When I re-engaged with scale modelling last year, after a 60-year hiatus, I soon learned about the wonders of airbrushing, and soon learned that it requires a long learning curve as well as space and good ventilation, which I don’t have in my one-bedroom condo in Vancouver. So air brushing was out, and I knew that painting with a brush would never do for such broad areas as wings, tail surfaces, and fuselages. What to do, what to do? Rattle cans! And where to spray? Outdoors on my balcony.
I knew that I’d have to protect the balcony from paint and my models from blowing dust, insects, leaves, etc. I also wanted to avoid irritating my neighbours to each side and on the third floor above. They don’t want to breathe sray-paint vapour and particles any more than I do, so I built a DIY spray box out of a banker’s box that I found in the alley in back of our apartment.
I would need a way to heat the box to something approaching normal room temperature, so I bought a ceramic light socket, cord, and 40-watt bulb to attach to one sides of short sides of the box. To protect the bulb from paint, I built a cardboard cover which can be raised for heating the box and lowered to protect the bulb. Even on a chilly day (5°C/41°F) it takes only 15 minutes or so to raise the temperature in the box to 20°C/68°F, and it never seems to get too warm.
I cut flaps in the opposite long sides of the box to make it easy to spray models from one side of the box or the other without having to touch the model; I added cardboard flanges and affixed strips of velcro to them for closure. To keep the box dry in case of wind and rain (which seems like it’s been a daily occurrence all winter), I used a sheet of polyethylene and duct tape to make a cover.
One immediately obvious problem was the stinky and probably dangerous cloud of vapour and paint particles flying away from the box and seemingly going straight into my lungs. I solved that by buying a 3M Half-Mask respirator and a pair of goggles. I am concerned that some of my neighbours might complain when the weather turns warm enough to have windows open.
Here are photos of the completed and well-used box; the model in the photos is an Airfix Handley-Page H.P.52 Hampden bomber that I’m using as a “test bed” to try out some paneling and weathering techniques. I’m also trying to remove rivets — the Hampden had flush-mounted rivets. When I get those techniques nailed down, assuming that I am able to, I’ll try them on another Hampden that’s waiting in my stash. (I’ve previously built another Airfix Hampden, and while I’m reasonably happy with the result, I want to build another, much better one.)
Here are photos of my “spray booth”:
I keep my models inside the box until just before I spray them. Before putting them in the box, I switch off the light bulb, lower its cover, and unplug it to avoid an explosion of paint vapour.
Aside from occasional bits of dust somehow making their way onto the model, the “spray booth” has worked well. I may have to build a larger version for some of the larger models in my stash, including a Boeing B-17G, a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, and a Avro Lancaster.
Bob