What filters do I want for a 3M 7500 Respirator painting & sanding?

mtx77,

If you are only using the mask for protection from dust (particulates), then either N95 or P100 filters are all you need. I believe the P100 are now preferred by NIOSH over the N95.

I have a mask dedicated for wood dust with P100 filters and another seperate mask= for finishing with organic vapor cartridges.

-- Paul Lyons

P100 for fine particulates, 3M 2091. And of course vapor cartridges 3M 502.

My mask is a 3M 7503 which is the large version of the one you are talking about.

-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!

I was hoping I could use 1 filter or cartridge for sanding and finishing. I see they sell “P100 with organic vapor relief” which says it protects from “most” organic vapors….could I use that for sanding and finishing?

Oh…I have no idea if I need a medium or large mask…

Anything rated for organic vapors will filter out overspray and wood dust. Most people use two separate masks – one for sanding, and another for spraying. However you could use the spraying mask for both tasks.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

My suggestion is to buy a single mask. You can buy an organic vapour cartridge and use a P100 “pancake filter” on the outside of that. The pancake will filter out the fine particulate, while the organic vapour will protect you from the vapour.

You don’t want to waste money by using an organic vapour for filtering particulate. Also a good idea would be to get fit tested. It only takes a few minutes and helps to make sure the mask fits properly and the vapour overspray doesn’t bypass the mask. It also will help you know what size to get.

Take a look at North safety products. Many companies use them too. Here is a link to their cartridge selection poster

http://www.northsafety.com/DocumentConsoleDownload.aspx?DC_ID=9791

We use the pink ones in our shop (carts for the paint room) and the guys look SOOOOOO CUTE. :)
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

I couldn’t get the A2 filters (brown band) the last time I needed to change, so ended up with the Kombifilter 6057 which has a brown, grey and yellow band around the outside. Not a whiff of cellulose while spraying. Also replaced the particulate pre filter 5935. Everything’s good.

-- Do or do not, there is no try

It has been a few days since this was posted but I figured I would throw in my 2 cents. I am a safety manager and teach on some of this.

As someone suggested above, fit testing is a good practice, and required by industry if you are working on a paid job such as working in a booth painting for a company, etc. If it is home use only, you are not required to get fit tested but it doesn’t take much time to do and isn’t that expensive. Most occupational health centers can do it. It will tell you if you bought the right size mask.

Also, to wear a mask properly, you must be clean shaven or the seal is worthless and you might as well use the paper masks you had been using.

You asked for a cartridge that would filter and keep out the Organics. They make a combination filter organic vapor cartridge/p100 filter but they are pricey (model 60921 for 3M). I would suggest using the p100 pancakes where you can and switch them out to the OV/p100 styles when needed.

The OV you linked to at the top of the page is not a filter and will not keep dust out. The bright pink indicates HEPA on all filters across the board (some may be a purplish hue depending on brand aka North). Regardless, the OV will not keep fine dust out any better than the dust mask.

Although you don’t like the dust masks, they do make an N 95 dust mask which is slightly better than the super cheap ones. They are not HEPA but do filter out almost all airborne wood dust. If they fit well, they will work well. Once again facial hair will make them useless.

You do not need a HEPA attachment, only a HEPA filter such as the P100s you linked to.

What you do need to understand is you can not put a P100 on one side and on OV on the other. You will be breathing in both through the respective lacking filter. I know it sounds silly but I see it happen.

For use, if you are in an area with a ton of OV, such as spray painting in a confined area with spray paint that contains Toluene, or xylene, you will get approximately 8 hours of breathing out of one set of cartridges before they are no longer effective enough to protect you.

Also, someone pointed out that the cartridge says most Organics. You can look up the list online if you like but the organics you can get a hold of that will be in finishes are all covered under the OV cartidge. Because there are millions of chemicals out there, they have to put that warning.