# What painting enclosure do you use?



## n1111z (Feb 3, 2010)

I've built my first resin model, which turned out great. I bought a Badger airbrush and started to paint, paint is going everywhere and I've got a monster headache. What is the easy/cheap/effective solution?


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## halcyon_daze (Jan 6, 2004)

n1111z said:


> I've built my first resin model, which turned out great. I bought a Badger airbrush and started to paint, paint is going everywhere and I've got a monster headache. What is the easy/cheap/effective solution?


Cheap is building your own spray booth, although the motors for ventilating the fumes aren't particularly cheap, not the good ones anyway. 

Easy is buying one. The good ones aren't cheap.

Both will be effective. I got an Artograph 1530, and I love it.

http://www.artograph.com/products/spray_1530.htm

They come in various sizes, and the Artographs are top-of-the-line. They can usually be had cheaper from vendors other than the manufacturer.

_Really _cheap is cutting out a largish cardboard box, but you won't have any ventilation and it will accumulate dust. Better than nothing though.

_*Another thing: if you're literally getting headaches, that's the result of not using a good NIOSH-rated respirator mask. These are a must, especially when painting with solvent-based paints and particularly since you apparently aren't ventilating the fumes. Breathing that stuff is dangerous.*_


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

I sit by the window with a 20" box fan pointing out. Around that I scratch built a 20" deep box from scrap wood (four walls, a roof and two small crossbars on the front and back. It's a veritable wind tunnel that will pull air from about a foot around the front in all directions when it's set on full power. Cost about $20 for the fan. The wood and nails were on hand scrap.


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## SamwiseVT (Apr 30, 2009)

Model Man said:


> I sit by the window with a 20" box fan pointing out. Around that I scratch built a 20" deep box from scrap wood (four walls, a roof and two small crossbars on the front and back. It's a veritable wind tunnel that will pull air from about a foot around the front in all directions when it's set on full power. Cost about $20 for the fan. The wood and nails were on hand scrap.


I did something similar to you, except I made mine a total work-space enclosure out of pvc pipe and plastic sheeting - simple and cheap. "The Lab" is about 5' x 6' and 8' high (up to the top of the window. I built the frame out of 1" pvc and just got a massive sheet of plastic and went around it on all 6 sides with some cheap commercial style carpeting on the floor (a large scrap piece from Lowe's). It might seem a bit extreme, but I live in an apartment and I doubt the landlord would take stray paint spots on the walls real well.

I pushed the whole contraption up against the window, cut out a square, and masking taped the plastic to the window frame, taking care to tape over all exposed wall and glass. The box fan goes in the window (blowing OUT), with my table in front of that, and a slit directly opposite the window for entry. Like Model Man's this essentially makes a wind tunnel. 

The reason for having the fan blow out is that it literally sucks the air out of the booth, pulls in fresh air through the opening behind you, pulls it across the table and then out the window, thus you aren't blowing fumes into your house OR letting them float around in the booth.

I also wear one of those $20 nose/mouth respirators just to be safe.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I had a piece of leftover cardboard about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long I bent into a u shape and set on edge atop another piece of cardboard before ductaping the whole thing together. I have a cheap plastic lazy susan I place the models on when I airbrush. No fan but it's right next to the garage door whcih I can open up for ventilation. I use mostly enamels which aren't nearly as strong smelling as lacquers of course. Should probably wear a mask but most of the time I don't. If I was doing a lot of spraying, especially with lacquers, I'd definitely wear a mask. Most of my stuff is smaller scale so I don't do a lot of airbrushing at any one time.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

my only experience with a spray booth was in high school. It was this massive (8' sq.) metal box with fans, lights and windows. 

Actually, that's wrong. My now ex-wife made one from a very thick cardboard box. The front was cut at an angle so a piece of thick, flexible plastic could be draped down to keep dust out, a window cut into one side and a hole for a miniature household fan to fit into.


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## gwynethh (Sep 16, 2008)

Saw a nice home made job somewhere on the web. The guy used a "shaded pole" exhaust motor. He said it was fine for non-solvent based paints.
http://www.thevinman.net/models/booth.htm


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## starseeker2 (Jun 13, 2008)

Way, way back when, Fine Scale Modeler did an article comparing 6 paint booths. I've attached four of the reviews below. The page I didn't scan reviewed the Graphic Air System Freedom Filter (inadequate ventilation) and the Malomi (worst of the bunch). 
Unless you're willing to pay a small fortune for a paint booth that actually protects you, either spray in the open air or build one yourself. Which is what I did, following the specs in their article.


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## starseeker2 (Jun 13, 2008)

This is the one I built. It's big enough for (almost) anything that I'm likely to model. The fan is powerful enough to ventilate the entire 3' x 2 1/2' booth (the minimum needed 1500 cfm or so) but I built it with removable vertical and horizontal dividers so I can make the booth smaller for smaller projects, and then it vents with airflow to spare. No idea anymore on what the fan is but you need a baby elephant to move it. It may not look like much but it do get the job done.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Nice one Star! The lamp is a great idea I gotta incorporate at some point.

Mine slides forward and back for access to the fan so I can close the window when too cold. The outer right wall is great for storing tools and I've got a stack of shelves on top for models "on deck", paints and more. 

I now keep a tight-fitting cardboard box in the bottom and line it with newspaper to keep particulates from growing on the walls. I do need to make a cardboard cone or something to deflect the spray away from the motor. 

It's been a year using it this way with no probs, so I haven't been too worried, but I should be in more of a rush to protect the motor than that!


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## DinoMike (Jan 1, 1970)

My booth that I bought from Micro-Mark. 15" x 30" MicroLux. Works pretty well so far. Rigged a removable panel that fits in the window & has mounts for the ducts when I'm using lacquers & enamels.


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## bccanfield (Nov 17, 2002)

This was easy and cheap to make. The box is a storage container from Wal-Mart. The Fan is an old computer fan. The hose & filter came from Home Depot. Less than $50.


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## skinnyonce (Dec 17, 2009)

n1111z said:


> I've built my first resin model, which turned out great. I bought a Badger airbrush and started to paint, paint is going everywhere and I've got a monster headache. What is the easy/cheap/effective solution?


I am bidding on one of these they look adequate for the price


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...Category=20612&_trkparms=algo=LVI&its=I&otn=2


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

I built my own stray booth years ago.

I wanted it large enough to do 1/350 scale ships, so mine measures 3' x 5'.

I used two bathroom ceiling fans with a 110cfm? each, that I bought from HD.
Those are on seperate switches so I can run one to clear the air before I start and for fumes from after.
I run the second while I'm actually painting.
I decided to use two furnace filters where the intake from the fans uses up only 1/2 of the filter. When I feel they are full, I rotate them to the clean end and go from there.

The exhaust is via a 6in. flexible hose going to a basement window, where I had to made a bracket to replace the basment window.

It's worked great and my wife says that she can't smell any fumes upstairs.

Regardless though, you should still use a resporater when painting. 

I think the window fan and box is a great idea. Your just going to have all kinds of paint on your screen.


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## b26354 (Apr 11, 2007)

This is mine - basically a plywood and mdf box built on top of a workbench.










It's in a small shed separate from the house. There's a frame at the back which holds a cloth filter and a 1.5hp centrifugal dust extractor fan vents outside. It has enough suction that I generally can't smell any fumes while painting.

If I can find some plastic grating I may try modifying it to suck down rather than to the rear.


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## skinnyonce (Dec 17, 2009)

what is the cfm to size ratio?
I think i read it was 100 cfm to a sq foot
anybody have the math


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

I built a cheap paint booth out of a clear plastic storage container, bathroom exhaust fan, and a couple of small flourescent lights. It's vented through a flexible hose that goes to a foamcore insert I pop into the window. It works OK, but not great - not nearly enough suction. (When I'm shooting clear on a dozen or so sheets of backlight film the smell gets pretty strong.)

I'm going to copy the window fan idea, but modify it with a furnace air filter mounted in front of the fan, boatloads of lighting up top, and hinged sides so I can fold it up when not in use ... that is, of course, when I get some time clean out the woodshop in the basement so I can work on it


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## breid (May 8, 2008)

This is the spray booth I built last summer to replace the cardboard box booth I was using. The interior measures 25” wide by 18” high by 15” deep. The three bolts on the front on the tool chest are for a 18” by 44” long extension table. There are also two removable side baffles to help direct the over spray into the main booth. I'm using the air cleaner I built years ago as an exhaust fan. It's basically a plywood box with two bathroom fans inside and a pleated furnace filter that slides in front. There is a gap between the fan box and the booth for two fiberglass filters that are easier and cheaper to replace than the pleated one so I can get a little more mileage out of it. There is a replaceable skylight and a light fixture on top. I haven't put it through it's paces yet, but I've got it when I need it. An added bonus is that top of my tool chest can't be used as a junk tray anymore. If you're serious about model making then a good spray booth is a wise investment


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## starseeker (Feb 1, 2006)

skinnyonce said:


> what is the cfm to size ratio?
> I think i read it was 100 cfm to a sq foot
> anybody have the math


Rats, my attachments must be too fuzzy to read. 

The OHSA recommends 100 to 200 linear feet per minute.
For a 2' x 1' booth,
2' x 1' x 200fm = 400cfm.
For a typical 2' x 1' x 1' deep both, you'd use a fan rated 400 cubic feet per minute to move air at 200 linear feet per minute. 
Ducting increases the air you need to move so try to keep the ducting to a minimum or increase the rating of your fan.
The Fine Scale Modeler article recommended the Dayton 4c445, rated at 495 cfm or the Dayton 2c946 rated at 815 cfm.

It is important the the blower should be outside the airflow, otherwise some vapors could cause it to ignite. 
Good health!


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

starseeker said:


> It is important the the blower should be outside the airflow, otherwise some vapors could cause it to ignite.
> Good health!


THATS a pretty good safety tip.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

I wanna say that there are some fine examples of DIY going on here! I'm jealous of a few setups! Some of these examples are more or less effective than others, and each has its drawbacks, but considering the cost of a 'professional' spray booth compared to old fashioned elbow grease, I think these are quite comparable.



ClubTepes said:


> ...I think the window fan and box is a great idea. Your just going to have all kinds of paint on your screen.


Yup. Every few weeks I take a scrub brush to both sides of the screen and hit it with the vacuum cleaner brush attachment -as well as having to do the fan blades, grating and all that kind of thing. A can of air is most helpful too. 

I expect a cheap AC filter would do the trick nicely, but haven't invested any time to pursuing that test.


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## b26354 (Apr 11, 2007)

this is similar to the fan I'm using:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94029

Instead of the bag I have it venting straight outside. This might not be the cheapest option but it has enough suck and the motor is outside the airflow so there's no chance of any fumes igniting.


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## CaptFrank (Jan 29, 2005)

Not having the time to wade through all the posts,
(Public Library computer), I'll post this:

I used to put plastic drop cloths on the porch, tape them
to the railing, and spray outside. When I was done, fold
up the plastic and toss it.

Duct tape holds very well for weeks.


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## DarthSideous (Mar 26, 2008)

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=229661

I asked the same question a while back and alot of great modelers gave their oppinions, but i have to say superduty455 provided the best. based on the info he posted I am ordering an artgraph 1530 Hobby Model Spray Booth through amazon.com which is cheaper than through the manufacture's site.


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## skinnyonce (Dec 17, 2009)

b26354 said:


> this is similar to the fan I'm using:
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94029
> 
> Instead of the bag I have it venting straight outside. This might not be the cheapest option but it has enough suck and the motor is outside the airflow so there's no chance of any fumes igniting.




price wise it didnt seem to high compared to the ones i seen on ebay. and thats alot of air being moved, i guess you can always restict the flow easier than increase it


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

n1111z said:


> I've built my first resin model, which turned out great. I bought a Badger airbrush and started to paint, paint is going everywhere and I've got a monster headache. What is the easy/cheap/effective solution?


Made my own out of plywood, plexiglass and lumber. Could not find anything on the market large enough for a carrier model.


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## Athan_tok (May 20, 2009)

My spray booth was built around a range hood I got at a local hardware store in their dent 'n scratch sale. The fans are fire resistant and has all the hardware for two speed fan operation as well as lights. I had plywood on hand to build the frame. I wired in some 12" florescent lights. It's all wired through a 60 min timer, so I can put the fan on low turn on the heat lamp, close the Plexiglas door and it will turn it's self off automatically. I use dryer vent to vent it outside with auto closing doors. 

I can paint pretty large items now. I like the fact that I can let the paint cure in the booth without anything landing in the paint for a few days. :thumbsup:


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## skinnyonce (Dec 17, 2009)

Athan_tok said:


> My spray booth was built around a range hood I got at a local hardware store in their dent 'n scratch sale. The fans are fire resistant and has all the hardware for two speed fan operation as well as lights. I had plywood on hand to build the frame. I wired in some 12" florescent lights. It's all wired through a 60 min timer, so I can put the fan on low turn on the heat lamp, close the Plexiglas door and it will turn it's self off automatically. I use dryer vent to vent it outside with auto closing doors.
> 
> I can paint pretty large items now. I like the fact that I can let the paint cure in the booth without anything landing in the paint for a few days. :thumbsup:


sounds like a really nice booth, able to share a photo of it with me/us


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## junglelord (Mar 6, 2007)

CaptFrank said:


> Not having the time to wade through all the posts,
> (Public Library computer), I'll post this:
> 
> I used to put plastic drop cloths on the porch, tape them
> ...


I did that to paint my Moebius Seaview
thought i was the only one....LOL.
Cheers


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## rossjr (Jun 25, 2001)

I could just never justify the cost of the booth and I always had an issue if I wanted to paint a large object, so my solution was to get the highest CFM bathroom fan and install it right over my workshop and vent it out the side of the house. Never has a problem keeping up and keeps the room good and free of fumes....


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## Robert Hargrave (Dec 4, 2003)

With all the projects I usually have going I had Masonite left over from building the Facisa Board along the front of my Model Railroad bench and I always have some scrap wood handy so I built this for out in my garage.

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx226/booker1067/paint.jpg

Long enough to hold an assembled Seaview and was cheep to build using scrap materials, biggest expense was the ehaust fan and flex tubing to vent it outside.


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