No place to paint

It seems that a quality paint booth while spraying acrylics would do the trick. I use the aforementioned garage myself, but maybe some others have an idea for a good booth setup.

missippivol is right on. Use the garage. It's nice out now! Invest in an airbrush booth that can duct out a window and you can paint inside too. That is what I do.

I'll be honest, I use a dual action airbrush in the basement using Model Master enamels with a window open and a small fan and that works just fine for me. My wife does not smell anything, nor do I. The dual action does not give off much overspray, and I also use one of those airbrush cleaning stations (jar) for flushing out the airbrush with cleaner. Works great.

One word....

 

Acrylics.

It helps to keep the airbrush dialed down.  I have friends who treat the airbrush like a spray gun, and really open up the flow to hose down the model quickly.  I like to paint right at my workbench, and only use my spray booth for rattle cans.  I consider the airbrush a brush that leaves no brushmarks.  Takes me longer to paint a model, but it does greatly reduce overspray and odor hanging in the air.

I do have to take care to get the coat even, though as compensation I can do a weathering effect at times just by intentionally leaving the coat uneven in spots.

 

Brian2015

I have a problem. First, let's put it out there that I am a novice, 40, with a family and a career. So getting a chance to model is rare. But I find myself avoiding the hobby when I have the time, because I don't have a great space to work in.

I live in a 4 level townhouse where my workspace is in a loft overlooking the main level. So no airbrushing there. I also have a detached garage, but its unheated and poorly lit. I can probably work on the lighting, but the lack of heat can't be fixed, so I can only paint from May-September (maybe, if its not raining).

I am looking for suggestions on how I can either spray indoors (smell, mess considerations) or in my garage (cold and wet considerations). Am I relegated to hand brushing until I move?

Thanks.

 

Hi, Brian - First thought, you'll never be issued another respiratory system, so treat this one with consideration toward protecting it. By all means, minimize exposure to paint and cleaner fumes as much as possible, a spray booth I think is essential.

I live in Oregon, cool winters and my garage shop is unheated. I use a radiant heater, the bowl shape projects heat outward with no fan to move the air. I set it on the floor beside my chair about four feet away, let it run for a few minutes and then I can turn it to medium heat. Perfectly comfortable and a good airbrushing environment.

I built my own spray booth, this is the fifth version, I keep finding ways to make them lighter and more efficient. Explosion proof fan motor, 3 inch metal adjustable vent hose to extract all smells and fumes from work area, 14 X 14 X 1 inch filter.

Bench is in front of sliding window. I used 3/4 X 4 inch pine board, full height of the window frame, 3 x 1/4 inch hole for friction fit of 3 inch vent hose, exhausting everything outside. When work is done, take out pine board and close/lock wondow.

If your garage has a window, maybe you could make similar work space? If not, how about in the house? Mull it around, I'll bet with some thought you can arrange something handy, safe and workable.

Actually, once I got my first set up working I enjoyed just dinking around, making continued improvements to each version. Sort of like a hobby within the hobby.

While I do use enamels on occasion, acrylics go a long way toward being "friendlier" for spraying use. Hope you can get something workable going for yourself, bet you'd find more interest and time for building with a good, workable, dedicated space for your hobby.

Patrick