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Shop Saftey - Dust Masks

4K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Kentuk55 
#1 ·
Why did I not wear one.

I, as a retired person, generally fall into woodworking, scroll saw, as my past time activity. YES, I know, or should have, that shop dust and wearing some type of masks is important. But they are hot, limit breathing and are a pain. Well as someone with ironical asthma I have now landed in ER and the hospital twice this year. At this point I am still not cleared to be back in the shop.

Well, now I have done a lot of reading on dust masks and respirators. Your first line of defense is to limit your overall exposure to dust. The large type vacuum systems, properly installed and maintained, are a very good start. A clean shop is second and that means a thorough clean up after every session. Also, if your tools have the ability or can be adapted to a vacuum - do so.

Finally, and most important is a good quality dust masks. This is the major decision issue in this whole conversation. There are many on the market, like the white paper ones, and a lot of them do not help very well. The general problems, as reported in literature, is that they do not fit well around the face, they do not provide adequate protection ( as a measured rating), and they do not last very long. Now some of the high are much better and are rated at N95 or N100. This means that they protect you from 95% to 100% of your airborne dust. The next level of masks are the respirators. The are the larger generally rubber masks with one or two filters on them. Some even have a pre filter before the main filter. These fit the face better and provide better sealing around the cheeks and chin. Now I am talking about us clean shaven of face as breads are another issue. These filters on these larger one are replaceable and you should have a good schedule of doing that. Make sure that the one you select is rated for your type of work. That would mean spraying, type of wood and overall environment. All reports say these work very well. The last type are the powered respirators where a small fan blows air through the filter system to provide fresh, and perhaps cooler, air to breath. These two are reported to work very well.

Damage to your lungs can not be fixed. Once done it is done. I am at the stage where I have gone a little to far but still have some ability left to get in the shop and do some work. You can be that I will have my vacs running, my filters on and a good quality dust masks on. I have not chosen which masks I will purchase yet but I have some real good ideas.

My Doctor and my wife have allowed me on more chance to get this right. My health is too important to screw this up.
 
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#3 ·
I had given up on dust masks because I had tried dozens of different ones and they not only fogged my glasses, but also kept out very little dust because, as you said, they never fit right. I purchased a respirator years ago but gave it to my husband to use because I could not manage to breathe enough air through it to keep from feeling like I would pass out. Last year I bought a dust mask (actually more like a respirator) which I feel works for me. I can breathe through it; it doesn't fog my glasses; I can wear it under my face shield; and it seems to keep the dust out. You might want to consider it.

L/W
 
#4 ·
Don't roll dice on your health. With dust in the shop, the dust will win every time. I got scared when I read Bill Pentz' site and decided I needed full on dust collection for everything including combinations of dust collector and vacuum shrouds around/over the cutting blades of my tools. I have a home made air scrubber with a merv 17 filter running all the time when I am in the shop and I also purchased a Dylos particle counter to monitor air quality in my shop. That particle counter was probably the best purchase of all. Tells me when I can take off my mask, and provides feedback on the condition of my dust filtering equipment.

A sure sign of a bad fitting mask is fogging glasses. Keep a clean shaven face is the best solution. Most home stores have decent masks sold under a variety of names but often made by companies like sperian. Which I believe is Honeywell now. Go for a p100 minimum on the filters. It gives the benefit of hepa filtration with the ability to filter oil particulate. If you find that the mask doesn't fit, go to your local safety supply/hazard control shop. They usually carry out fit testing and will find the best mask for you using a series of tests which include atomizing bad tasting stuff to see it gets inside your mask under normal breathing conditions. A good mask is well worth the cost. For 199$. The dylos meter is also well worth the investment. Mine is running in the shop 24/7. Good luck and be careful.
 
#5 ·
I believe I can speak for many others when I say 'thanks for the reminder'. Airborne dust of most any kind is something our lungs do not like. It is easy for me to feel that I don't need to put on a mask when I'm in the shop for what I think will be a short time, but better habits can be developed, and my intention is to use one whenever a machine is running. Sometimes we may feel that the shop air is fairly clear until a shaft of light shines through a window/door and allows us to see what it is actually there. Here's hoping your condition improves so that you can get back to enjoying your hobby.
 
#6 ·
Dust is a killer. Believe it. We should all do what we can to prevent the intake of that nasty stuff. One step at a time jerrels. Feel better soon. When you do, suit up and cut some wood. :)
 
#8 ·
Jerrells,
you have made a good and thoughtful post.

As you have said preventing dust in the workshop is the first priority, so cleaning and vacuuming any dust after working will mean there is less to be inhaled.

Some people also use a fan if the weather is warm enough and they can work with a door open, and position their work so that saw dust is blown straight out of the workshop.

If you wear a dust mask a good fitting one will give you most protection.

There is a good one here that fits well and avoids fogging of goggles if you wear them as it has a valve:

Good dust mask with valve

Hope this helps
Ged
 
#11 ·
First dusk mask tryout

Well I purchased what was a really good "powered dust mask" and tried it out. "Powered" means there is a fan that draws in filtered air so that is all you should be breathing. Now the mask seemed to work well indoors however when I tried it in my shop it did not seem to work as well. To me it was very hot and as I perspire a lot it was uncomfortable and I was afraid of moisture on the little motor. Also it seemed to hurt the bridge of my nose after a short time. The short of it was it was not going to work for me. The very nice store (not named) took it back with no issue.

At this time I am still several weeks from really being back in the shop and then only for short periods. YES this stinks. One day at a time and we will get it figured out.
 
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