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I need to get the airbrush set back up so I can spray-prime bones minis as that first coat by hand..sucks. Well.. and other stuff, but y'know...

Basically I have a great new office/hobby cave downstairs but I'm no where near a window, and I'm not looking to knock out any walls etc.


Something like this tends to run 60-100 dollars, but the hoses on them are only a couple of feet. I've got at least 20-30 feet to get to a window so.. probably out.

I wonder if I could rig up something similar.. I've got some small fans that are similar in size to what this must use (air hockey table, old computer, even an 18" box fan if the power is needed...) but I need something that can be used downstairs. I wonder if I could have the fan suck the spray mist into a large (18x18x18 or even 24x or some similarly large dimension..) box that was designed kind of like a car muffler... or like something with baffles. Like a couple of sheets of thin cloth or whatever, and some cardboard baffles, basically suck in the paint and have it hit some screens and materials that will let the air pass through but that will hopefully catch the paint particles? Has anyone else looked into such a thing?

I need something that can run independent of a window. I'm pretty sure the air coming out of the compressor isn't going to hurt anyone to breathe, especially after it's diffused into the surrounding air, but I need something to reliably catch the paint particles in terms of preventing overspray staining the walls/ceiling and breathing concerns.

Doable, or should I consider setting up the airbrush in a different room with closer window access and just use something like the picture (even if it's home-made)?

I did this recently, I have a window but it is inconvenient.

I bought a long length of dryer hose, cut the plastic host from that exhaust system you have, then added the new hose to the middle - it worked fine.

However, it was still inconvenient for me - so I cut a hole in the wall and am pushing the exhaust into the cavity - that said, the cavity is huge so I am not generating pressure (and therefore making it pointless).

The problem with blowing it into a baffled box is that if your baffles work too well, it simply won't suck air in.

So, is it simply impossible to get to a window, even over a long distance?

Is it also impossible to cut a hole in some drywall or the ceiling and exhaust it somewhere else?

Well, we just bought the place and I'm not yet comfortable cutting holes in the walls. Yet. It may happen.

The nearest window is a good 20-30 feet away and would leave the hose as a trip hazard for my 3 year old as it would cross through her play room (adjacent to the office/cave).

Wonder if you're still not onto something with the longer dryer hose though... if you push the air along the corrugated tube far enough... paint is probably gonna accumulate on the walls before it gets all the way through...

Fixing up drywall is ridiculously easy, you'd never see it after it is patched, and that hose is only 6" in diameter (and round) so it is easy as hell to fix (plus, it is a clean cut, that you have the waste from).

If you went a long distance, it would absolutely accumulate in some way - maybe a long distance to a baffle box?

That said, it would be ugly as hell, and a hole in drywall would be less unsightly (and more effective)

I have been airbrushing for 3 years now and honestly, there is no big cloud of particulate in the air like you would see using a rattle can.

I spray over a white sheet of paper that I change out for each project I work on and there is no fine mist that settles on it. There is no smell in the air and if there is any paint particulate in the air, it would be negligible. I have a 3M respirator and I only wear it for lengthy sessions. The two white cotton filters are as pristine as the day they went in new 2+ years ago.

I think that working with resin (ie Forge World) stuff is more dangerous as there is a fine dust from sawing, scraping, and sanding away flash and mold lines.

Hmm you make good points. Two of my walls are cinderblocks and one side is definitely only a few inches thick, having been added to subdivide this into it's own room I reckon.

The last wall borders the stairs though so that's... maybe possible. Maybe.


I wonder if I airbrush heavier than you Rickfactor, I definitely notice a smell if I airbrush in a room and come back a few minutes later without the mask. It's not a lot, just some. Don't wanna wreck my fancy new hobby room or make myself or the kids sick so I'm being extra cautious.

Actually, if you wanted to punch into a cinderblock, it'd be hollow from top to bottom so you'd have good airflow - harder to fix though (but still possible). Don't discount going into the ceiling either though, but beware of light fittings, as downlights will just drop your dust down.

Also, I have had a completely opposite experience to Rickfactor as well - sure, there is no cloud like a rattlecan, but there is still a ton of dust from my painting. I absolutely notice if the fan isn't on, as it projects out from the desk a lot more.

I tend not to wear a mask much, because "lol, cancer", but I always have the fan on and practice good overspray creation and cleaning

um... i dont have any experience with an air brush but im currently looking into getting one
wouldn't a shop vac do the trick if you dont have anywhere for your fan hose to go?

If you are only using waterbased acrylics, I think you are OK without using the hose. The filter catches most of the paint.

Unless you are spraying somthing really nasty (laquer based, etc.) I would buy a big box fan, and a ac filter from the home improvement store, then stick the filter on the fan, and spray next to that. I used that when i had to use my brush in an apartment without a near by window.

That is encouraging! I kind of considered it but not heavily. I have both the components so I could easily test it in minutes.

Thanks for the idea, that may well see me sorted (almost only ever use acrylics, little alcohol to clear for next color).

I own the spray box you linked in the op. You're right, the hose is short, so i just dropped it off the side of the table and put some cardboard under it. The cardboard is the same color after about 20 hours of spraying and i do it near open flames. I wouldn't worry too much. As long as the space isn't completely enclosed with no airflow, you'll be fine.

Me. I'd take a heavy duty concrete core drill. And simply have a filtered exhaust fan installed properly. The extra ventilation will come in handy anyway.
But I have that gak already. I'd just drill a vent hole through the wall.
Or rent yourself a Hilti TE6. Draw appropriately sized circle on the wall to the outside then drill a gazillion holes inside the circle. Then use the hammer function to come through the wall.
The cleanest look will come from a core drill. But IT will have to be rented. For a cost. And you'd still need concrete drill to even mount the Damned machine stand to the wall. So two hideously expensive tools plus drill bits and core drill to be rented.

Personally I charge approximately 350 dollars to make a hole that big through brick or concrete walls.

Basically if you want proper ventilation you need to go through a wall or window.

Unless you spray only acrylics.
In that case build yourself a spraybooth with fans and filters.
Be prepared to periodically swapping the filters.

My hobby room is in my basement and I airbrush down here all of the time with no spray booth and I don't have a problem.

That spray booth is more than enough to handle want you want to do. The biggest concern with airbrushing acrylics is overspray getting on things you don't want it on, not dangerous fumes. That spray booth with eliminate the overspray issue.