All of my model
building takes place in the family dining room so keeping noxious fumes and
overspray to a minimum is critical. Tamiya (Sprayworks), Paache and Gunze Sagno
(Mr Superbooth) all sell spray booths although I couldn't find a single Internet
review. Hobby Link Japan (HLJ) offered the lowest price on Gunze Sagno Mr
Superbooth so several weeks laters I collected the lasted Japanese addition to
my modelling kit.
First things first
was testing whether the blower reliably worked with a Canadian powersupply
(Japan uses a slightly different 110V system). I'm very happy to report that it
works fine and maintains a perfectly reasonable operating temperature. My
initial impression upon opening the box was "is that it?". The booth
is very lightweight and minimal. If you are a fan of industrial products you may
be disappointed. If you intend to frequently move the booth its low weight and
ease of disassembly is a god-send.
You airbrush towards
to booth which uses a cardboard honeycomb wedged into the booth behind which
sits the filter and entry to the squirrel cage blower. A squirrel cage fan
eliminates the risk of ignition when using highly flammable vapours such as
lacquer thinner. Air exits the rear into an extendible exhaust tube (18 inches
to 4 feet 9 inches). The tube was a little loose on the blower so I tightened
the fit with masking tape. I also needed to secure the cardboard honeycomb,
again with masking tape loops. Gunze Sagno provide an optional window adaptor
(in photo) which allows you to exhaust the fumes through a 1/2 inch window gap
(great for winter evenings).
Don't expect Mr
Superbooth to suck pencils off your desk! Much like your kitchen hood the air
draw is barely perceptible. I can say that it reduces smells when using
Modelmaster Acryls, Acetone (airbrush cleaning) and liquid cements. The interior gets quite dusty with paint overspray which has been pulled from my
work area.
Mr Superbooth has a neat design, is
very lightweight and portable. Considering its construction I think that its a
tad expensive, although it is the cheapest option for a domestic setting. The
motor is very quiet, it won't wake your family unlike most airbrush compressors.
It gets regular use during my model builds and allows me to airbrush in comfort.
Hobby Link Japan
provided a great service when I was unable to source Mr
Superbooth in Canada and the US.
Alex Cook