Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

[thor777]

I bought the Artograph 1520 Spray System this past Friday.  I've been thinking about buying or building one for a while now.  I've been AB'ing in my apartment restroom since I started this hobby about 4 months ago.  Needless to say the restroom doesn't have enough ventilation and paint dust gets everywhere   I weighed the pros and cons of buying one and building one myself and came up with the conclusion that $200 (www.artsupplywarehouse.com, cheapest anywhere I believe...) is not too much for the health of my and my GF's lungs    If I built one myself, it'll probably come out to over $100 plus the time invested in building it and plus it might not work as well.  The cheaper restroom exhaust fans from homedepot or lowes are usually under 100 CFM.  The Artograph has 185 CFM and has a 3 stage filtration system.  I tested it Saturday spraying some Tamiya acrylics and some primer.  It was fairly quiet and got rid of the odor of the paints pretty fast.  The included hood is made out of cardboard so you can replace it easily.  But this causes the spraying area to not get enough light so I bought some plexiglass from Home Depot and cut it down to size and taped it over the cut-out portions of the hood...

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

I wrapped the plexiglass with Saran Wrap prior to taping it to the hood so I won't need to replace them if paint got on...(they were a pain to cut and break into pieces, couple pieces did not break very cleanly along the line I scribed ><) *Anyone here a chemist know if paints and primers come into contact with Saran Wrap will cause unsafe chemical reactions?   :?

The frame is made out of metal and it's really sturdy and it's also got an exhaust adapter built in made to fit a 4" dryer hose to vent the fumes.  Anyway, I strongly urge anyone considering building/buying a spray booth to get the 1520.  At $200 it's really a steal and a good investment on your (and your family's) lungs  

More info Artograph Link

[FichtenFoo]

Nice! As I was reading the first thought that popped in my head was "wrap that plexi in plastic wrap, then I read on that you did.

[oteebzo]

Does anyone here run any kind of filter on there home made spray booths. Like a cloth or fiber filter between the the fan and the vent to out side? If not do you get paint specks out side the fan vent?

[Mechanoid Paranoid]

Here's what I got for NOT observing BASIC safety procedures....

As I was painting my FG Gundam with black, (and proud of it)    my mind went daydreaming and just merely took pictures as a contribution for another Work In Progress using a phone camera.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

I was about to continue with the other arm....took another bad shot.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

And then, as the linear compressor was still running, i returned a 3/4 cup full of black paint from the Airbrush back to the paint bottle and then SPLASH!!! a geyser of black paint went up and spilled everywhere including the white-painted arm, my shirt, and the table.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Instead of panicking, I merely cleared the painted parts and immediately got a picture of it.

LESSON: When modeling, have a presence of mind and turn off your compressor after use, especially when transferring paint.  

     

[bean]

would this be a good respirator to use?

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if not can someone recommend one that I should be using.  Thanks.

[Mindless]

Can't say much about that particular respirator but generally, you shouldn't care too much about the design of it. As long as you don't breathe in the fumes from airbrushing / spraying, it's all good.

One thing that's a must though is that the filters (typically organic filters) are made for picking up small particles such as paint fumes.

I use (used) this respirator and it has been great. Comfortable if you are painting long hours, and filters away all the fumes.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

But, since I got this booth now, I have no real need for a respirator.  

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

[oteebzo]

Do you have to vent that spray booth outside? Or can you run it indoors with a filter?

[bean]

Can't say much about that particular respirator but generally, you shouldn't care too much about the design of it. As long as you don't breathe in the fumes from airbrushing / spraying, it's all good.

One thing that's a must though is that the filters (typically organic filters) are made for picking up small particles such as paint fumes.

I use (used) this respirator and it has been great. Comfortable if you are painting long hours, and filters away all the fumes.

what brand is that respirator?  Either way, I know I can get the one I linked to because I saw it at the hardware store (i'm don't really care about the design or anything like that, I just want something that functions properly and prevents me from getting high on fumes), but I was just wondering if there's a specific one I should get or a certain type I should avoid.

[Mindless]

Do you have to vent that spray booth outside? Or can you run it indoors with a filter?

There is a vent in the wall where the fumes are blown out. But if I sealed the booth shut (with a front panel) I suppose I could spray in it without running the fan. However, I don't intend on trying since the booth is in the basement and as we all know, fumes go pretty much wherever they want (don't want to gas the other family members).  :)

what brand is that respirator?

You can actually see the brand on the picture I posted. 'Sundström' in the brand. I suppose you could say they are the 3M's of Sweden.

[spiffitz]

It's in the midst of a garage clean up, but you get the idea. It's a kitchen range hood mounted upside-down onto a shelf. The opening is in the front bottom, which is actually a more efficient way of venting as opposed to a top- or back-draft setup. It prevents dirt and dust from being sucked into the booth and across your model. The top portion is made from foam core board and hot glue.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Since someone always asks, the Pampers box is full of Castrol Super Clean for stripping paint. The outlet is made of standard 6-inch duct parts. On that note there are duct fans available for those wanting to mount the fan away from the workspace, such as this one.

Keep in mind a too-powerful fan may do more harm than good. If you're in a sealed room it can draw air through any opening, such as a water heater's gas vent for example, and let in dangerous CO. Seems obvious but just make sure you open a window or door when running a fan.

[bean]

here's a random question:  I'm trying to connect two fans to one switch so that instead of turning off the power strip (and everything connected to my spray booth, ie, light, compressor, etc...) I can just hit the switch that connects the fans and thats it.  So I thought I would try it (made a closed circuit) and it worked... except for one thing: the fans were spinning lower than half the speed and weren't really sucking in air.  It completely slipped my mind that the electricity would be shared by the two fans.  Anyone know what I can do besides getting another switch assembly?

[AJL]

bean:  It sounds like you may have wired the fans in series rather than parallel. Whether your wiring is capable of driving two fans is another matter altogether and without knowing your setup I can't offer any advice.  If you're not confident or competent (no offence), I wouldn't mess about with mains electricity, as there's a real fire & electrocution danger if you get it wrong!

[bean]

thanks for the concern ajl, but you were right, I set the fans up in a series, don't know how I missed that.

[FilmMkr]

Here are a few shots of my booth, which I recently upgraded (better lighting, more power!    )  I had a buddy of mine custom build this for me.  He was gonna mass produce 'em, but - like a lot of guys with grand ideas and good intentions - getting off the couch and actually doing the work proved to be too much effort.  He'd rather sit on his lazy ass than get ahead in life, but that's another rant for another day.  

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

I had him make an acrylic front that's held on with a magnetic strip that goes around the  perimeter.  It has a foam screen over a cutout in the plex so that I can keep the fan running with the booth closed and parts inside.  That way I can draw airflow across the parts to speed the paint cure without contaminating the wet paint with dust and particles.  This shot is from a turorial that I did on decanting spray bombs to shoot through an airbrush, hence the film can and straw:

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that since he now has a paint booth he doesn't have to wear a respiratior.  That is very unwise and - I'm sorry to say - shortsighted.  A paint booth does not and will not remove all the particulate from the air when painting.  It WILL pull most of the fumes and a portion of the solids, but you will inhale a substantial amount even WITH a booth.  Be smart - your lungs are far too precious, and believe me, even you young whippersnappers will have a cumulative effect over time.  You are not as bulletproof as you may think!  

This is my old  two stage respirator. I just bought a new one this week.

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

And just for giggles, here is Filmy's Model Annex  (the main room indoors  is called The Modeling Lair):

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

Spraybooths and General Modeling Safety

     

[Ezechiel]

Oh wow, I wish I had that much space and tools!
Awesome hobby space!

[Mindless]

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that since he now has a paint booth he doesn't have to wear a respiratior.  That is very unwise and - I'm sorry to say - shortsighted.  A paint booth does not and will not remove all the particulate from the air when painting.  It WILL pull most of the fumes and a portion of the solids, but you will inhale a substantial amount even WITH a booth.  Be smart - your lungs are far too precious, and believe me, even you young whippersnappers will have a cumulative effect over time.  You are not as bulletproof as you may think!  

I wear it, just not as frequently as when I didn't have a booth. It all depends on how much work I'm planning to do. If I plan on priming all 2-300 parts of a gundam kit in one go, I sure as hell wear the respirator or I'd be saying goodbye to billions of braincells (and more). But, if it's just a few parts (I usually paint in shorter sessions to minimize exposure to the fumes) I tend not to wear it. Maybe it's time to change that bad habit...  :)

Oh, and that's a sweet work area. Really nice. A good workspace really makes a difference.

[oteebzo]

Very nice work shop!

Ok heres a question for all you DIY spraybooth guys. I have been reading on this fan air circulation factor , and most bath room fans run about 80 cfm's and I a see that pre made spray booths make 280-300 cfm's.
So my question is do you guys get enough air flow with the bath fans?
Is it under powered?

[Garylok]

umm, after reading this i think i am slowly killing myself.

I have started airbrushing only for a month or so, and have only completed 1 gundam kit so far. I dont spray inside the house, well in the garage with it opened. I dont use a spray booth nor do i use a respiratior.

All the windows in my house have fly-screens which i cant take out so spraying in the house is basically out of the question. I have to airbrushing during a sunny day with sunlight only inside a garage. Do i need a spray boot and a respiratior? Or is there anyway i can make a spray booth that can be used inside the house through the fly-screen?

[Mindless]

umm, after reading this i think i am slowly killing myself.

I have started airbrushing only for a month or so, and have only completed 1 gundam kit so far. I dont spray inside the house, well in the garage with it opened. I dont use a spray booth nor do i use a respiratior.

All the windows in my house have fly-screens which i cant take out so spraying in the house is basically out of the question. I have to airbrushing during a sunny day with sunlight only inside a garage. Do i need a spray boot and a respiratior? Or is there anyway i can make a spray booth that can be used inside the house through the fly-screen?

A respirator would definately be a worthwhile, life-extending, investment. I suggest you buy one as soon as possible.

[makalaka]

check out these plans for a spray booth
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=b531ede7ae9638751211856323403f6a
If you download the free google program the guy used to make the plans, you can download the plans and get a 3d view of them. I'm thinking about building it. It'll cost me around 50 bucks because I already have some of the materials. Going outside with a card board box to paint is getting old, fast. This atleast would get me into the garage. Just thought I'd share what I found.