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Posted

ok i am worried about  breathing  the fumes  when i spray in my garage  -  if i were to get an air brush and  use  paint  from cans [ jars ]  -  would it be just as dangerous as using a rattle can ???

Posted (edited)

I spray as much as I can outside the shop. Get the body prepped and mounted on your stand, step outside and shoot it. Bring it back in and hang it upside down to keep dust and bits from falling on it. Most of my reasoning for spraying outside is to reduce overspray in the shop that gets on everything. If I can't spray outside, too windy, rainy, etc. I have a booth I use for these situations. It gets "most" of the overspray but not all of it.

Spraying in the shop can be done if you set a box fan in a window to blow out. Step back from the fan 5 or 6' and spray toward it. The draw will pull all of the fumes and overspray away from you toward the window and out of the shop.

Mark

 

Edited by astroracer
Posted

I have a paint booth (just came in from the garage using it) I built mine and it has a very high CFM fan but any good booth will work. Mine vents outside and I can't smell paint after I take off the mask. 

PS if you make a paint booth make sure your fan can operate with a flammable  paint. Mine came from a industrial printer and is safe in any environment. 

Posted

Can anyone recommend a respirator mask that is reasonable in price and suitable for hobby and automotive spray cans?

Depends on how you define "reasonable". Last time I looked, lungs were pretty expensive, and nervous system damage can be a real drag too.

This is about the best deal going for something that actually works, and has replaceable cartridges.

Because I only paint infrequently these days, I mostly use this one in the big-car shop too.

Less than $30.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Medium-House-Hold-Multi-Purpose-Respirator-65021HA1-C/202080143

3M Medium House-Hold Multi-Purpose Respirator

Posted

Yup, you can get those 3M respirators at just about any auto parts store for a little under $30. They're very good and the price is more than reasonable given what you're protecting. 

Posted

Tom... my personal recommendation is to get it from a Auto Body supply store if you are going to get one. The Respirators at home depot are geared towards Homeowner applications, While they would still work for our hobby but the filter media is more for house hold supplies. House paints don't have the solvents that Automotive paints have. I had spoken with my Local PPG Automotive paint supply store and he told me the same thing that its better to get a respirator that is designed for auto paints. It is just my own opinion about using a respirator for Automotive paints. here are a couple of links you can purchase them from:

Ebay - $18.95 Free Shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-07193-Dual-Cartridge-Respirator-Assembly-Organic-Vapor-P95-Large-/351562472049?epid=764232043&hash=item51dac19a71:g:qigAAOSw53NY-mOq

 

Coast Air Brush $24.95

http://www.coastairbrush.com/search.asp?pg=1&stext=Respirator&sprice=&stype=&scat=

 

Here is the package and a picture of the one that I personally use, and after finding the one on ebay for 19 bucks. I think I am going to order a new one because I have had mine for about 4 years or more at this point and I paid 25 to 30 bucks from my PPG shop for it and its the same part number, plus It will get delivered to me. When I am not using it I put it back in the package and seal it back up.

 

3MRespirator1-vi.jpg

 

3MRespirator2-vi.jpg

Posted (edited)

... The Respirators at home depot are geared towards Homeowner applications, While they would still work for our hobby but the filter media is more for house hold supplies. House paints don't have the solvents that Automotive paints have.

... When I am not using it I put it back in the package and seal it back up.

Just an FYI...rattlecan paints sold for "Homeowner applications" have lacquer thinner, acetone, and a host of other petroleum distillates, the exact same solvents you'll find in automotive paints if you read the MSDS.

Same solvents in Testors, Tamiya, etc., in varying concentrations.

It's always best to READ THE INGREDIENT LABELS ON THE MATERIAL YOU'RE SPRAYING TO BE SURE YOUR RESPIRATOR IS RATED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CHEMICAL.

An automotive-material-rated respirator is mandatory if you're shooting any TWO-PART clears or paints, as these contain isocyanates and can cause severe respiratory distress. Be certain to check the particular rating of the cartridge you use if you shoot that stuff. (You really need gloves and an air-supplied mask if you spray that stuff, too...seriously. It's bad stuff.) An "organic vapor" cartridge is NOT enough unless if fits tight, has no more that 8 hours exposure time, and you have no facial hair.

While it's just fine to use automotive respirators for everything, you'll be wasting money if you don't get one with replaceable cartridges and particulate pre-filters.

It's silly to have to throw the entire unit out just to get new cartridges...and 4 years is WAY too long to go between changes.

Speaking of which...ALWAYS let your respirator dry out thoroughly before you "put it back in the package and seal it back up". Moisture from your exhaled breath can support mold growth in a respirator, and breathing in the stuff later can cause headaches, runny nose, scratchy throat, and even flu-like symptoms. Ask me how I know.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Posted

Bill... You are right that home owner applications have lacquer thinner and acetone in them. I pretty much spay House of Kolor and PPG Urethanes exclusively on my builds. I guess that's why I was recommending a respirator from an Auto Body store. I have to also realize that not everyone uses Automotive paints on their builds. This model of respirator that I am using, the charcoal cartridges are not replaceable on this mask. It probably is more efficient to buy a respirator that you can change the cartridges out on it. But when I talked to my PPG guy I did ask about going the route of buying one where you can change the filters out and he said it was just about as cheap to purchase a new mask at the price of the cartridges. As often as I paint since I am not a professional painter I am ok with paying a few bucks more for a new respirator when I need one. You are right 4 years is way too long to go with out purchasing a new one. I really have only used it on my funny car build since I haven't worked on anything else in the past 5 years. I also figured that since haven't smelt any fumes wearing it, that it was still good and if I was to smell fumes thru the mask, of course I would of replaced it then. I have already ordered a new one and will pitch my old one when it gets here.

Posted

 I pretty much spay House of Kolor and PPG Urethanes exclusively on my builds. I guess that's why I was recommending a respirator from an Auto Body store. 

Please be advised that none of the 3M cartridges, so far as I'm aware, are certified for isocyanates...which urethanes will contain. ANY paint that uses a hardener will most likely contain isocyanates, including the "hardeners" made for Imron and old-school acrylic enamel.

As I noted above, a 3M rep is quoted as having said their cartridges should only be used for isocyanates for total exposures of 8 hours or less (and none of the cartridge labels state they're safe for isos).  After that, throw it out. That's the deal for use in a professional booth, where the air is moving through and is changed frequently.

The old saw about "if you can't smell paint, you're OK" can get you in trouble with isocyanates...as they're entirely smell-free, and though you can't smell other components of what you may be spraying, it's entirely possible you could still be getting dosed with the iso.

Painting models where the concentrations are low, and the exposure is brief...you should be able to run a respirator a lot longer than 8 hours total, but it's good you have a new one coming.

If you have a way to work up a filtered-air-supplied full mask to wear while spraying urethanes, please do it.

Life is short. No sense making it shorter, or unnecessarily painful.

Posted

Bill... I did some research on those Air Supplied Respirators, holy smokes a good $850 bucks to $1500 easy. I know That is probably the best way to go though. That's a big hit to the pocket book but something to work up to as you mentioned. Do you have a specific brand that you use? I did find a couple other things when I was doing some research and its making me consider getting a full face respirator that you can replace the cartridges as well. As an fyi, I spray my builds outside on the side of my garage. I will definitely be changing out my respirator more often and as I said probably will end up with a full face mask as one thing I red said that your eyes can be entry ways for Iso's as well as wearing a Tyvek paint suit, I actually have one that I bought a while back from home depot for less than 10 bucks I think, but haven't painted anything in a long while so I haven't gotten to use it. The thing is to be smart with the material we are using, I even mix my paints while wearing my respirator.

Posted

Tom... my personal recommendation is to get it from a Auto Body supply store if you are going to get one. The Respirators at home depot are geared towards Homeowner applications,

 

 

 

its the filters that you use is what makes the difference, not where you buy it at.   The filters you want to use are the P100's.

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