Everyone doesn’t have access to the perfect garage, an empty shed, or a windless backyard. That’s just life. I’ve tried to prime my miniatures outside on a windy day and let me tell you: It ain’t easy – but using an airbrush indoors can be messy, risky, and noisy if it isn’t done properly.
Then there’s the factor of seasonality – painting in the garage or backyard works fine during summer but it might not be an option when it’s below zero. In past years, I have taken a hiatus from my hobby during winter. Like a bear, I was forced into hibernation. This bear will no longer hibernate during the colder months of the year.
Some people don’t trust their ability to control the airbrush well enough to paint inside for fear of over spraying nearby furniture – I’ve found this to be a rare problem considering the fact that regular airbrush paint will dry long before reaching anything further away from the airbrush than the miniature, only leaving a dust-like coat.
Nevertheless, most attempts to persuade your roommate, parents, or significant other into believing this will most likely be fruitless, at least mine were. But I’m thankful for that – I did some research and found out that the paint I used could be quite harmful if my airbrush station wasn’t set up properly.
And the dust particles we talked about earlier – they might have a bothersome effect on people who are sensitive to chemicals and even worse, the long-term consequences of breathing leftover paint might do some serious harm. The same thing applies to our lovely pets.
If your workspace doesn’t provide enough ventilation, the chemicals in the acrylic paint can be harmful. However, there are ways around it. It’s possible for someone living in an apartment to airbrush miniatures at home – without endangering your entire family in the toxic environment or driving them insane with the messy aftermath of a high-pressured airbrushing session in your living room.
Read more: To Airbrush Warhammer and Miniatures: The Ultimate Guide
Airbrushing Paint Indoors
When you’re airbrushing in an apartment you have to think about the number of chemicals that gather in the room if it doesn’t provide enough ventilation. The atomized paint might not be a risk for your furniture but your lungs can take a big hit in the long run.
From my own experience, airbrushing acrylics indoors isn’t as toxic as airbrushing enamels. Spray-canned acrylics seem a little bit nastier than airbrushed acrylics though.
There are two things you need to look out for
- Fumes
- Micro Particles
The use of acrylics will reduce the risk of fumes but your lungs can and will still collect paint particles. Even though the acrylic isn’t as toxic as say, lacquers, breathing sprayed paint isn’t something you want to do. Some acrylic paint bottles still come with a “Warning” etiquette though. Because of that, we choose to be cautious when spraying.
Here’s what I recommend you do before you start airbrushing at your house.
Wear a mask
Sometimes when I spray my miniatures with alclad or acrylics without a mask I get headaches, sometimes pretty strong headaches. No matter how ventilated your room is there’s always going to be sprayed paint particles in the air. These masks have filters installed to prevent those particles from entering your lungs. In addition to that, they are cheap.
After a 20-minute session of airbrushing my brush is usually stained, there’s paint on the needle opening and the cup – and it’s quite hard to remove. We do not want that same coat of paint setting in our throat, lungs, or nose.
Respirator masks are disposable and manufacturers recommend that you get rid of them after numerous hours of use – this applies to most of the cheap ones. They aren’t bad – just not meant for frequent use.
I decided to buy a better mask considering the fact that I spend quite some time airbrushing at home, and even though the disposable ones are cheaper – you will still need to buy another one, in the end, it will add up.
Here is what I recommend you get. I’ve included a very affordable alternative that will keep you safe for a while and a pretty expensive alternative that will work a lifetime as long as the filters are changed. Both are very good but If you plan on spending quite some time airbrushing then I would either buy the cheap ones in bulk or go for the full-face piece right away.
- Dual Cartridge Respirator. This mask is supposed to be thrown away when the vapor cartridges are used up, the manufacturers estimate about 40 hours of use. It’s an Amazon Best Seller and I would agree. I haven’t felt the slightest sign of a headache or odor when using the Dual Cartridge. If you can feel the smell through the mask then you know it’s time to throw it away and replace it.
- 3M Full Face Piece – The full facepiece covers your eyes, lungs, throat, and nose – it’s got everything you need to keep yourself safe when airbrushing.
If you have the budget for the 3M Full Face I think you should get it. It will handle acrylics, enamel, and lacquer well.
Use a spray booth
In addition to the mask, It would be a good idea to consider getting a spray booth for your miniature ventures. While the mask protects your lungs, the spray booth will provide a ventilated, safe space to airbrush miniatures for you and your surroundings.
The fumes from lacquers linger in the room for hours after you’ve sprayed them. To extract them requires ventilation.
A spray booth is a kind of like a pop-up airbrush studio with filters that collect all the particles. Equipped with a fan, the spray booth will handle overspray and extract the fumes from your workspace.
This is done by opening a window and sending the vent hose right out the window for the duration of your brushing session, this will keep the spray, odor, and particles inside your apartment to a minimum.
It’s a perfect way to airbrush Warhammer models and miniatures at home and many models come with a turn-table and LED lights. The model I’m using is very easy to use and store – when I’m done using it I fold it into a regular suitcase and store it under the bed.
Big enough to hold most models, the spray booth I’ve been using has been the perfect pop-up workspace for me. I haven’t painted anything that’s been too big yet, however, if that were to happen the spray booth could be attached to a second unit to create a larger area.
Does everyone need a spray booth? I would get an indoor airbrush booth if
- I’m spraying indoors (If you’ve got a shed or a garage then I think you’re fine with the respirator but if you actually care about the room and your surroundings then I would get the booth too)
- If your workspace doesn’t provide enough ventilation
- If you have others living with you
The booth is a great purchase for your hobby and safety. Here’s the spray booth I’ve been using and the one I recommend.
Be aware of flammable paints when using a spray booth, read their description to make sure if they are safe for use or not. Do the same with the spray booth, some are designed for the use of flammable paints while others aren’t.
I hope you found the answers you were looking for in this article. Now ask yourself – Can I airbrush indoors?
Yes. Apply safety first.