today.....because tomorrow it may not exist.
  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Sunday, March 2, 2014 12:56 PM

I airbrush in the garage. I set up my table near the garage door, open it and paint away. Any vapors go outside. One of the benefits of living in a warmer climate but even when I lived in SC I did the same thing.

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    June 2009
Posted by Falcon10275 on Friday, April 11, 2014 4:06 PM

I use a small spray booth that I got on amazon for around $200.   in the spare bedroom, I have it setup fairly close to window and run a dryer vent from booth to window.  When I use my airbush i open up window just enough to hold the dryer vent.  Works pretty well.  always  be sure to keep paint booth fan running for a while after airbrushing though that helps get all the contaminants out of room.

also depends on paint your using,  if your using enamels or anything nasty like that, you really should not use your house,  garage or outside is best.  

If your using tamiya acrylics, they are not quite as nasty and if your airbrush is set really low and your not spraying that much paint out of it,  a simple booth in a room is fine.

use a respirator mask too.  they are cheap and and easy to use.   I don't mess around with my lung health.  you need to take this stuff seriously.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Friday, April 11, 2014 4:12 PM

And for Pete's sake, spare the dog and cat too. Seriously, their lungs are not nearly as big as yours.

The kids? Meh...

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

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