This is why you want to use breathing masks

Today I was using my dremel on my next razor in order to shape it. Not removing chunks of metal, just finetuning with flapwheels and sanding drums.
I couldn't see anything flying away except there was a lot of sparkling underneath my working light.

After an hour or 2, my breathing mask looked as shown in the pic below.
Remember guys and gals: anytime you use a powertool to sand, grind, buf, or otherwise send micro debris flying, you want to be wearing that mask. Getting that stuff in your lungs is not good for you. This is what made grinders drop dead at 30 - 40 in the 19th century.

I agree with you 100%. I was just hand sanding for @ 2 hours and after I blew my nose, I'll be wearing a mask from now on.

I've actually got a degree in this stuff (literally). And yet, seeing is still believing. I have a respirator, and didn't want to mess with it for about a half hour of hand sanding some Paduak (sp?) wood.

Figured it was hand sanding, wouldn't be doing it long, the whole "dose determines the poison" blah blah.

My nose burned for the next 24 hours. Won't be doing that again.


Using ANY power tool basically guarantees ANY substance will go airbone.

anytime I sand anything (but especially wood) I wear a mask.
It doesn't bother me, and the consequences of not doing it can be very annoying at least.

One thing I always wonder is what are the consequences of all the dust and debris laying around the shop or place where you work after you're done sanding or grinding. Unless you use the vacuum 24/7 and have a few dust collectors that crap isn't going anywhere.

Yes, wearing a mask is extremely important when working your tools but one cannot walk around with a mask all day even when all the dust has settled down. And we're still breathing in that crap, maybe not in the same amount, but nonetheless.

It reminds me of smoking. Although I don't smoke I can still get cancer from breathing in other people's smoke.

Also safety glasses are highly recommended. If it will hurt your lungs it will probably hurt your eyes as well.

Soilarch what is your degree in?

Dustmask - buy one or be one...

Maximilian - Well, if we're sticking with the smoking example, how about this as far as determining your risk.

The smog you are exposed to just from living in a moderately populated city is WAY more likely to give you lung cancer than second hand smoke.

And given the average person's risk of getting lung cancer from living in a moderately populated city is so low it's almost funny, I would say you're fine.

The second hand smoke thing always cracked me up, long before I ever smoked. It's a social campaign, not a health one. And a very damaging and divisive social campaign at that which has in fact served to make smoking more appealing.

:HJ

Sorry. As you were saying, though. I reckon there's a period of time it takes for a given particle to no longer be airborne. What that time is though probably depends on the substance.

At that point I would think it would be reasonably safe. After all, we're breathing in particles of whatever all the time. It's the dose that matters.

I wear UVEX Glasses their polycarbonate, and very clear well fitting. This a good post I always notice the debris all over my glasses, and shirt. esp from polishing.

cheers
David

If you do a lot of woodworking you should mask up also. It is very wise to use a high volume dust collection system also. A lot of the exotic woods are very toxic and cause types of cancer if one is exposed for prolonged periods of time. I just recently bought a dust collector system that I put the main motor and bag outside my shop so that not even the 2 micron particles are not in my breathing space. It has helped tremendously.

Later,
Richard

Yes, always wear a mask of some sort when working in the shop. Especially so when you are working with matural materials such as horn, ivory and even some woods. I have a respirator mask that I wear along with my safety goggles whenever I am working in the shop. I feel like Darth Vader most of the time, lol.

Buy Toxic Dust Respirator at Woodcraft.com

What doesn't kill ya' makes you stronger. ;)
I wonder if I breathe in enough dust if I'll eventually have iron lungs?

Seriously I need to start wearing a mask. Thanks for a reminder with a great visual.

well guys if you are wearing a mask make sure you also goggles and not glasses as all glasses stop really is the chips that dust will still get on your eyes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maximilian

One thing I always wonder is what are the consequences of all the dust and debris laying around the shop or place where you work after you're done sanding or grinding.

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Max - that reminded me of a workshop I visited to pick up a part from, about 20 yrs ago, maybe longer. The two fitters looked like old men from a distance - when I got closer I could see they were late 20s - mid 30s but uniformly grey - their hair, faces, hands, overalls, bootcaps - all covered in a grey coat of dust. They took me into the "shop" - a very small room, rollerblind door, no windows. Everything in it was grey - the dust covered everything and was heaped up in the corners and on the shelfs.

As we were speaking I could hear a soft coughing/wheezing noise, but couldn't tell where it was coming from - until a decrepit old dog got up in its corner, shook the dust off, turned round a few times than lay back down on its dust covered blankets.

I worked outside in the fresh air at the time - that place seemed like a living hell to me.

Regards,
Neil

An exhaust fan is such a bargain....

My workshop is in the basement, and I am executing a 10 year plan to turn it into a safe haven from female influence (I have a wife and 2 daughters :))

One of my next projects is going to be creating an airflow to make sure that all dust gets blown outside. I also regularly use a vacuum cleaner to clean my workbench, the floor and the sander. This keeps the place fairly clean.
Adding an airflow is better though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruno

My workshop is in the basement, and I am executing a 10 year plan to turn it into a safe haven from female influence (I have a wife and 2 daughters :))

One of my next projects is going to be creating an airflow to make sure that all dust gets blown outside. I also regularly use a vacuum cleaner to clean my workbench, the floor and the sander. This keeps the place fairly clean.
Adding an airflow is better though.

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I have a basement shop, too. Gotta love having a heated workspace only steps away from my bedroom. :)

I have a Delta dust collector hooked up to my power equipment. It makes a huge difference. It dramatically reduces airborne dist, but does not eliminate it. Even with the collector, I don't work without my respirator on. I use P100 filters when working with wood/steel and organic-vapor cartridges when grinding synthetics. The next step up will be a full face mask with integrated eye protection.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MistressNomad

Maximilian - Well, if we're sticking with the smoking example, how about this as far as determining your risk.

The smog you are exposed to just from living in a moderately populated city is WAY more likely to give you lung cancer than second hand smoke.

And given the average person's risk of getting lung cancer from living in a moderately populated city is so low it's almost funny, I would say you're fine.

The second hand smoke thing always cracked me up, long before I ever smoked. It's a social campaign, not a health one. And a very damaging and divisive social campaign at that which has in fact served to make smoking more appealing.

.

:HJ

Sorry. As you were saying, though. I reckon there's a period of time it takes for a given particle to no longer be airborne. What that time is though probably depends on the substance.

At that point I would think it would be reasonably safe. After all, we're breathing in particles of whatever all the time. It's the dose that matters.

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If you live in say LA that's the equivalent of smoking a pack a day. I grew up in NYC and after a one hour commute in the Subway after blowing my nose what came out looked like coal dust. The second hand smoke thing has been scientifically proven long ago.

Things can stay in the air a very long time. Back in the day when some powerful volcanos went up the dust and silt stayed in the air a couple of years