I do have a spraybooth w/and exhaust fan, just a couple questions.
1. Are acrylic paints safer to spray in the house.
2. Can you find all the same colors in acrylics as enamels.
3. Best brand name in acrylics are the best, in enamels have always used model masters and some humbrol.
Thanks for any help Joey

I believe acrylics are safer. I use mainly acrylics and run my spray booth with out exhausting outside, but I have a carbon filter. I also wear a mask. I would presume it is always safer to exhaust outside.

As for acrylics, I used Tamiya, Vallejo Air and Testor MM Acrylic. I find between those brands I always find the color I am looking for. I believe the MM acrylics have all the same colors as the enamel line. But, I always use Tamiya Fine Primer as a base coat before I use the acrylics.

What are the dangers of spraying acrylics indoors? And is it dangerous even if the room is ventilated.. or if the air-conditioning is running? It's just really difficult for me to get or make a booth here in Egypt.

Hisham

Joey,Are acrylics safer than enamels or laquers?Yes.Are they harmless?No.Don't take the chance and always vent to the outside.I have just started using acrylics after using enamels for years,and the learning curve is steep.If I have one problem with acrylics it's that I have to get 2 or 3 different brands to get all the colers I need.They all act different and that's a pain it the BLEEP It can be very confusing at times.Jeff

Hisham,As I said in an earlier post ,I think the dangers of acrylics are far less than enamels or laquers.I think with the A/C running in the room that you spray in you would be O.K..Most of the time A/C units turn the air over fairly fast and vent to the outside,.Jeff

Joey,

I'm nowhere near the "expert" end of the painting specrtrum, but here are my thoughts for what they are worth.

Acrylics are inherently safer than enamels, as they don't use nasty flammable solvents for thinners. Some are truly water-based, and almost safe enough to drink (but I wouldn't want to try it!), while others use alcohol-derived thinners and are a bit less lung-friendly. Still, best to vent outside to avoid breathing the "fog of war", as mentioned by others.

I've found they generally grip a bit worse than enamels, so a decent spray-primer is a good idea - especially with resin or metal parts. And they are not tolerant of greasy surfaces - wash your kits well before painting and avoid finger contact. Some brands like Tamiya grip better (it's probably the alcohol), while some like Vallejo are a bit "soft" and prone to rubbing off if handled too much. Vallejo however are good for figure-painting, and with a simple plastic painter's pallette you can squeeze out a few drops at a time to mix up the right shades just like Rembrandt. For basics like black or "dirt" colours, Pollyscale's waterbased railroad paints are really good - they dry rock-hard and are good for hand-painting too. (Tamiya paints are great for the AB, but I find them a nightmare to hand-paint...) I've also found that I can spray vinyl tracks with thinned Tamiya acrylics (without any primer) and the thin paint does not flake off when I bend them around the wheels!

The big advantage (other than saving brain cells from solvent fumes) is the rapid drying time. This can be a double-edged sword because your "work" time is limited, but it does mean the model is touch-dry in under an hour for multi-colour sessions. However, full hardening still takes overnight, especially if you want to apply masking tape.

Colours are an issue - you'll probably need paints from several ranges to get as good a spread as say the Humbrol enamels range.

Oh, and get yourself some nasty AB cleaning fluid to shift dried-in paint. I use a can of Xylene-based cleaner, outdoors, to shift the crud on a quarterly basis.

Hope this helps!

Tom

No harm I picking up a respirator from Home Depot or Lowes.Any effect would be cumulative,so it pays to protect yourself,shouldn't cost a lot.

Not enough so that you should treat them with less respect. They dont use solvents to thin, but the airbourne dust from acrlyics is no different to that of enamels. Always spray in a well ventilated area ... and use a mask. You can reduce the dust by using less pressure and makeing sure that paint goes on wet and not dry (this is also a quality demand), and by using an extractor fan. Personally I dont have a fan, as I believe if the other suggestions as stated above are taken care of, most of the damage is taken care of.


Today, Id say so .... maybe not all from the same brand, but they should be possible ... and if not, there is enough variety to mix the colour you need. Id even go as far as saying that there are more colours available in acrylic form today?


Relative question. Everybody has their own favourites for various reasons. Why not try a few standard colours from the companies already mentioned in this thread and see for your self. In my opinion, no one single brand is the best for everything and suits all your needs. Here you´ll have to find out for yourself, what works best for you.

Personally, I find Humbrols enamels the most flexible paint, for spraying, brush painting, washes, filters, etc. But I still spray mostly with Tamiya acrlyics for speed, drying time, ease of clean up, etc and use oils to extend the drying time of Humbrols. How do I know this .... I experimented with that I had available so I know what works for me.

Thanks Gentlemen for the useful info. One reason for the questions is have young child in home now (14 months) and want to spray using safest method for him. Do have seals around door to model cave.

What kind of seals do you use? Navy or Harbor seals?

Here I was, picturing one of those big foot-thick bank-vault doors with all the rods around the edge to lock into the door frame and keep sticky little fingers out!

Now where did I leave that DIY mail-order catalogue?...

Tom

Joey:

Hi!

IF the question is about "safety" and in-door spray-painting:

The "RISKS" from in-door S-P break down into

1) Inhalation hazards from solvent vapors
2) Inhalation hazards from pigment particulates ("dust" of otherwise solid and non-soluble, non-bio-degradable mineral matter, coupled with adherent vehicles and agents - waxes, oils, colloidal agents, other non-mineral binders)
3) Corneal-surficial hazards from solvent vapors and from deposition of "dusts" as in 2) above
4) Exposure to solvents (central nervous system and physiological impacts from specific solvents)
5) Fire hazards from solvent aerosol / vapor - atmosphere mix.

If you want to know the technical risk details of the solvents and vehicles used - ID the chemical compound and Google the "MSDS" (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the suspect! In general - ALL paints, other than water-paints, have risks (#1, 2) associated with the vehicles - even " ethyl (drinkable) alcohol" poses inhalation risks and have toxicity - certainly isopropyl does! For those who use things like "Windex" to thin their acrylics (works super well IMO) - breathing a mix of water, alcohols, ammonia and dyes probably should not be considered "safer" than breathing isopropyl or vaporized brandy, for that matter!

ALL enamels and lacquers have volatile organic solvents which are risk #1, 3 and 4. ALL of these solvents are, at best, questionable when it comes to inhaling them and getting them into your blood-stream...

ALL aerosol dusts are hazardous to inhale - regardless of what type of paints you are using, the pigments are not good for the lungs. NOTABLY, all of these things are more hazardous to small children, due to rapid growth and development, heightened physiologic sensitivity, etc. - and to those who are respiratory-impaired.

The GOOD news is that any fume-extractor or evacuator (fan) to the outside world vastly reduces your exposure to both the vapors and the dusts. A DUST MASK will reduce or eliminate the DUST hazard - but only specific types of chemical filter masks will actually effectively reduce solvent vapors (alcohols, acetone, MEK, other organic solvents and hi-vapor-pressure or volatile oils). And it seems that, despite vaporized solvents being just better and easily-ignited fuel-clouds, few fire accidents are on record... But keep the AB away from open flames - paint is like diesel-fuel - can't hardly light the stuff when it's in a pool - explosive when finely vaporized with plenty of oxygen!

Rule of thumb in my house: IF I can SMELL the solvents, I KNOW I'm getting dosed with them. So, it's open the windows, turn the blowers on high, and get the stuff out! If you want to be safe, keep your head OUT of that "fog of war"!

That said, AB and ENJOY! A little care and paying attention to some details will make your painting safe (both short- and longer-term ) and productive.

Cheers!

Bob