PAINT BOOTH ???

I have an Artograph 1520, and don't vent it outside.

I live in a studio apartment; the one window I've got also has the AC under it, so anything that is blown out will just be sucked right back in. I find it a bit inconvenient to paint with the door open.

I started out intending to use only acrylics in it, but have switched over almost exclusively to enamels, cleaning the airbrush with low-odor mineral spirits and a cleaning station similar to this one: http://www.swannysmodels.com/FumeCan.html. I rarely notice any fumes (even during painting, but my sense of smell has never been that good). A few other notes:

1. Only paint in this thing with an airbrush, and even then watch the pressure. During my first couple paint sessions, I opened the brush full up (don't remember the pressure), and had small clouds of paint coming out. Rattle cans are out for sure.

2. If you can afford it, spend the extra money for the metal hood (base model only comes with a cardboard hood). It looks a bit better, and the plexiglas panel in the top increases the number of ways you can illuminate the work area.

3. Some folks use lacquer paints (like for car models) or lacquer thinner to clean their brush. I haven't tried either (lack of need for the former, guts for the latter), and you may want Styrene or Swanny to weigh in on whether or not it's OK to do so .

4. If I were in your situation, I would put this thing somewhere else. I don't know your exact situation, but am a little leery anytime somebody suggests putting volatile liquids in the same room with a furnace, even if it's just for storage.

I think you'll find that a lot of us out here work in a basement and unfortunately that's where the furnace is in most houses. If you take some basic precautions, you shouldn't have to many problems.

A. Locate your work area as far from the furnace as physically possible. (and the water heater if it is a gas model).

B. Does your basement have windows? If it does, use one of them to vent your paint booth. (with any luck, one of them will be located within the area you've chosen to model in). I took the window out by removing the hinges and stored it. I then cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to fit into the opening, installed a 4" clothes dryer vent in it, painted it white and installed it in the opening with silicone seal and hooked my paint booth exhaust tube to the vent. Works great and if I ever have to reinstall the window it'll probably take me 15 minutes to do it.

C. Paint and thinner storage - Ideally, we would all have one of those yellow fire/explosion proof cabinets the a lot of businesses/shops use to store flammables in. However, that gets expensive very fast. I store some of my paints in an area just above my paint booth. As long as the tops are are sealed there are very little fumes given off. I store most of my paints, my thinners and assorted chemicals in an old refridgerator (It was my youngest sons "beer" fridge when he was in college). I have a friend who found a couple of surplus wall lockers that he sealed off the vents and added door seals to and has stored paint and chemicals in for years. You need something that will contain the fumes.

Lastly, just use some common sense when you're modeling and have fun.

I own a 1520 and the advice listed above covers it pretty much. I happen to use a spare bedroom so Idont have a furnace problem, I do vent outside soemtime but other times I dont bother and the filters do a good job keeping the air clean. Unless you are painting for long periods you should be fine. The artographs are good booths and I love mine.

I too use an Artograph and don't vent it outside, although I plan to in the future. The only thing I would add to what's already been said is to always wear a high-quality respirator, especially if you plan on spraying with enamels (as I do).

Mark