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Using rattle cans in an airbrush booth

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  • Member since
    January 2012
Posted by Ausfwerks on Friday, November 25, 2016 12:50 PM

Regarding spray booths, it's always best to duct to the outside with a squirrel cage motor, which is a type that gets keeps the motor out of the airstream. Computer fans, window fans, etc. unless they are listed explosion proof can be a source of ignition. If you are spraying from a rattle can, you are using a paint that is definitely flammable. 

I had a friend who routinely cleaned clay off his shop floor with acetone. One day, the door to his basement was left open and the heavier than air fumes crept down the stairs to the water heater pilot and flashed right up to his face, burning off his eyerows and front of his hair. He was wildly lucky he didn't have a bigger disaster than that. The solvents in most rattle cans are more volatile than acetone.

The other thing with filtered booths: an organic vapor respirator cartridge is only good for 8 hrs of usage, 2 weeks exposure to air while not in use. The active ingredient is charcoal and absorbs the solvents to a point where it can't any longer. Basically, it's useless for fumes in a spray booth and that's even if the booth's filter is an OV or just a particle filter. It might catch paint particles, but that's not the complete issue with paint, unless you are using true acrylics (not ether based like Tamiya).

But of course, the original question is rattle cans, so the short answer is no. Atomizing a flammable material is what a carburator does, add an ignition source to that and well,you know...

If you think this is a case of over reacting, check on the spray booth you're interested in and see if they say it's okay for flammable materials. It may be, but I doubt it unless you're paying for it.

The upside is, with a few materials like plexi or sheetmetal, some duct work and a Dayton blower, you can build a booth for the same or less than any store bought unit that will completely out perform any of them and be much safer to boot.

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Friday, November 25, 2016 8:55 AM

I don't use my booth with my airbrush.  The amount of overspray with an airbrush is, to me, not enough of a problem to call for a booth. I only use my booth only for rattle cans.  Now, my booth is a homemade one, so I can't answer specifically for the booths in in the OP, but seems to me the only effect might be to require more frequent filter changes with rattle cans.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    October 2010
Posted by hypertex on Friday, November 25, 2016 8:32 AM

I don't see why you couldn't use rattle cans in either one.

As an owner of an Artograph booth, I have two problems with it. One is that air leaks from the metal box seams, which are rivited and not welded. I sealed it with silicon sealer to stop the leaks. The other thing is that the filter sits at the bottom surface of the booth, which makes for an unstable surface on which to place my models.

Minor complaints, but it may influence your choice. I'm not familiar with the Paasche model, so I have not comment on that.

  • Member since
    February 2011
Using rattle cans in an airbrush booth
Posted by 40kminis on Thursday, November 24, 2016 3:31 PM

Hello, I am trying to decide between the HSSB-30-16 and the Artograph 1530. The HSSB-30-16 has higher CFM flow but I hear good things about the 1530. Can I use rattle cans with either one?

Trying to apply light coat of primer to miniatures and it is very humid where I live so doing it outside isnt an option. 

 

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