Manufacturer: North Coast Hobbies, P.O. Box 31, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, 412-331-9970
Price: $339.95
Comments: Galvanized metal construction, squirrel-cage blower, furnace filter and fluorescent light included
Pros: Sturdy construction, powerful blower, pre-built and pre-wired, fluorescent light illuminates deep booth
Cons: None
What's the price of safety? While there is no guarantee of your health from the safe use of any device, using a spray booth is a wise move for any hobbyist who works with paints and solvents.
North Coast Hobbies' "compact" spray booth doesn't scrimp on quality or features: you get everything you need. There is a blower (fan) that will move air with sufficient velocity to keep fumes from polluting your work space (and the rest of your home for that matter). The Dayton blower on this unit is rated at 350 cfm (cubic feet/minute). That's just right for a unit this size.
The booth measures 20" x 14" at the front of the opening, and it's 11" deep. A flange that holds a 16" x 20" furnace filter is mounted in front of the opening for the blower. On the exhaust end of the externally-mounted blower is a duct adapter for a 4" rigid duct (that you provide).
Before the 5' power cord reaches the blower, it goes into a robust junction box that has a switch for the blower and a receptacle for the fluorescent light- handy!
A spray booth that isn't ducted outside is useless, so you have to make a passage to get the air out of your work area. North Coast recommends rigid ducting. For blower efficiency, keep the duct as short as practical, with as few sharp turns as possible. Shorter ducts contain less air that needs to be pushed out. North Coast suggests changing the filter often, and providing "make up air" to your work area. In other words, open a window or door so that good air can come into the workspace while the booth pushes out the bad air.
If you need something larger, North Coast also has the "premier booth" with a front opening of 25" x 18" and a depth of 12". It has a 495 cfm Dayton blower and sells for $449.95.