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Hello fellow hobbyists! I have a question about using an airbrush in an apartment environment. How do you do it? How you deal with fumes/exhaust... do you just open a window and somehow fan the fumes and stuff out the window?

What if I airbrush with a respirator mask and then when done just open the bathroom window... should that suffice?

i have one of those boxes where you can airbrush and it draws the fumes out to a window but my window faces the hallway of the building and i doubt folks would like the paint getting all spread into their space.

Just have a window open near you in a well ventilated area (so where breeze can flow out of window)

So to let air become circulated to clear out the fumes to window

Its not the same as using an aerosol spray can. There is no huge cloud of paint that sort of drifts away to land somewhere.

However, it is always a good idea to be in a well-ventilated area such as beside a window. Although I don't always wear it, a respirator such as the 3M 6000 series half mask is a good idea. $40 to protect your lungs.

At a minimum you're going to want to open two windows at opposite ends of the house when you do it, that way the fumes and particulates get blown out via airflow.

Alternatively, install a fan in one of the windows and keep it blowing (OUTWARDS!!) while you're airbrushing and for some time after to help ventilate out the apartment.

Finally, the best thing you could do is to purchase/make an airbrushing booth. I know a few people take a cardboard box and stick that in their window, then they put the outward blowing fan in there, and then they airbrush the model inside the box, so that all the particulates are contained within the space of the box and sucked out immediately rather than floating around the apartment.

I picked up an airbrush booth from TCP

http://www.tcpglobal.com/AirbrushDepot/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemNo=MAS+B400DC&gclid=CjgKEAjwnfGbBRDlxoHrl6uikyESJAD-nzCFduea6De0fyg8NiNdcwuyPCDUx-MmLNBTmbfe5LwV-PD_BwE

Actually I have a sort of airbrush booth but I didn't want to have the hose to it going out my front window since thats where people would be walking... and I doubt I can get it to the bathroom window.


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 Ifurita wrote:
I picked up an airbrush booth from TCP

http://www.tcpglobal.com/AirbrushDepot/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemNo=MAS+B400DC&gclid=CjgKEAjwnfGbBRDlxoHrl6uikyESJAD-nzCFduea6De0fyg8NiNdcwuyPCDUx-MmLNBTmbfe5LwV-PD_BwE

That's the booth I have

I airbrush in the kitchen, using that booth, and haven't experienced any issues. You're not using any propellant, so it's really just the extra particulate you need to capture, which the booth does.

ah cool beans! Looks like I'll be breaking out the brush after all while in my apartment. Thanks for the input folks! Now to scour the forum for tips and tricks... like don't stick the brush in your eyes or some sort of wisdom.

I have that same booth as well, and I quite like it. Just note it comes with 2 filters already in place, and I believe you only need one, so you can take one out to use as a spare. I have mine hooked up to a vent that leads outside, but have also used it without hooking it up to anything and just having it pull air through the filter and vent back into the room.

I recommend wearing a mask while airbrushing whether or not you have the booth, though. I have this one, it's cheap and awesome:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Project-Respirator-Medium/dp/B00004Z4EB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400704979&sr=8-1&keywords=ventilator+mask

 RiTides wrote:
I have that same booth as well, and I quite like it. Just note it comes with 2 filters already in place, and I believe you only need one, so you can take one out to use as a spare. I have mine hooked up to a vent that leads outside, but have also used it without hooking it up to anything and just having it pull air through the filter and vent back into the room.

I recommend wearing a mask while airbrushing whether or not you have the booth, though. I have this one, it's cheap and awesome:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Project-Respirator-Medium/dp/B00004Z4EB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400704979&sr=8-1&keywords=ventilator+mask

Thanks for the suggestion! I bought a mask when I bought the airbrush but can't seem to find it... if I still can't find it by this weekend after looking through my piles of stuffs, I'll take this into consideration.

Your big concern when using waterbased paints in any environment (apartment or otherwise) is catching overspray and not inhaling vaporized paint. Fumes should be at a minimum (even using thinners that are alcohol based...the volumes involved are less than what you would absorb cleaning a cut with Iso Alcohol).

Paint will settle out pretty quickly and you can be reasonably safe using a hood with a filter to catch overspray without bothering to vent it. You may have smells and odors - but those tend to be pigment related as opposed to an actual chemical fume that you may need to be concerned about.

While it isn't so much that I am against general use of respirators - if you are going to wear one of those - you should also be wearing goggles. If you don't think you need goggles than you can get away with a well fitting particulate filter (by well fitting - I don't mean the cheap dust masks...some of the better dust masks though provide adequate protection when worn correctly). Most organic solvents go through the outer layers of the eye and into your blood stream just as happily as if you had inhaled them (you just don't realize it because you don't smell them with your respirator on). There is a whole pile of research which illustrates the issue where workers wear respirators but still end up suffering long term effects of industrial exposure to chemicals because they didn't wear proper chemical goggles to prevent eye absorption.

Again - it isn't so much to worry you. Rather, I don't think you will have significant concerns to begin with...just if you are going to be using a respirator with an organic filter and not wearing goggles - that is a bit like wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding in flip-flops and a speedo. It protects you a bit...but you are still exposed to a world of hurt.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
Your big concern when using waterbased paints in any environment (apartment or otherwise) is catching overspray and not inhaling vaporized paint. Fumes should be at a minimum (even using thinners that are alcohol based...the volumes involved are less than what you would absorb cleaning a cut with Iso Alcohol).

Paint will settle out pretty quickly and you can be reasonably safe using a hood with a filter to catch overspray without bothering to vent it. You may have smells and odors - but those tend to be pigment related as opposed to an actual chemical fume that you may need to be concerned about.

While it isn't so much that I am against general use of respirators - if you are going to wear one of those - you should also be wearing goggles. If you don't think you need goggles than you can get away with a well fitting particulate filter (by well fitting - I don't mean the cheap dust masks...some of the better dust masks though provide adequate protection when worn correctly). Most organic solvents go through the outer layers of the eye and into your blood stream just as happily as if you had inhaled them (you just don't realize it because you don't smell them with your respirator on). There is a whole pile of research which illustrates the issue where workers wear respirators but still end up suffering long term effects of industrial exposure to chemicals because they didn't wear proper chemical goggles to prevent eye absorption.

Again - it isn't so much to worry you. Rather, I don't think you will have significant concerns to begin with...just if you are going to be using a respirator with an organic filter and not wearing goggles - that is a bit like wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding in flip-flops and a speedo. It protects you a bit...but you are still exposed to a world of hurt.

Thanks for the info... My respirator actually has protection for my entire face. If i can find it this weekend I'll take a pic of it or something.

Hey folks... here's part of my setup... do you think it should be okay? Any suggestions?

 djphranq wrote:
Hey folks... here's part of my setup... do you think it should be okay? Any suggestions?

Looks like my setup, but not made up of a used cardboard box.

Cardboard box is a good idea as those spray booths have gaps that mean you will paint the desk (as I did).

Where is your extraction though?

You mean the exhaust hose? I figure the fan that's behind the filter will suck in stuff and there possibly won't be anything coming out the back. The hose I left off mostly because it doesn't seem to want to stay on.

If the fan can't blow out because it is up against a wall, it will be as if it isn't on - there won't be paint coming out the back, but there will be air.

There should be a steel ring that holds the hose on, but it adds like 6 inches to the depth of the unit at least, probably closer to a foot.

What if I pulled the booth back away from the wall like 6 to 12 inches... would that be enough for air flow?

As for the hose, I do have the steel ring but it doesn't seem to hold the hose in place properly. Or I could be utilizing it wrong.

you have to tighten the screw on the ring, I cant remember the name - ring clamp? it should be super tight once you screw it in.

moving it away from the edge is definitely better, but still not ideal - even with acrylic paints you will need a respirator.

lifting the desk higher and backing it onto that window would help

I broke out the hose and the wring. This time really tightening it... maybe I didn't tighten it enough before. I've pulled back the booth and have the hose leading out the window.



But yeah... maybe I could raise the booth and put it against the window... so I won't have to rely on the hose.

I personally don't use a booth (mostly because I don't have one) in a small room of my house. I use old GW boxes to catch the fallout. As far as the ventilation, I haven't ever needed anything special. Just make sure your ventilated enough that you aren't feeling light headed and you should be ok.

Put the hose end vertical and shut the window on it if you need to.

You will soon find out what it is that you need for your own setup, getting it setup fully beforehand is a good way to start though


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Also, you can replace the hose with a different type, I use some thin flexible pipe that I got at the hardware store - also heard of success with clothes dryer hose