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When starting model painting with a can. Spray or airbrush, DON’T need a top paint booth to begin.
Hello. . My name is Daniel Dudley. You might know me as Dudley’s Scale Models, and this website is my brand. Today’s blog is dedicated to sharing my knowledge about paint booths and my personal experience with them.
When I started Dudley’s Scale Model Car’s in 2021, I have nothing I started with just the very little know how and tools and so on, after 5 years building and cleating what I need and getting stuff when I needed them, I got what I have now, Soom of the tools I might never use again. Still, they are there for backup, and some are just there for when I need them, or some have been broken or lost.
The paint booth is a must if you’re going all in on the hobby. But the good thing is you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started or have one. There are days on Amazon or other places where you can buy a good one for between £100 and £200. It’s not the best, but it’s okay. That’s the one I have. (To see the unboxing, click here.) I fully understand that money can be tight, and why not use the stuff you might get when you order your kits or something online? Yes, I’m talking about cardboard boxes. They’re free; yes, you had to pay for what’s inside the box. Still, the box will end up in the bin, so why not reuse it? Sadly, it won’t last long. When I started, I did this myself—used boxes for a year—and I went through more than seven boxes. However, the good thing is that they are easy to obtain and free if you look around and ask the right people for boxes
After some time, I acquired a plastic box with an unused computer case fan, along with some computer cables already attached and a UK plug. I managed to get it working from the mains. One way to power it is through a USB, but that is difficult to do. Then, I took the plastic box and cut the back to make a hole for the fan. (You can have more than one – having more than one is better.) You can also add a filter, but that will increase the cost. At this point in my story, I was moving into a new house, and we had plastic boxes and my old computer fans, so it was already available for me. The total cost was approximately £15+ (If you would like the box I used, click here. If you are interested in the fans I had, please click here.) This setup can last if the fans do; please remember, the fans were old, overused, and would have failed eventually. I had some spare fans. Adding a filter is a good idea; I learned that after the fan started getting clogged with paint. (Here is the filter I use, click here.)
When I built mine, I started with a small fan powered by a sucker to pull it outside. I learned and saved up to get better parts for it, which allowed me to spray the paint faster and more effectively. It worked great then, and even better afterwards. I re-plastered it from top to bottom, then got a bigger, more powerful fan with a metal blade, which improved it all around. At first, it was okay, and then it improved further. The cost was about £60, so it can be more expensive than plug-and-go models, but you can make it fit wherever you want. That’s what I did.
I had to move and downsize to my bedroom to make space for a bigger shed, and I still needed the paint booth, so I got the plug-and-play. I still use it now, and the old paint booth I used has been converted into a photo booth.
I recommend that if you’re using spray cans, you use cardboard boxes without fans—the cardboard will absorb the paint or do it outside. That’s how I officially started. Try to do it near a wall, outside, and ensure that no pets are present, even when using the paint booth I started spraying outdoors with cans, then transitioned to airbrushing and used cardboard boxes, followed by a plastic box, and eventually settled on a custom, plug-and-go setup.
I do thoroughly recommend custom options; yes, they can cost more, but you can build them to fit a specific space or make them large enough for any big models. Also, you can upgrade parts over time. While it may cost more than other alternatives, it’s built for you and your needs. All the links in the blogs are to my own videos I have created, and the links to shops are affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from sales, which also helps keep the blogs and videos running. If you want to read more, click here.
Thank you for reading if you want to share your paintbooth and give others idea’s please do
Daniel Dudley