Manufacturer: Paasche Airbrush Co., 7440 W. Lawrence Ave., Harwood Heights, IL 60656-3497, &708-867-9191
Price: $279
Comments: Galvanized sheet-metal construction, squirrel-cage blower fan, 24.5" wide, 26" deep, 20" high
Pros: Easy to set up, adequate fan power, interchangeable filter
Cons: No switch, no light
If you spray paint models (with either a spray can or airbrush), you really should invest in a spray booth. Fumes and particulates from the spraying process can be harmful to your health. While a respirator can protect you, it can't protect other life forms near your hobby workshop.
FSM compared available commercial portable spray booths in the February and March 1992 issues, and the few available then did an adequate job of removing fumes from the work area. Only a few of the booths tested then are available now.
Into the race comes Paasche, manufacturer of fine airbrushes. Its portable spray booth is easy to set up. Galvanized sheet metal sides, top, and bottom fit into grooves in the angled back. A squirrel-cage blower is mounted to the rear of the booth, and the booth's vent is covered by a two-part spun-glass filter. No ducting is provided, but a coupler for standard clothes-dryer ducts is included. The booth is a little heavy in the rear, but it doesn't need to be propped up.
The fan moves air adequately, roughly 100 ft/min without ducting. OSHA's work-environment recommendation is 100 to 200 ft/min, so the Paasche booth performs at the bottom limit.
While Paasche's booth is easy to obtain and setup, it has a couple of drawbacks. No switch is provided for the fan, only a 6'-long electrical cord, and there is no light in the booth. Make sure that you use rigid ducting to vent your spray booth. Long ducts and multiple turns will decrease the efficiency of the fan, so keep 'em as short and straight as possible.
If you are in the market for a spray booth, consider the Paasche HSSB.
- Paul Boyer