spray booth venting

Flexible Dryer ductwork attached to a board to fit in window works

I don't even use my spray booth for airbrushing.  Done properly an airbrush gives so little overspray and fumes I only use the booth for rattle cans.  Get up close, dial down the pressure and cover small area of model.  I airbrush at my building bench.

But if you want to be perfectly safe, using the booth with an airbrush should give you negligible fumes (BTW, I use enamel, not acrylics).

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Flexible Dryer ductwork attached to a board to fit in window works.

This is the way to go.

Ditto the board with hole drilled for tight fit of dryer hose. My home made booth has powerful explosion proof fan at back side of filter, board placed in vertical sliding window allows air tight fit, all fumes exhaust through hose to garage exterior,

Never smell anything, especially important, (I think,) when cleaning spray gear after painting, lot's of reducer being used then. My rinse spray goes directly into the booth filter, again no odor, setup seems to work quite efficiently and effectively. I use acrylic, enamel and lacquer.

Only one set of lungs issued at birth, best to be really careful.

Patrick  

I also use the board in window trick, and purposely installed booth near window.

Thanks all. I will need to do some carpentry to get the vent outside. The casement windows in the basement open towards you, not up and down like "real" windows. Now to decide which to permanently close.

Mike

Whats between the windows? Concrete block?

My last house I cut a hole through the stud and plywood wall and installed a dryer vent with flaps. Put on of those on your board.

I'm lucky since I have sliding windows in my basement windows. I do most of my airbrushing in my garage so I get plenty ventilation there.

If you open the window, is there a flange remaining that allows you to set a piece of flat material against that flange (flange often for screen).  You can open window and replace screen with panel, or just insert panel.  dryer vent can go in that panel.

I'll check that out Don. I will need to look and see carefully. Thanks for the idea.

Mike

You can buy a window vent kit for a portable AC at your local HW store or make one.  I created mine using a board and an exhaust pipe connector and it cost me $5.  

Okay, new plan. My friend who is MUCH smarter than I, suggested putting a "T" into the dryer vent coonection, up near where it goes to the outside, then running rigid pipe, the dryer type over to the airbrush booth. Sounds good and even I can accomplish it. Any problems anyone sees?

Thanks, Mike

Is there any chance fumes could work their way into the dryer?

NO!!! DON'T DO THAT!! Unless you want to see your house go BOOM!!!!! Fumes and heat from the dryer don't play nice!

You're better off making a separate vent by connecting it to a window. Better safe than sorry.

I wouldn't worry so much about ignition from fumes, but, over time, any paint solids that may collect in the pipe could cause lint to build up and clog the line, which is a very real fire hazard. How long would that take? Who knows? If you're using an airbrush, probably never, but once you experience using a spray booth, you may be tempted to use rattle cans more out of convenience, and those WILL send paint solids into the line. As Black Sheep says, better to be on the safe side, especially when we're only talking a matter of a few bucks and a hour or two of work at the most

I built my own booth, using materials from a scrap pile at a construction site...added a bathroom "fart fan" and the ducting that came with it. I cut a hole in the wall, between the floor joists for a "flapper vent".

"Fart fan".... that's a new one. LOLOL!!!

Okay, newest plan! I hope you all out there are following my saga with the appropriate chuckles aiong the way!

Now, I thought aboutr it and I will remove one pane of the window that will be used. This is one on the other side of the basement, not near the dryer vent.  I will then install a vent with the hardware to connect to the hood. Then I can connect the tubing so to speak as I need it and then remove it, blocking the vent to prevent the cold winds here from freezing the basement  when the snow flies! Brillant I am! Well, just takes me longer than the average Jerky stick to figure things out! I'll keep you all posted as to progress. I am assuming in all this the hood will have enough ooomph to push up and out.

Thank you very much for all the suggestions. I really do appreciate it!

Mike

No really cold winds here in Houston, but here's what I've been using for years. A piece of 1/4 inch of treated wood, 4 inch dryer hose and connections. A template, that folds in half and cut to size so that it holds itself in the window sill at an overcenter.. Seal all four sides using standard seals stapled on. In the winter, I put a long piece of foam in the 'gap' where the window leaves open when the template it jammed in there. You could use a cut piece of pool noodle for that too? I got all the hardware at home depot. My spray booth has an industrial fan that is something like 400CFM, it could double as a snow blower if you connected dryer hose on the outside? Good luck.

Thanks Tom! I really appreciate the pics, that is the best way for me to try to figure things out.

Now, to measure three or four times and hope!

Mike