Think it's time for me to get a respirator. As much as I love painting acrylics there are many times I prefer to use enamels.

What does everyone use?

An open window when I did use enamels many years ago lol, nowadays I am pretty much exclusively using acrylics, as I tend to get nagged using anything else due to the smell.
You are definitely better off getting a mask or respirator and making sure the area is ventilated, as breathing in that stuff can't be healthy.
Andy

Having worn full face respirators for most of my career, in various toxic environments, I'd recommend a Mine Safety Appliance rated half face mask. They can be pricey, but they are worth the price for comfort and protection. I have an MSA GMA A70V twin filter canister mask I bought several years ago, which I wear while painting. It works well in dust, paint and most toxic fumes (such as ammonia, chlorine, lacquers, and other products). For the painting most modelers do, I'd recommend one of these type of masks-- You can find them at Lowes, Home Depot, and some other hardware stores. Make sure they are stamped "MSA", and are rated for painting. There are many cheapo masks out there, but they may not work well for filtering out the particulates associated with paints. Acrylic paint may seem harmless because there is no smell, but there are still particulates in the air, so whatever you paint with, it's still advisable to wear a mask if you are painting large projects.

For many small spray projects of short duration, done infrequently, especially those where you're close to the work with the airbrush (such as fine line painting), you may be able to get away with a "one-shot" disposable gauze mask which is also sold for painting, but a mask with disposable filters is the better option. Filters go bad with age and use, so I recommend buying replacement filters when you buy your mask-- and leave the extra ones in the package until ready to use. I change my filters every 8-12 months (I live in a damp environment), more frequently when I am spraying large projects frequently, or if I'm doing lots of woodworking (i use my mask for woodworking too when I'm generating lots of cutting or sanding dust).
VR, Russ

Thanks for the input! I'll start my search

I use this one: 3M 7502 Silicone Half Face Respirator. Putting it on has become second nature and I never paint without wearing it. HTH.

—mike

3M is pretty good quality, so it can probably be trusted to offer good protection. And the price is pretty reasonable gtoo. I'd still take a look at MSA, they offer some smaller filter system masks (they are less bulky) but at a higher pricepoint. I think I paid about $30 for my MSA mask about ten years ago (and I bought it at a Navy Exchange store). It's very similar to this 3M mask.
VR, Russ

I use the same, 3M 75xx series available in S, M, & L... Link above shows differences.

They are comfortable, seal well even with a (short) beard & can be worn with glassess...

Check the filters, as they do different ones, need to be VOC certified for paint and dust.

Hi Patrick

These days I wear a proper painting mask along with using a spray booth and an extractor fan regardless of whether I'm spraying enamels or acrylics. One look at the muck that the filters catch from either should be enough to convince you that you don't want to breathe it in.

Sadly, I wasn't careful when I started out - something I can only hope doesn't come back to bite me one day...

All the best

Rowan

Thanks everyone. Went with the 3M recommendation.

This thread was timely as I was looking to replace mine of many years. I too went with a 3M half mask with replaceable cartridges. Went Organic with P95 particle filters added to the outside. Went with a slightly different main part of the mask though.

I too use a 3M mask, a 6000 series in my case.
Had a cheap mask for years and even clean shaven I could still smell paint. The 3M mask seals tight even with a few days stubble.

Glad to see you guys are suiting-up!

Cheers!🍺
—mike