My Low cost spray booth. It isn’t all weather, but it does keep that paint smell out of the house.
You can make a “real” one very cheaply out of plywood, a bathroom vent fan that you get at any home improvement center, an air conditioning filter, and a length of dryer hose.
That sort of thing is fine for acrylics, but if you use solvent paints you need an explosion-proof motor and light. There is a fairly inexpensive portable one that folds up I’ve seen on Amazon and elsewhere, add one of those vents that you close in the window (usually used for those portable air conditioners) and it would work perfectly for me, since my bench is right next to a window. Again, acrylic paints only for that sort of thing. External venting isn’t really necessary if you runt he air through a filter, although some odor will still get out, the main thing with acrylics is to get the particles out of the air, even non-toxic particles are something you don’t want to inhale.
–Randy
I have used an in-line fan system that will draw over 300cfm, a 6-in duct, and a screen system outside of the house. The spray booth is smallish, but I can do most any model I will want to work on in it. I spray most all paints, including organic solvent. No dust! Das ist gut!
Rich
I’m currently using this spray booth for both my Model Railroad and Wargame miniatures; it works great is affordable and is portable, the best part as log as I’m using acrylics I can throw the pipe out a window and safely paint inside, no muss no fuss.
That’ the one I was thinking of. I’ve seen it on sale for around $50, I shoulda picked one up then.
–Randy
$50.00 is a excellent deal as it usually runs around $100.00 retail.
$100 is still a pretty good deal, even at full price.
And on whether or not you need an explosion-proof motor for solvent-based paints, well, you need a pretty delicate balance of oxygen and explosive vapors to cause combustion (that’s why you can extinguish a match in a jar of gasoline). If you’ve got a good wind going through there, and a bathroom fan is designed to resist moisture without shorting… well, I’m skeptical, to say the least.
Then again, I’m not gonna risk being the guinea pig, either. Maybe we should call Mythbusters…
I get what you’re saying, but since I have some serious lung issues I really can’t use solvent based paints anyway so I’m strictly an acrylic guy and I can get just as good results in fact I think I get a smoother base.
My son is also highly sensitive to solvents, so none in my house either. Even have to be careful with things like styrene cement.
There are folks who complain that acrylics are inferior, but frankly, I don’t see it. Whether airbrushing or brush painting, I’m very happy with my results with acrylics.
I have a setup essentialy as described by CTValleyRR, except I use furnace filters which are cheaper than AC filters. As I remember back in the early 80’s, building codes here in the US required all permanently installed fans (in a residence) be sparkless (brushless), that included bath and ceiling fans and of course kitchen fans
I built mine with a brushless (sparkless) bathroom fan. I have been using it, heavily as a custom painter since 1977 without incident. I started out with all solvent paints (20ish years) until switching to 95% acrylic paint about 10-12 years ago.
I am not going to say that what I do is right-by NFP-70 standards, it isn’t, but I am betting myself on my own expertise. I went on a tour of Branchlline Hobbies when they were in East hartford a while ago, and their spray booth was impressive-and code compliant per NEC Art500 on. I tossed it around and figured that most of the time my booth is idle. Quantity wise, two ounces of Floquil isn’t going to make that much difference. Even so, I have a fire extinguisher handy by, and do take precautions. That is my choice-you make your own.
Rich
I haven’t reviewed NFPA-70 either, but an industrial application is very different from a residential one. The theory is that industrial applications have more repetition and higher volumes (thus concentration) than residential ones. In additional to building to NFPA standards, industries must comply with OSHA. There is no equivalent regulation for private dwellings.
That said, having a fire extinguisher within reach is a good idea whenever you’re handling flammable materials. I have one in the garage (near where I store chemicals and gasoline, as well as putting gas into various tools), and one under the kitchen sink against the chance of a grease fire.
As someone said on anther thread: common sense applies.