Do I need a respirator if I paint outdoors?

[hpdonat]

I think I can remember seeing a guy painting shirts outdoors at a fair or something, and I think I remember him wearing a mask, but it was so long ago I can't be sure. Anyway, I was thinking of setting my easel up outdoors, just to practice, and as proposed in my subject, do you guys recommend I use my respirator, while using acrylics and maybe urethanes, even then. It also occurred to me, while grocery shopping, that I could use edible colored food dye to practice with. I felt pretty clever about that.

 

[JackEb]

a respirator is always a good idea, regardless of what or where you are spraying. if spraying urethanes it should be a non negotiable and always worn.
The paint you practise with should be the same as what you intend to use long term, Food colouring is fine but you'll find the airbrush behaves differently than when you use 'proper' paint.
food colouring or even inks are useful if you just want to do 'something' to learn proper airbrush technique of air on, paint on, paint off, air off and building muscle memory and has the benefit of easy clean up.

 

[hpdonat]

a respirator is always a good idea, regardless of what or where you are spraying. if spraying urethanes it should be a non negotiable and always worn.
The paint you practise with should be the same as what you intend to use long term, Food colouring is fine but you'll find the airbrush behaves differently than when you use 'proper' paint.
food colouring or even inks are useful if you just want to do 'something' to learn proper airbrush technique of air on, paint on, paint off, air off and building muscle memory and has the benefit of easy clean up.

Yeah, point taken. I own a bunch of cheap hobby paint, some high end acrylic paint, some high quality inks, the food coloring, Createx Autobourne Sealer, and Createx Wicked Paint, and I have at least experimented with the every one, and they are each their own animal in basically every regard. That being said, It's a lot cheaper, especially in these developmental stages of learning to airbrush, to burn through the food coloring, as opposed to the Wicked paints

 

[Airbrushkid]

I'm with JackEb. With that said. 35 years ago I shot t's in Florida outside and inside. Back then we were stupid. But I built an easel that had a fan with filter built into it. And it work real good. But with you just shooting outside and no filter system. Your asking for it. What happens when the wind picks up the mist of paint and throws it back in your face.

Here's a little story. I had a friend that painted interiors. He use a pressurize pot sprayer. He did outside to. He wore a mask. But it didn't really help. Well one day I went to see him. He did something that I never seen someone do. He snorted plain water up his nose several times like 10 times etc. Then each time he blew it back out of his nose. That water had what ever color he used that day come flushing out of his nose.

If you really care about living, wear a mask.

 

[hpdonat]

I'm with JackEb. With that said. 35 years ago I shot t's in Florida outside and inside. Back then we were stupid. But I built an easel that had a fan with filter built into it. And it work real good. But with you just shooting outside and no filter system. Your asking for it. What happens when the wind picks up the mist of paint and throws it back in your face.

Here's a little story. I had a friend that painted interiors. He use a pressurize pot sprayer. He did outside to. He wore a mask. But it didn't really help. Well one day I went to see him. He did something that I never seen someone do. He snorted plain water up his nose several times like 10 times etc. Then each time he blew it back out of his nose. That water had what ever color he used that day come flushing out of his nose.

If you really care about living, wear a mask.

Thanks. You're absolutely right. Even outside, a shifting gust can blow whatever you're spraying into your face, and I wouldn't want to directly inhale any of that stuff, regardless if toxic or not.