We should also consider the volumes of paint that we are using. There is a huge difference between painting a model with a total area comparable to a sheet of writing paper and having painting as a profession.
We paint for maybe half an hour after a week or more of assembling a kit. A professional painter paints between 4 and 8 hours per day. We use maybe 10 ml, less than 1/2 imperial ounce, in one painting session while a professional goes through a gallon or more.
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Precisely 
Wearing is all that’s required to use a simple, small compact respirator mask. It isn’t dependent on space or having a dedicated hobby area.
It definitely up to the individual to choose what they think is best.
FWIW - Keeping fume and particles cleared out of the hobby area isn’t detrimental. In some cases, small kids or other family members may be bothered if fume or particles accumulate. Good ventilation is helps avoid that sort of potential conflict. I’ve probably see half a dozen modelers forced out of the hobby from wife/girlfriend’s complaining about the fumes over the years.
And back to the very nicely done Panther F… I know you got the extra RFM PE for it Colin, but what PE comes with the kit ? Just engine grills ?
Cheers Colin, looks like a nice little fret 
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What does FWIW mean?
FWIW - For What It’s Worth
Anyone leaving the hobby because of a wife/girlfriend complaining about the fumes needs to man up… and is with the wrong woman in the first place.
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If they paint their fingernails they can’t complain about fumes.
Some brands of acetone free nail polish removers can also be used to glue styrene.
Stay away from those that contain oil.
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Is that the woman that contains oil, or the nail polish remover?
@Khouli, sometimes that’s true enough especially early on.
Cutting the wife/girlfriend loose, can risk half of one’s networth, half retirement, alimony or palimony and child support payments in some places.
Paint booth for ~$350 please in interests of harmony & health versus quitting the hobby or blowing up a relationship for me.
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Primarily the polish remover,
I will not comment on the other alternative …
If the price of oil gets sufficiently high though …
On the serious side(Stop your moaning I can hear it from here.), Covid is hear to stay. One of the things that makes you susceptible to the severe effects of Covid is the condition of your lungs. Previously damaged lungs plus Covid is a combination for trouble. The better we protect our lungs, the greater the chances of a long happy life. I find for the most part, if at all possible, I go outside to paint. It makes the wife happy, I can see better and I avoid most of the fumes and arisols. I do have a spray booth I use when winter is here and warm days are not on the horizon.
As a kid I rode my bikes behind the mosquito sprayer truck in the “fog”. I am surprised I didn’t die by the age of 10. I worked with dry cleaning fluid on vertical surfaces. You could actually feel the fumes falling across your arms because they were denser than the air. I survived that. However I long ago stopped taking things for granted and realized that things like this have a progressive and cumulative effect on me. I now go the extra effort to prevent both the active and passive damage to myself and others. I also discovered over time that some of the chemicals we use are absorbed through the skin which means you can chemically poison your self and that can permentally effect various organs. I know the volume and concentration of paint and chemicals is not excessive in our hobby for the most part with due diligence. However reducing your exposure is worth doing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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Coffee is simply the carrier for my cream and sugar. In the same vein, building scale plastic models is my excuse to sniff glue and huff paint. I’m not drinking my coffee black, nor am I masking up to work on a kit.
(The previous sentences were written heavy on the sarcasm with a touch of humor, and by no means reflect the ideals and views of the management.)
If I’m going to airbrush more frequently, I may decide to purchase a mask as well to protect myself. I’m agreeing to what you are saying. But it also depends on situations and choices we make.
You heard right…
Hi I am currently building the RFM panther F and I am loving the kit I like your camm
Ossie
Welcome aboard Ossie!
thanks .
I am going to do a new thread . WIP Ossie
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