Need help constructing a spray booth

[dilbuhtruck1974]

Hello,

I want to get into airbrushing so I thought I would build a spray booth from scratch. Who has experience in this area that could give some tips? I am considering using either a used oven hood or bathroom exhaust fan as the exhaust motor. Does anyone have a preference or experience with one being better than the other? Or is there something better to use? I then thought of building a basic box, add some lighting and try to find a way to port the exhaust tubing to the outside. Thoughts and input?...........

Thanks!!

 

[Rico]

There’s quite a few guys here who’ve done this, if you go to the search at the upper right and type paint booth you can sift thru all the threads.
I’ll be building one soon myself!

Here's just a few quick results I found...

Built a Spray Booth

The best way to paint models, rail road or other, is with an air brush. Second best is to “rattle can” it with cans of spray paint. Neither of these are recommended indoor activities wi…

timf.anansi-web.com

My first paint booth

I started construction on my paint booth yesterday. I was going to make it out of wood but yesterday I noticed I had a plastic storage bin I wasn't using so decided to try and use it. When I moved my layout to the basement years ago I installed a PVC pipe around the room that is attached to a...

modelrailroadforums.com

Paint Booth Upgrade

Thanks to MikeGTW my paint booth got a much needed upgrade. Before it had a 20" box fan that would shoot the exhaust out of a window in the spare bedroom. Now that we have a dedicated train room, I'm going to have it set in a permanent place. The exhaust motor Mike sent has a 2" fitting. After...

modelrailroadforums.com

Brought up my old spray booth in another post "Am I foolish"

I need to try to keep posts in their proper places. When I post my mind just tosses it all in one place. Here are a few photo's . I just reinforced it a bit and made a shelf for it and connected the fan outlet to the outside vent I put in decades ago. I got this plastic spray booth in the early...

modelrailroadforums.com

 

[dave1905]

The key part is the fan. If you want to vent flammable vapors (plastic solvents, lacquers, solvent based paints) then a bathroom or kitchen fan is less desirable, because in those fans the motor is in the exhaust air flow. The heat of the fan motor or a spark on the brushes could ignite the exhaust. For those a "squirrel cage" fan is better, they have the fan motor outside the air flow. An alternative is the brushless fan such as those in electronics.

Anther consideration is how much air is moved and where does the exhaust go. Ideally the exhaust should be vented outside. They sell vent gates that can shut off the vent pipe to keep cold air or critters out.

The shell of the vent isn't as critical, my first spray booth hood was metal, my current one is plywood. When I moved I got rid of my old spray booth and had the builder install a vent where my workbench was going to be so I could vent outside. In previous houses where I didn't have that, I had a flexible vent pipe attached to an 8" wide board cut to fit in a window. I would open the window 8", put the board in it and close the window down on the board and, viola, instant outside vent.

 

[GeeTee]

My spray booths were always just a cardboard box stuck in window. I just put a hole in the top or bottom and let Bernoulli suck the fumes out or put a computer fan over the hole if it needed it . When done I just took it out of the window and used it to store the airbrush , compressor and paint supplies.

I didn't have room for anything permanent.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

opps - I just saw that RICO already posted this!

Paint Booth Upgrade

Thanks to MikeGTW my paint booth got a much needed upgrade. Before it had a 20" box fan that would shoot the exhaust out of a window in the spare bedroom. Now that we have a dedicated train room, I'm going to have it set in a permanent place. The exhaust motor Mike sent has a 2" fitting. After...

modelrailroadforums.com

 

[TLOC]

I know paint booths can bring out many different ideas. I have always vented mine through a controlled vent outside. The venting fan I use is one from a range hood. I haven’t done solvent based paints in years except for spray bombs or cans. The size of the booth is what is comfortable to your modeling and what the vent fan can take away. I had a cardboard booth with the vent fan on the floor of the booth. I have had a metal paint booth made for me by a HVAC contractor as a favor. It was great but seemed IMO to be noisy. Made good money that selling to a guy just because it was a metal booth by a contractor. Finally I have a booth now that is disassembled plywood parts that has been calling my name for months. Just look to you tube for many videos. There is debate about the fans and fumes but better safe then sorry. For filters I always purchased the cheapest furnace filter from HD in the needed size.

TomO

 

[wheeler1963]

Updated my original post.

 

[dilbuhtruck1974]

The key part is the fan. If you want to vent flammable vapors (plastic solvents, lacquers, solvent based paints) then a bathroom or kitchen fan is less desirable, because in those fans the motor is in the exhaust air flow. The heat of the fan motor or a spark on the brushes could ignite the exhaust. For those a "squirrel cage" fan is better, they have the fan motor outside the air flow. An alternative is the brushless fan such as those in electronics.

Anther consideration is how much air is moved and where does the exhaust go. Ideally the exhaust should be vented outside. They sell vent gates that can shut off the vent pipe to keep cold air or critters out.

The shell of the vent isn't as critical, my first spray booth hood was metal, my current one is plywood. When I moved I got rid of my old spray booth and had the builder install a vent where my workbench was going to be so I could vent outside. In previous houses where I didn't have that, I had a flexible vent pipe attached to an 8" wide board cut to fit in a window. I would open the window 8", put the board in it and close the window down on the board and, viola, instant outside vent.

Awesome Dave, thanks!!!!!

 

[dilbuhtruck1974]

I know paint booths can bring out many different ideas. I have always vented mine through a controlled vent outside. The venting fan I use is one from a range hood. I haven’t done solvent based paints in years except for spray bombs or cans. The size of the booth is what is comfortable to your modeling and what the vent fan can take away. I had a cardboard booth with the vent fan on the floor of the booth. I have had a metal paint booth made for me by a HVAC contractor as a favor. It was great but seemed IMO to be noisy. Made good money that selling to a guy just because it was a metal booth by a contractor. Finally I have a booth now that is disassembled plywood parts that has been calling my name for months. Just look to you tube for many videos. There is debate about the fans and fumes but better safe then sorry. For filters I always purchased the cheapest furnace filter from HD in the needed size.

TomO

Great, thank you!!!

 

[dilbuhtruck1974]

My spray booths were always just a cardboard box stuck in window. I just put a hole in the top or bottom and let Bernoulli suck the fumes out or put a computer fan over the hole if it needed it . When done I just took it out of the window and used it to store the airbrush , compressor and paint supplies.

I didn't have room for anything permanent.

perfect, thanks!!