Peace Keeper Spray Booths First-Look

By Michael Benolkin

First-Look

Over the years, I've tried different solutions for painting including a portable unit made of composites that was handy in an apartment. That was great when I was single, but once I was remarried, I needed a better solution to keep the peace. Eight years ago, I acquired an Artograph spray booth that had the power to move lots of air and large enough to handle my larger projects. What I really liked about it was its solid construction and ease of cleaning.

Since I wrote my Artograph review, many of you have asked about other spray booths that are either smaller and/or less expensive than my Artograph. I really had not paid much attention to the spray booth market for hobbyists other than the disbelief I have when I see some of the plastic, cardboard, other other 'hobbyist' paint booths being offered today. I haven't seen another paint booth worth writing about - until now.

While I was attending the 2012 IPMS/Roscoe Turner contest, a vender from Ohio had three spray booths on display that caught my eye. These booths are made from sheet metal, are quite solid, have standard filter elements, and have powerful blower motors that will accept standard 4" ducts. Ironically called 'Peace Keeper', these booths will allow you to keep your spray paint odors venting outdoors and not irritating your family.

Peace Keeper Deluxe - $450.00

This booth is what caught my eye as the size of the projects I build haven't gotten any smaller. At 34 inches wide, you can see the ESCI 1/72 XB-35 sitting inside with plenty of room to spare. The top of the booth has the blower exit duct (the blower motor is mounted inside the booth), inside are plenty of lights to see what you're painting, and up inside you can see the 20"x12" filter element. Look closer at the right side of the booth and there are two power outlets to power your air compressor (or whatever) and a bank of four power switched on the front right side for lights, blower, and individually switched outlets.

Peace Keeper 24" Super Mini - $335.00

The Super Mini was also at the show and it was a scaled down of the Deluxe at only 24 inches wide. It too has the the blower motor mounted inside and the same 20"x12" filter element. The booth is also well lit and the front of the booth has fan and light switches.

Peace Keeper 24" Mini-Plus - $245.00

The Mini-Plus was the third option on display and like the Super Mini, it is 24 inches wide. As the low-cost model though, this unit has no internal lighting and the blower motor is mounted atop the booth.

While I didn't get the chance to test fly one of these booths (the Grex airbrushes were right next door), these are some of the better-built spray booths available that offer plenty of room as well as air volume movement for your indoor workshop. They're just as robust as my trusty Artograph and the integral lighting on the Super Mini and Deluxe models is actually better than the clear pane atop my Artograph.

If you're getting tired of the cheap plastic (or 'composite) spray booths being offered out there, here are some nice options at prices competitive with those 'cheap' alternatives.

You can get more information on these paint booths from their website at www.pacepaintbooths.com.