Thread: Respirator suggestions

For air filtration, the only things I own are those cannister VOC rubber masks that go over the nose and mouth and are fixed by the elastic straps. A huge step above disposable IMO worthless white paper masks. It helps shaving with a straight (BBS) since I can get a perfect seal on my face with the cannister masks, but the longer I have them on the less comfortable they are. Sometimes the red marks/indents on my face stick around for quite a bit after I'm done working with one on.

So....in preparation for finishing my 2"x72" grinder soon and kicking up the workshop and grinding/sanding a few notches, I want something better that won't break the bank in air filtration.

I know there are those battery operated respirators with a face shield, but that's all I know.

Please help with any suggestions and links for a comfortable and effective filtration system. I'll of course be sanding and grinding.

Thanks guys.

Chris L

I was right along with you until you said you wanted something that wouldn't break the bank.

As I see it, there are three ways to deal with this issue.

1. Move your machines to the free outdoors and wear the dustmask you have now while working.

2. Keep machines indoors and always keep your dustmask on.

3. Don't release dust into the air and you won't have to worry about the dustmask.

The third option is the most preferable one unless you live in Tahiti. Unfortunately it is also the most expensive option, capturing the dust before it's released into the air... A good shop dust collection system requires a properly designed MINIMUM 2HP blower with proper filtration unless you vent outside but if you plan to have several machines hooked up, you're looking at 3 to 5hp and again the emphasis is on proper design. Most of the lower cost "dust collectors" sold for woodworking and such do not collect the invisible dust, only the coarse dust that you can see with the naked eye. It's the micron sized dust that is the most harmful to you and the hardest to filter out. It's takes serious CFMs to capture all this uber fine dust and to filter it out before returning the air to the shop you're in. For more info on that, please check out Bill Pentz's site here.

Industrial positive pressure airshields or masks are the most economical way of going I suppose but they are not cheap, have ongoing costs of filters and whatnot and if you take them off as soon as you're finished sanding but have not left the room.... well, you're still breathing the nasty stuff. Room air filters are often used but they can actually make the dust problem worse as they can stir up and keep the ultra fine dust you don't see suspended in the air rather than letting it settle.

Read up on Bill's site, he's been around the block and done his homework for his own benefit and decided to post all he learned for the rest of us. He is doing some things to offset the cost of keeping the site running, but the info is there for everyone to read.

Not the answer you were hoping for, I'm sure. But you should have all the information in front of you before you start spending money on things that don't actually work.

Naturally, after reading this I just realized you're probably talking about grinding steel and not just wood and other natural materials. Sparks from grinding and wood dust aren't the greatest of companions when mixed with plenty of air! I'm afraid I don't know enough about that end of things to comment other than the shops I've worked in simply have non combustible hoods/piping/fans and exhaust that stuff outside after going through a cyclone separator but there's still the fire hazard of mixing steel grinding with wood dust etc.

Regards

Christian

Chris,

The half-face masks are brutal on my sensitive skin, so I'm right there with you. I haven't found an affordable alternative yet. I'm planning to eventually get this setup: TREND Airshield - Woodcraft.com

It's spendy, though.

Josh

3M 6000 Series Half Facepiece Respirator

I got that, although it was cheaper in the welding supplier shop I went to. I didn't see you say you didn't want a half mask, but didn't understand what kind you have now.

Yeah, I should have posted links to the Trend as well as the Triton respirator. The Triton is less expensive and offers more physical protection, proper face shield (Trend is not an impact shield from what I understand) a hard hat (could come in useful! ) and has hearing protection that may or may not be useful depending on where you decided to wear your ears, but it can be clumsy with the battery pack/filter on the belt with a hose running to the shield. I should also point out that there is a new model Trend Airshield that has double the lifespan batteries (8hr run time instead of 4hr) and covers the top of the head and uses (I think) a double set of filters to extend the time before clogging. It also apparently balances on the head somewhat better as the batteries are placed further back on top rather than in front on the older unit. There is a $100 premium on the new Trend putting it at around $400 locally here. 3M makes similar units but are close to double the cost of the Trend. I've seen the older Trend being sold around $249 in the US, no doubt due to the new model coming out. Locally the new model is outselling the old ones by a large margin... probably 3 to 1. I dunno myself, I'd probably get the old model as lots of folks loved them for woodworking. The new Trend model also has attachments for hearing protection like the Triton.

Regards

Christian

3M half mask is my choice and the ones I wear at work.... sometimes for 4 to 6 hours at a time.
Model #

OV/P95
R7513ES Pro Series

The rubber part is VERY comfy, feels like a gummy worm.... nice and soft with a very good seal.
You'll know it because the rubber is transparent blue.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

3M 6000 Series Half Facepiece Respirator

I got that, although it was cheaper in the welding supplier shop I went to. I didn't see you say you didn't want a half mask, but didn't understand what kind you have now.

I use a half face 3M right now. I don't know the model. I'll check into these suggestions. Thanks guys.

Chris L

There is a company called Adflo that makes one of the best assembled parts working helmet/face shield/filter systems out there. That Triton unit looks pretty good too. Price shopping really helps.

NEVER GRIND steel/iron into any kind of air collecting/filtration unit that contains aluminium. Read about thermit. Even wetting your pants while running for your life will not put out this kind of fire. Plus the expansion coefficient of the gasses is pretty big.

Keep your filter units separate for wood/dusts and metals or preferably outside the building. Explosions happen to people who aren't paying attention.

These sorts of things don't happen in half mask or face mask respirators.

Department of Energy Richland Operations Office

Crazy.

Although I also read that the temperatures required for thermite to burn and have a reaction were extremely high, in thousands of degrees F. How would this kind of grinding accomplish that?

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Department of Energy Richland Operations Office

Crazy.

Although I also read that the temperatures required for thermite to burn and have a reaction were extremely high, in thousands of degrees F. How would this kind of grinding accomplish that?

Wow, that's scary! It makes me never want to grind aluminum in the off chance that I would forget I did and have something similar to what happened to that guy happen to me!

Thanks for the heads up on this one, Mike.

Chris L