How To Use A Bucket To Vent A Spray Booth - Bucket Hack For Airbrushing 

This isn’t much different than an airbrush cleaning pot, only on a larger scale

Just drilled a hole through a brick wall yesterday now this vid comes out 😂

What perfect timing for those of us in the north without a window. I saw the bucket on your last video and was about to ask about it. Then saw this video come up, so thank you for sharing!

I've constructed something similar to this. You can purchase Hepa fabric material to screen off fine particulates, but when it comes to white spirits (varsol/ alkyd paint thinner), lacquer thinner, acetone, xylene or anything that fries brain cells, vent outside. If you have a living bird in a cage nearby, you may learn a very sad lesson the hard way. If it's no good for our feathered friends, it's not good for us either. I ONLY use this indoor method with water-based acrylics and Isopropyl alcohol as a thinner and cleaner.

Thanks. I'm looking to start airbrushing soon and I've never done it before so I'm trying to get together everything I need before I start. Some people can make things sound so difficult to the point that puts people off but you've made this sound so simple. Thanks again.

this is pretty cool, basically like those waterfall booths, both are probably fine for acrylics but for lacquers and such its not just about evacuating overspray, but the VOCs too, which this will not do, especially dangerous if youre using it indoors.

I’ve been putting together a setup for airbrushing with water based acrylics in my basement; on a low budget so this video is so helpful!! Thank you for providing some great info!

Thank you Robert for sharing your bucket trick. I was very curious about how it was rigged. You’re definitely for and about the common everyday modeler. 👍👍

Thanks for posting this! I've been toying with the idea of trying something like this but have never gotten around to sketching out a plan. Nice to see that it can be done and a lot simpler than what I had in my head.

In addition to this, you can also run an air purifier to pick up residual contaminants and it also helps clear up dust in the paint area.

Very cool idea. I see multiple asks about resin fumes from printers, spray paints, etc. This method is only safe for (1) particulates (like dried paint droplets) or (2) water-soluble vapours. Since resin and solvent fumes (etc) are neither, they will pass through or over the water and back out the holes into your room. Also, running the hose into the water, as some have asked, will make it more effective as a filter but it will cause more back pressure and your fan won't perform as well, so that's your trade-off.🤔

What a great idea, I would have never thought that you could use this technique for using a spray booth if you can't vent to the outside. Thank you for this video and the information you provide

Thanks for showing the bucket filter. I'm in a basement and I'll be making one.

Reading all the comments, I hope nobody gets harmed. It looks like too many assume that this would help when working with toxic fumes as well. I'm not an expert but I'm sure that this won't be enougg for toxic stuff. You are mentioning activated carbon filter but it's not as easy as it sounds. I hope people will do more research when handling toxic stuff.

Pretty ingenious! I vent out of a window, but I can see an advantage to this in the depths of winter.

This is great advice as we go into the winter months here in the Northeast

It's like a bong! Thank you for explaining it. I have been looking for this explanation so I can build a bigger version.

Dish detergent will loosen the water tension, so it'll draw more paint into the water.

Thanks for going in detail about the bucket - I've seen it before and thought it needed some water in there so it's good to have it spelled out. Adding activated carbon/charcoal filters in the tube might help with absorbing odors, too.

This is a great cheep alternative for those who don’t have a window and it works great

This information is very useful for those of without access to a window - thank you for sharing.

Great video for diy inexpensive over spray trap. Simple and effective. Thanks.

I've been doing this for about 3 years now, works great.

I always thought their was a better way to filter the vent air. Now you have shown me how.

Many Thanks Robert. Wishing you and your family the best of holidays!

The video i never knew i needed! You just keep delivering!

Excellent tip Thanks for sharing Truly appreciate your passing along your experience 👍🏽👍🏽

Great idea, I really like it for the spray booth use, we had the same set up for our factory compressor discharge, it collected moisture and worked like a charm, I'm going to use this bucket idea in winter months when opening windows is not an option.

I just moved to Japan, and with that comes a smaller apartment and living space. I figured I would have to slow down and possibly put a hold on my airbrushing so as to not stink up my apartment. This trick, along with a waterfall should resolve those issues. Thank you so much!

I just watched your last video and was asking this question. Thanks!

Just bought a new spray booth (on your recommendation) and have iffy window access so this is timed perfectly.

Thank you!! I’m putting one together tomorrow.

Particulate is the word you're looking for lol. Thank you for this video it just reassured every idea I had on building mine.

This is genius I just moved into a new tiny apartment and didn't have proper ventilation to paint my model kits now all you got to do is make a quick stop to home Depot or whatever and then find some filter foam dope ideas thanks for sharing

Wow, talk about timing. Not two hours ago I was searching through all your past videos to see if you had covered this topic after I saw it when you were doing the double spray booth yesterday. I went back 3 years and couldn't find anything. I was going to email you about it ... and then this popped up. Awesome. Thanks for the explanation. Take care. Look forward to the waterfall booth review.

Fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing this, I always wondered how it works

Look in to using a inline duct charcoal filter. They are often used in indoor plant/pot growing setups and works very well.

Wonderful hack! Will be doing one in my garage work bench Thanks

Very helpful video! Buying the bits tomorrow! I might put a couple of sheets of hepa filter over the end of the vent hose inside the bucket, seal it with a large rubber band, gives another level of filtration.

Great video! Very helpful for modelers to know.

A great suggestion, I'll have to give this a shot myself!

Thanks for this. I was looking for a reasonable, alternative solution for indoor venting and this will work for my purposes. Cheers from Canada

Thanks for the information. I made on of these and used shredded newspaper. I like the water concept. Going to set my as you demonstrated.

Great idea. Well explained. Thank you for sharing.

What a wealth of information! Thank you for this video!

Thanks for the tips and taking the time to make the video!

Thanks for your video.Today I purchased the items to make the purifier too

Fantastic as I have no ventilation in my hobby room. Thank you

This is so smart! I have no idea why something like this has never crossed my mind.

Great idea. I'm definitely making one of these.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

Great idea , getting my air brush set up, need to look back at your old videos for thinners and cleaner great stuff

If you want to use solvent based paint, you can make an inlay inside your blue bucket and fill it with Aquarius carbon filter pellets. Basically turning it in to a gasmask. It's probably not something that would pass a health/work safety inspection at a work place, but for hobby use it will work just fine.

Thank you for this info. I just about this today in a Facebook group. Cold weather has set in here where I am so I will definitely try this method. 👌

Thank you so much, I had this idea for a while but could not find any videos on RU-vid. Anyway, you just confirmed it and will go ahead and finish mine :)

Fantastic thank you so much for this, this will make a real difference to where i use my air brush!

awesome idea and very good explanation!

Excellent idea. I will try myself since my bench has no windows and it’s a real job to extend my 5 meter hose to the nearest window.

Thanks for the Tip, I'm fairly new into miniature & model painting, and have mostly done it all by brush, I did get a affordable introductory air brush though have been reluctant to use it due to my enclosed living situation, This seem like the solution to a few of those hurdles that were of a concern. 👍

Thanks for posting this idea, it s just great and an interesting solution for airbrushing inside when opening windows isn't possible for several reasons. Very good idea.

Thanks for sharing this. I just set my booth up this morning to coat some 3D prints.

Nice! I didn’t want to get a booth because I don’t really have a spot next to a window but this makes me want to get a booth!

I have my spray booth setup in a similar fashion. I switched form a bucket with holes like that to an old round humidifier I picked up for $2 at a garage sale. The wet filters grab everything and it has a slot for a charcoal filter though I seldom put them in.

I tried this after seeing it on your channel last time you showed it. I don't think I had the holes big enough as the whole room filled with over spray I had a layer of blue dust in the bathroom too. I now know my holes were to small. If you only spray occasionally be careful as the water will go mouldy so empty it till needed. Thanks Rex. Jay from England 🇬🇧.

Nice. I am hoing to make it a project for next year,both the spray booth and the bucket filter. Great

Now, you have come up with the solution I need, so I can make my painting in-doors a lot easier, ( don't have a garage or shed, so I am in the spare bedroom) as I would like to use some of the acrylic lacquers, again, many thanks for this idea, I would like to wish yoh and your family all the very best wishes for the upcoming holiday season, many thanks from a Kiwi ( New Zealander) living in Australia 👍👍👍

I had been wondering what it would take to safely spray indoors. Now I know! Thanks for the useful info. Will look into it when I have some free time again. One could potentially play with the mediums a little or add a second chamber and turn it into a multi stage filter. As long as the airflow is still strong enough that is.

Thats..actually really smart

Thank you for the suggestion I am going to buy my paint booth soon and I had no windows so I was trying to figure out how to expel the access paint. Great suggestion, thank you very much happy holidays.

Just bought a similar airbrush booth. Might have to do this.

That is something I have planned to do when I get my spray booth. I was thinking of adding a filter to the inside of the bucket. Glad to know others use this method. On another note, previously I asked about using the DecoArt Acrylic Polyurethane clear. I tried it thru my airbrush about a week ago with less than steller results. May have been my process. Anyway, it does wet sand fairly easily, so I am going to try again adding a bit of iso to see if that helps. Looking forward to seeing if you can get a chance to try it out and what you think of it. bucket

Thank you Sir for sharing your bucket trick. I was very curious about how it was rigged. I greatly appreciate you for consider the common everyday modeler on a budget.

I would suggest to most of the comments about additional filter media that this system PUSHES air from the booth into the bucket, and the more media in the way the more blockage the air will have. A sucking fan at the bucket end would do better for adding more robust filtering techniques, but that would defeat the simplicity of this system. Great video!

Nice idea. Thanks for sharing.

Super cool, I've been wondering for a while now how that is made. Thanks for learnin me something awesome😁

Great video, thanks for sharing. About to start airbrushing on my layout. Appreciate all the tips. - Steve

This is super useful, my setup is in my basement and there's no nearby window. I'm using acrylics for hobby painting and don't do tons at a time, I'll 100% be building one of these this week.

Cool trick! Gonna give it a try

Another great idea from BR! Thanks again.

Thank you!!! Will be using this hack!! My bench is in front of a window. Lol so no room to vent a future purchase spray booth.

Your timing could not be better. I have been trying to decide on a method of making a similar system. I will be making one in the next couple of weeks. thanks.

I like that Porsche 911 gt1 kit on your shelf!

Thanks, for posting this. great idea.

Wow, really appreciate the knowledge 🤔 had no idea this was possible, Awesome!!!

Thanks for the tip. Very similar to a homemade wood dust filtration system ive seen. Ill be building one :)

Really cool setup, I use nontoxic paints so I just go respirator, box fan and furnace filter, but if I ever upgrade I'll probably do this.

That's a cool idea!

Excellent idea thanks for sharing

I have a window, but I live in MN. I may make one of these to use in the winter.

wow i'm setting up a system this is excatly what i needed

hourra you fix my problem i was thintking about this idea in the shower and you confirm my plan

Nice trick. I have a spot that’s better for me in the lower level of the house, but setting up by any of the windows won’t really work. This seems like a useful set up

Cool deal!.. Has anyone ever used a rainbow vaccum cleaner it uses water as its filter I had one and used it to trap the paint fumes by evacuating out the fumes in my spray booth it worked really well too.. When the water got loaded up I would just dump it and be back up and spraying.

This might be a saving grace for the setup I’m trying to get going for myself… Since I have a fire escape window with a gate it’s been tough finding a convenient way to get a booth that I can fit it but this though? Might be trying this asap thanks alot for not just this but what you’ve been doing thus far , it’s greatly appreciated

So glad I found this. Have been wanting to set up a booth I got but the closest window is a long way away from the area I can work. Was worried I would need to figure out a system to chain some vent fans to make sure it got out. Going to do this!

Oh awesome, bless you! This is most helpful!!!!! Thank you!

Thank you for this video. My setup will be in the basement so this will would perfect.

great idea... i use the same set up for sanding sheetrock

An idea... take the initial airflow down with a piece of PVC to where your water level is, but make some up/down concentric rings/baffles on a horizontal plate (cardboard, thin MDF, something more rigid than cardboard) under the plate, but above the water (so that the air charge has to change direction a few times and swirl) with holes in the outer most ring closest to the bucket walls coming up, then add another horizontal plate with a gap between the two, packing filter material between it and the plate beneath, with holes near the inner "downdraft tube/PVC". Finally pack a bunch of washed and cleaned activated charcoal between that plate and the lid. Use duct tape to seal gaps, and voila, a filter and fume extractor. Maybe have the fan on the outlet of this device so that janky paint filled air isn't collecting on the fan blades / motor, but you'll need to make sure there are no leaks, so that it only draws air through the duct to your paint booth.

you don`t no how much money you have just saved me. your a star.👍