Airbrushing indoors: Options

I'm with Don on this one, I paint with mostly enamels and had some concerns but I use low pressure, got a good quality mask, open window closest to where Im working, close off access to the rest of the house and spray away...  never had any problem with any odor getting into the house at all and with the mask I am covered as well...

The wife says I need some kind of alarm to sound like when they detonate explosives- just to keep me from warning her to "dont open the damn door..."

I have the Artograph 1520, which is piped out the window. I use this and my paint mask for painting. Even with the booth I can have a session that will send people out of the room (this is with the Alclad paints). It can get really bad and takes a while for the room to clear.

If you want to use the DIY box then make sure that you use very low pressure. This should help keep the fumes within the box and allow the fan to draw it. Once you get started, you will see what I am talking about and want to keep the pressure low.

Good luck guys...

Awesome advice, thanks all.

I'm in the same boat as you - getting back into the hobby, health/welfare concerns, etc.. I saw in the Feb. FSM magazine a spray box a guy made out of a cardboard box and some t-bar ceiling "egg crate." I built one like that for now and I'm hoping to give it a try soon.

I will be getting a respirator first though. The 3M models are recommended. I work at a place with a lot of asbestos and one of your OHS consultants recommends the 3M models.

I'm hoping that Don is right and the overspray is minimal and that the box will absorb absorb it, keeping fumes/paint/etc. to a minimum. If I really get into the hobby again and get some models under my belt then I may invest in a real-life vented spray booth.

Another option is to wait for the neighbours to report you to the DEA and then sue someone after they raid your house and then buy a nice spray booth.

KLLV

Are there options that dont involve running a vent hose out of my window, making the neighbors think I have a "grow op" going on?

The Artograph line of spray booth uses multiple layer filter with charcoal to allow venting back inside the room. The booth seems to be well designed and price is very competitive with other made.

But I don't know how well it works in real life. The consumables (filter paper etc.) are rather expensive and that stopped me from getting one. Some users had said that the filter last a very reasonable length of time. You can search for "Artograph" for more posts on this subject.

Personally, I do not worry about it with an airbrush.  When I use spray cans I use my spray booth, 'cause those things dump a lot of paint into the air.

But I keep the spray fine with my airbrush, and just paint at my workbench.  The fact that I don't get overspray onto parts on bench verifies that with low pressure and fine spray, the amount of overspray is minimal. I use enamel, supposedly worse than acrylics for bad things, but after an airbrushing session I get minimal odor in rest of house, no paint dust floating around in ship, etc.

If the temp is above 50F and not raining...do it outside!

Thank you.

I hate to say it, but if you have no options...I guess you need a mask with organic vapor cartridges. I use the 3m r6022 Organic Vapor Cartridges mounted on my mask. These cartridges are excellent for protection when using Alclad paints. So, I imagine they will work with enamels.

Over on the right, where it says search our community, type in spray booth.  Below it, select Painting and airbrushing and click search.  You will find a lot on this subject.

Don