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Micro-Mark compact spray booth

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  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
Micro-Mark compact spray booth
Posted by cats think well of me on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 10:51 PM

Hi all,

I'd like to get a spray booth to do painting projects when it gets to be to cold to paint outside. Does anyone here have experience with this model? https://www.micromark.com/Fold-Up-Spray-Booth looks like it will be a good size for even HO steam engines and passenger cars. Will it safely vent fumes from solvent based paints like Scalecoat II and Tru-Color? 

Thank You,

Alvie

 

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 11:01 PM

I think that model of paint booth has been discussed in here before. If I remember correctly, people generally said it was OK.

Hopefully someone with experience with this item will chime in.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

da1
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Alberta, Canada
  • 219 posts
Posted by da1 on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 11:06 PM

I use that booth in my workspace.  It works fine for my purpose.

Because it vents out the back I don't use it for volatile (solvent based) paint.  I use only acrylic water based paint and the booth keeps the overspray from floating all over my space.  If I need to spray VOCs I go outside, or find a friend with a spray booth that vents outside.

D

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
Posted by cats think well of me on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 11:17 PM

I'd definitely get the hose accessory set as regardless of paint I use, I'd like to vent it all outside. 

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 11:59 PM

Definitely vent it to the outdoors.

I built my own from some left-over Masonite, some scraps from aluminum siding and part of the top of an end table.
The exhaust fan (located in the metal plenum atop the booth) is from an air hockey game, and uses one half of 10"x20" fibreglass furnace filters.  I included a turntable, but have never needed to use it.  It's shown below in my workshop (vented to the outside using plastic duct meant for clothes dryers).

I've since moved it to a separate room my detached garage, about 100' behind the house.  There, it uses a very short run of metal ducting to the outdoors.
It's been in-service for 40 years, including commercial work for a now-long-gone hobbyshop, although I still do painting for friends, as well as pretty-well everything on my layout.

I use a rotary compressor for airbrushing...

Wayne

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, November 5, 2020 9:38 AM

cats think well of me

I'd like to get a spray booth to do painting projects when it gets to be to cold to paint outside. Does anyone here have experience with this model? https://www.micromark.com/Fold-Up-Spray-Booth looks like it will be a good size for even HO steam engines and passenger cars. Will it safely vent fumes from solvent based paints like Scalecoat II and Tru-Color? 

We saw a demonstration of one of these as a clinic for our local NMRA division a year or two back.  The guy was enthused about it and was clearly a satisfied customer and it is a clever designed product. If I did serious modeling at a vacation home it could make a lot of sense.  He liked its portability and did some of his painting in his garage or even outdoors.

However without venting to the outdoors it is not really intended for use with solvent based paints including rattle cans, and it seemed to me that the motor did not have a great deal of oomph so even if it was vented to the outside I am not sure it would be adequate.  One way to address that might be to use a genuine respirator mask - the expensive ones - which some people use with even a vented booth as a sort of safety belt and suspenders.  But it would still be venting odors and gasses into the room and others in the house including pets might suffer the consequences.  I have a fully vented spray booth and when I watched the guy demonstrate his fold up I decided that it was too small a work area for my tastes.  For example when I need to paint stuff with Testors DullCote, I save up the projects and gather them together, and that tends to fill up the real estate on my spray booth "floor."

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • 120 posts
Posted by danno54 on Thursday, November 5, 2020 10:05 AM

If you can find a charcoal type air filter that fits that booth you should be alright recircing the air the few times you use solvent paints.
 We recirc air in light use automotive paint shops all the time. A charcoal paint filter is a must by code.

I purchased a Pace Ind. 24" Mini Plus hobby paint booth a few years ago and vent it though my glass block basement window.

(I'd post a picture but this site doesn't let me cut and paste in a photo)

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, November 5, 2020 5:32 PM

I have taken a fully charged air compressor outside in 30 degree weather and successfully sprayed models, bringing them inside to dry.

Expanding gas cools so I was expecting frozen paint, but it worked.  I don't think you could set up outside and have a several hour session of painting, but for quick work, it can be done.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, November 5, 2020 6:46 PM

 One of these days I'll actually get everything set up and use the Micro-Mark folding booth I have. I forget it if was extra, but I have a section of hose for it which can easily be stuck under a window to vent outside. THe end fitting is wide and flat, actually designed for that.

                            --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: California
  • 2,388 posts
Posted by HO-Velo on Thursday, November 5, 2020 8:01 PM

Purchased this model of spray booth last year from Amazon.  It's okay for what it is.  Nice for small project airbrush work, not so good at volume painting with spray cans.  Use mine in the garage and like the portability and small size.  Thinking that an HO scale 85' car would be about the practicable limit when using the included turntable. 

Got the exhaust routed outside with the included flexible hose.  With heavy use the filters clog fairly fast, but removing them and giving a good rinse with the garden hose works good.  

The little turntable is real handy, even on the workbench when weathering freight cars. 

Extra filters and a lighted model are available.  Over-all a worthwhile purchase IMO, and sure beats the ol' cardboard box.

Regards, Peter

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • 120 posts
Posted by danno54 on Friday, November 6, 2020 9:19 AM
I’ll add that the use of an airbrush greatly reduces overspray and therefore any volatiles. The solvent based spray cans produce the most overspray by a huge margin.
  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
Posted by cats think well of me on Saturday, November 7, 2020 9:10 AM

Thank you all for the comments, it is much appreciated. I think I'll save up and get a Pace Industries booth that danno54 mentioned. With how warm it is where I live, it will likely be fine to paint outside for awhile longer.  I use an airbrush, Paasche Talon double action siphon feed, so that will be fine for minimizing overspray. 

Alvie

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • 120 posts
Posted by danno54 on Saturday, November 7, 2020 9:25 AM

cats think well of me

Thank you all for the comments, it is much appreciated. I think I'll save up and get a Pace Industries booth that danno54 mentioned. With how warm it is where I live, it will likely be fine to paint outside for awhile longer.  I use an airbrush, Paasche Talon double action siphon feed, so that will be fine for minimizing overspray. 

Alvie

 

I paint items from HO scale up to 1:18 scale car models in my booth.   The filters are readily available at H.D. and Lowes. I wipe the booth down with paint thinner or prep solvent with fan running. I can shut the fan down emmediatly after painting or cleaning with no residual fumes. Very happy with this booth. It's very rugged and I thing I'll add a flip down plexiglass cover just to keep it dust free during drying and storage.

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • 2,616 posts
Posted by peahrens on Saturday, November 7, 2020 4:56 PM

I also bought that booth from Amazon, with the exhaust kit.  I put it on my workbench and hooked the exhaust into a garage stud space that vents thru the upper plate to the attic.  I mostly paint with water based but do use an oil based spray can a bit. 

I find it just fine for my occasional needs.  You can get similar dual layer filter material on EBay.  I would buy it again.  I think it is a good value.

 IMG_9122 (2) by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Bonded-Media-Roll-for-Air-Filter-or-Aquarium-10-sq-ft-25-Width-5-Ft/183987509434?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Paul

Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent

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