Glen B

I am interested to know where everyone does their airbrushing and what they use for ventilation, since I am in the slow process of setting up to do this. (I now have the airbrush, compressor, water coalecing filter, etc.)

I will absolutely be using a mask.

I have seen references to spraying stuff inside a carboard bow but I was wondering how many of you use any other specialized ventilation, etc.?

Once we get through a shutdown at one of our company facilities by the end of next week, I would like to get at completing my set up, so any info would be appreciated.

olfart

Good question Glenn, I'm at the same stage as you, but I don't have any paint yet. I am wondering about the Tamiya water soluable paint and how smelly it is, are the fumes explosive etc. I don't have a garage, and my wife has asthma, so I won't be painting in the house. It's a bit of a problem, with winter coming on.

YHR

I have a range hood set up in my workshop. I spray acrylic paint and am not worried about about explosive mixtures going through the standard fan motor. I always wear a mask, and this set up works well enough for my needs.

Dan

kamaz2010

Airbrushing is allways a problem when it is done in house. Fumes that are usually toxic and flammable can be a big problem.There is also the problem of dust falling on fresh paint,so what to do?
You can make a small box that will be made so that at one end of a air intake filter, and at the other end ofoutlet through a wide tube that comes out of the house. This way all toxic fumes are no problem. But the major thing is that you make a big plexiglass window on one side, and two holes on bothe ends of box to insert your arms, something like this:
http://www.scanna-msc.com/images/2_f..._Glove_Box.jpg

I know it seem a bit unreal to do, but with some plywood, and some plexy, all can come quite neet, and you´ll get rid of all fumes and dust.

Btw, allways weare protective gloves as well as mask, since airbrushing aint 100% accurate.

1sgt

I spray paint on the back deck or if it's raining the front porch. I have some 2 X 4's taped together to put the tank on, tape newspaper down on the table and just spray away. I also set it up to have the wind at my back. I'm sure everyone has heard the advice of not whizzing into the wind, same goes for airbrushing. LOL. Painting outside does have the benefit of seeing your tank in the natural light you'll be operating in so you see the colors as they should be.

Jim

1sgt

Sorry meant to enclose the pics in the above post.

Jim

tankmaster5001

I do it in my garage where I have a small work shop and I open the door part way.  But I also use a respirator I bought for 30 bucks at a hardware store.  To paint my tank I set it up on my bench over a sheet or newspaper then I just place a plastic ben top behind it.  You could also just put a sheet behind it.  Hope this helps.

cheap tank

I have ben painting in my basement and using a bathroom exaust fan with an aluminum flashing hood built around it about 18 inches square. It hooks up to a peice of dryer vent hose and out the window it works pretty good because when you walk in the room you can bairly smell any thing. I realy built about 15 years ago for casting bullets in the garage but its ben a paint booth for a wile now I think the fans are only about ten bucks so it mite be worth a try.

Glen B

Thanks guys.

Our climate prevents outdoor or garage painting for about 5 months of the year.

I have some ideas for indoor facilites now, confirmed by the good info provided, here.

four slot

Build your self a spray booth using 1/2" ply wood. For ventilation I use an old range hood with the plywood attached underneath it. I have routed the ducting right out my basement window. I just open the window slightly and place a board with the ducting attached to it and you have your self a nice spray booth. I also used corogated plastic board to channel the airflow inside the box. This works really well, just be aware that you cannot control all of the fumes but you can control most of them. For the over spray I used a funace filtercovering thr fan.

You could also use an old vacuum cleaner and design the booth as a down draft clears away the overspray really well but the fumes are not taken care of very well unless you can place the vacuum in the window. This how I used to do it until I changed to the range hood this is what works best for me. I ve' sprayed Laquer, oil based paints and water based paints and the fumes were not bad at all, very minor no issues year over a decade with this set up.

Good luck with what ever you decide to work with.

Ray.

Pah co chu puk

I paint outside so the wife don't fume. 

I too get about 6 months or so when outside is not good for paint.  Winter painting involves setting up trays with everything warm ( including paint ) then a quick dash out to the south side of the house for a coat of color, then back inside before the paint figures out it is 10 deg. F.  In the basement I have an exhust fan in a 4 inch duct over my drying area that keeps the wife from ever knowing I just painted a tank. 

Summer is easy, just keep the bugs off till it's dry.

Glen B

I wondered about that. I have Tamiya acrylic paint, it says it is water soluable but carriers a flammable warning.

hulu

 I think there is alcohol in Tamiya acrylic paint and a lot of persons use  isopropyl alcohol as thinner

tankmaster5001

I put a small cap full of alchol in my paint along with tamiya thinner and a small amount of water from the advice of the Dak weathering tutorial.  As far as fumes go I am not sure how flammable but I was able to safely paint with them in my garage with a respirator.

Panther G

i'm going to hit my Pershing with her first coat of base tonight. primed the metal gun barrel last night. I got some hobby acrylic from a craft store. This is the sweetest color olive drab I have ever seen. 6oz for .99 cents. How can you beat that?