Portable Paint Booth

[Luis Strufaldi]

I am getting ready to paint my latest plane (a Brodak Pathfinder) and, since it's the first plane I built while living in an apartment, I am facing a problem.

How do I paint it without coating the entire apartment?

I tried to spray a few small parts, but even using a small airbrush, paint mist travels around the house like the smoke monster from Lost and my wife... well, that's pretty much her ->  !!!

Last night I started toying with the idea of a portable/colapsible paint booth. I even found something online, but it's far too smal for our purposes.

Has anyone ever built/bought something like this?

How do you guys paint your planes in small spaces? Is there any tips or tricks?

Thanks!

Luis S

[Larry Renger]

Talk to a couple of car repair shops. The may let you use their booth.

[Paul Wood]

I think this might be impossible for an entire airplane. You could use PVC pipe to make a frame and cover it with plastic sheet. But, the big problem is going to be dry overspray settling on the plane's painted surface. The "tent" will fill with overspray almost immediately to the point where you can't even see. You will never get a lung filtration system that will keep the paint out of your lungs unless you use a fresh air supply. Then there's that nasty issue of explosion. The spray fumes are going to leak out of the tent no matter how well you seal it. It's just not feasible. I would spray it outside or borrow someone's garage/spray booth.

Paul

[Avaiojet]

All kidding aside, I actually painted these models outside, right in front of my closed garage door.

Gotta pick a day or morning with no wind. Even a tad of wind is an issue.

Just Krylon aerosol cans.

I finally found a guy that repairs jet skies, who will shoot the two part clear coat. 20.00 a model.

After the Holiday.

I can't wait! 

[Steve Helmick]

Windy Urtnowski painted his models in the back yard and was often in the front 3 rows at the NATS.  Steve

[Luis Strufaldi]

All kidding aside, I actually painted these models outside, right in front of my closed garage door.

WOW!!! Those are serious works of art! Congrats!!

And yes Steve, i checked out Windy's video, you're right. But then again, Windy makes it look so easy that it's not even fair! 


Ok, I get what all of you are saying, so mybe the question I should be asking is different.

I tried looking at youtube videos about airbrushing and i realized that there's not to much overspray, even for the guys painting indoors (plastic models), so i must be doing something wrong.

Can anyone tell me a bit more about pressure settings for the airbrush? Perhaps that's my biggest problem.

Thanks!

[Lauri Malila]

Luis,

I have one of those and it is usefull only for really small paint jobs. I use it only when I have to, when painting stuff like props or ff wings, ans when weather is too bad to spray outside.
Something seems to stay in the filter but it's still hell of a mess, even with a small airbrush.
But they can be stacked, maybe 4 (2x2) would be more usefull.. L

[Tim Wescott]

+1 on painting outside, if you can.  You'll still run the risk of getting dust (or bugs, or bits of tree) on your finish, but it's better than nothing.

+2 on borrowing a paint booth -- if you can.

[Tim Wescott]

If you can't borrow a paint booth, a dishwasher box with a fan to a window and a plastic hood may work -- but it'll be awfully crowded.

Or see if there's a maker-space close by that has a paint booth.

[Howard Rush]

I paint in my garage.  Overspray goes everywhere.  I don't care.  My wife doesn't mind the smell, so I invite the local guys to spray in my garage.  The extra paint on my paint stand helps prevent corrosion and is a welcome change from just orange.

This is no help to Luis.  Igor Burger paints in his apartment, I think.  Perhaps he can tell Luis how. 

[Randy Powell]

Gee Howard, can I come and paint in your garage?

[Howard Rush]

Gee Howard, can I come and paint in your garage?

Sure.  No bats, just the occasional disoriented robin.

[Avaiojet]

WOW!!! Those are serious works of art! Congrats!!
Thanks!

LCVS,

Thanks for the complement.

However, and with all due respect, hardly "Serious works of art." 

Cute possibly, I can take that, but compared to what some modelers are producing, these fall quite a bit short.

Please find the time to visit this link.

http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php?action=gallery

You will find many great looking and nicly finished models there. Many of which could be easily considered, "Serious works of art."

[Luis Strufaldi]

Igor Burger paints in his apartment, I think.  Perhaps he can tell Luis how. 

I also heard that Kaz Minato paints inside his apartment, so it definitely CAN be done!

Last night I decided to play a little with my compressor and airbrush and I found that lowering the pressure reduced the overspray by quite a lot.
This is the first time I use a compressor, so the chances that I am simply too dumb to make it work properly is just too high! 

Any other tips on compressors and airbrushes?

Perhaps I should just consider subscribing to the fattest newspaper I can find and start "gift wrapping" everything!

[Randy Powell]

See Howard, that's just mean.

[Howard Rush]

Perhaps I should just consider subscribing to the fattest newspaper I can find and start "gift wrapping" everything!

You started this discussion just so you could show that picture.  Very good, Luis.

[Luis Strufaldi]

You started this discussion just so you could show that picture.  Very good, Luis.

Not really Howard, but it certainly fit the bill just right, doesn't it??? 

[john e. holliday]

I like the idea of wrapping every thing in paper, but you left the TV screen open.   Back in the day I would paint in my bedroom with the door closed and window open with a fan blowing out, but I did it with a brush.   Did not have the luxury of a paint sprayer until several years later when Charlie's Hobby Shop got in a little air brush set.   Talk about learning how to spray with out painting every thing but the plane.

[Avaiojet]

I like the idea of wrapping every thing in paper, but you left the TV screen open.   Back in the day I would paint in my bedroom with the door closed and window open with a fan blowing out, but I did it with a brush.   Did not have the luxury of a paint sprayer until several years later when Charlie's Hobby Shop got in a little air brush set.   Talk about learning how to spray with out painting every thing but the plane.

John,

Ya know John, every now and again you say things that make a light bulb flash over my head. You give me ideas.

"... but I did it with a brush."

Did it with a brush you say. Well, I see no reason why I cannot paint my new stunt machine with a brush.

Yes, I will use a brush, maybe two.

Thanks for the idea!

[Bob Reeves]

Not the best photo but should give you an idea.. This is what I do in my shop. Use old sheets to make the booth, when I shot this photo I had moved the airplane back and dropped one side of my makeshift booth. I just use push pins to stick the sheets to the ceiling but don't think a landlord would appreciate that. What you see at the bottom of the photo is an old air cleaner, I fastened a filter holder to it made out of scrap wood. The air cleaner has a fan that moves allot of air and the filter catches most of the over-spray. I leave one side open and spray toward the air cleaner but in an apartment you could close in all 4 sides.  Use a paint mask and leave the air cleaner running for a while after you quit spraying.

[Bob Reeves]

Another photo from a different angle, I use HEPA Furnace filters from Lowes. Won't help with the smell but takes care of the over-spray.

[Steve Helmick]

I doubt Howard could find a disoriented robin this time of year, but I was wondering if the wife of the guy that builds his aeroplanes has been disoriented yet? 

Also, I recall somebody posting that they found shower curtains real cheap at a Dollar Store and hung them from a rod to frame in a spray booth. Maybe it was Pete Peterson. Brilliant, IMO.  Steve

[Igor Burger]

I paint in my garage.  Overspray goes everywhere.  I don't care.  My wife doesn't mind the smell, so I invite the local guys to spray in my garage.  The extra paint on my paint stand helps prevent corrosion and is a welcome change from just orange.

This is no help to Luis.  Igor Burger paints in his apartment, I think.  Perhaps he can tell Luis how. 

I simply cover all by foil with adhesive tape on its edge ... easy and quick ... you must just cound that ventilation can carry color spray :-P