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Do you guys use a respirator when airbrushing?

I use an N95 respirator, this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4EB/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but i'm starting to wonder if it's even necessary. I don't shoot enamels, lacquers, or oils through it just acrylics and Vallejo's poly primer.
I work in an apartment next to the back door with a fan blowing air out the door.

Do you think it's still necessary?

In my opinion, no.

However, that still doesn't make not a good idea. I use that same respirator, but I prefer to use lacquer over water-based acrylics.

Never hurts to play it safe because with your lungs you might not notice any issue for decades and then you develop something down the road from the small exposure over a long period of time. Use your judgement

As has been said above, it's not required but it's probably a good idea. Most paint nowadays contains a biocide in it, while only in small amounts, vaporised particles will be easier to absorb so again, it's your judgement but anytime you are spraying in a confined area it's best practice to wear one.

In this case, you don't need a really expensive respirator, simple dust masks with a flap filter on the front will do just fine and quite cheap to buy.

Better safe than sorry years down the road. You won't incur additional harm by wearing it, but you can't be certain the same can be said if you don't wear it. Given there's no way to turn back time, would you rather risk unforeseen health issues or not?

I use one all the time. Even in the summer when I had windows open and a fan blowing to get the possible vapors out while airbrushing.

30$ and like 5 seconds to put on can save tons of time in the future should something pop up from years of doing it without one

str00dles1 wrote:
I use one all the time. Even in the summer when I had windows open and a fan blowing to get the possible vapors out while airbrushing.

30$ and like 5 seconds to put on can save tons of time in the future should something pop up from years of doing it without one

Yes, absolutely. 100%. I don't care what or how long I'm airbrushing, I'm wearing a respirator and have my spray booth going full blast.

I do not use protection.
i know i should but it just doesnt feel right to me yaknow?

I don't use a respirator, I probably should but I find the damned thing so uncomfortable that if I had to wear one for my typical 1 to 3 hour spray sessions I'd probably just not bother spraying at all. At this point in my life I've done enough stupid stuff that if I get cancer in 10+ years goodness knows what will have actually caused it, airbrushing probably wouldn't be at the top of my list. Plastic glue used for assembling models would probably feature higher on the list.

Also I have a beard and respirators usually don't work properly over a beard anyway.

I just have a powerful fan (more than you often get in cheap consumer level spray booths) blowing the fumes away from me. I've probably also created myself a fire hazard because I spray straight through the fan and it doesn't have an external motor (electric motors make sparks, fumes are flammable, fumes through fan with internal motor = fire/explosion hazard, but external motor fans are more expensive and more annoying to set up and this one hasn't exploded on me yet).

If you're really concerned about your health you should probably wear safety goggles as well, eyes are very good at absorbing stuff out of the air.

Also some airbrush paint colours include cadmium in the pigments - which should not be inhaled - so a respirator is necessary unless you really want to feth your lungs over.

Coughing up [insert colour] gunk for a few hours afterwards isn't recommended, either.

 chromedog wrote:
Also some airbrush paint colours include cadmium in the pigments - which should not be inhaled - so a respirator is necessary unless you really want to feth your lungs over.

I believe Vallejo will list if their colours include Cadmium, at least in the more recent lines (not sure if you've bought one that has been sitting on the shelf for 10 years).

Other companies I have no idea, most paints conform to ASTM D-4236 and I can't remember if that requires manufacturers to list Cd if it's used.

Coughing up [insert colour] gunk for a few hours afterwards isn't recommended, either.

Even though I don't use a respirator, I have never had this happen to me, not coughing up colour, not coloured snot balls or anything of the sort. Regardless of whether you use a respirator IMO you should make sure you have enough ventilation to not be sitting in a cloud of paint.

Yeah, Vallejo do list them.

Surprising thing is that some of those paints are their "Vallejo air" line which are designed to specifically be airbrushed.

I wear a respirator after a combination of airbrushing my Eldar and a head cold resulted in a decidedly..."Hexen Purple"...shade of things coming out of my head. Small particulates are a problem even if not directly toxic. Will it probably kill you? No, but it's an easy bit to minimize.