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I recently bought my first compressor and airbrush to paint my models. I also purchased a portable airbrush booth. However I have run into a slight problem. My house has casement windows. The booth exhaust is made to be vented out of double hung windows. My original plan was to make an acrylic replacement for a window screen to vent the hose out of the house. I have found this to be insufficient during the winter months when the temperature outside falls well below zero. I'm wondering what solutions others have found to using an airbrush indoors during winter months. I would rather not wear a respirator if it can be safely avoided.

I was thinking of adapting a HEPA rated vacuum bag to the end of the exhaust hose. That way the excess paint filters through the booth filter and the HEPA bag. I'm wondering if this would be sufficient filtration; assuming of course that I stay away from paint additives like Windex or Pledge, as well as cadmium containing paints. HEPA filters are rated to block particles down to 0.3micrometers in size. This is the same particle size that N series respirator filters are rated to catch, but I don't know if they two types of filters are comparable. (I am planning to stick to acrylic paints thinned with distilled water or acrylic mediums.)

I welcome any thoughts on this idea or other ideas that have worked in similar situations. I'm quite anxious to put my new airbrush to use.

Would love to know the answer to this questions.

I have an airbrush booth with a filter in it. It also comes with the vent tubing to run out a window. I have never used the vent tubing, I have found that the fan sucking particles into the filter does a fantastic job.

I can definitely tell the difference when I forget to turn the fan on.

The best solution is to vent out of the house, using an actual exhaust vent, like your dryer or bathroom fan. A contractor can build one really easily.

This is not a replacement for a respirator, though. Unless you spray in a separated space (like a fume hood), you'll still get some particulates. I have a N95 respirator, and even with a hood, you can see the filters are discolored with paint.

Some paints like VMA are supposed to be safe. Others may have toxic resin, or a respiratory irritant. However, the polyurethane primers are what I worry about most as polyurethane is a carcinogen.