# Do you use a respirator?



## pete79 (Oct 20, 2009)

I recently started wearing a respirator in the workshop as I'm becoming much more aware of shop safety and dust collection (or in my case non-collection). I'm getting an air cleaner in the next week or so, and am curious how many of you wear a respirator in a shop equipped with an air cleaner?

If you have an air cleaner, do you wear a respirator? Do you wear it all the time, or only when cutting/routing/planing? If you don't wear one at all, do you feel any ill effects from it, or does the air cleaner do a good enough job?


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## Blackpearl (Jan 11, 2011)

All I know is that on days when I don't ware my Triton, I have a headache that night, If i do wear the head gear I don't have a problem.

You would think the choice would be obvious, I must not be too smart because I frequently have headaches.


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## skippyland (Jan 12, 2011)

Hey, Pete. I've got a small shop (12×20), with a Jet air cleaner ceiling mounted, and a dedicated shop vac attached to my orbital sander. You cannot believe how much dust accumulates in the air cleaner filters! Normally I wear my resperator during planing operations…and think about it as dust shoots up from the TS. Yeah, sometimes, I get that dry tickle in the throat and I hear my wife asking if I wear my masks….


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Liek you Pete im concerned about my health and safety but dont have a dedicated dust collection or filtrations setup yet. I wear my respirator just about everytime i make a cut or do any sanding. I had a neighbor who was a cabineet maker years ago and one day he caught me belt sanding without a mask on … he walked over to me put his hand on my shoulder and says "ya know kid, all the heros are dead .. put a mask on"


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

I wear one when I know the wood has a history of causing irritation. Like Bloodwood causes me to get hives so I wear a mask when using it. Otherwise I don't wear one. I look up a woods toxicity prior to using it. Most woods are less of an irritant then the dust that gets stirred up from the wind around my parts.


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## DLCW (Feb 18, 2011)

When I'm doing operations that don't have a central DC or shopvac DC hookup, I wear a mask. Whenever I handsand, I wear a mask. Mixing and spraying finishes, I wear a chemical filter mask.

I've got a 3M helmet/faceshield setup with a waist belt that has a rechargeable battery and motor assembly sucking clean air through a .5 mic filter and blowing it through a hose to the faceshield/helmet setup. This keeps positive pressure inside the mask, thus keeping air particles out. Great setup but expensive. But I figure I only have 1 set of lungs to last.


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## rowdy (Dec 22, 2008)

Always wear one. Even though I have a good dust collection system and an air cleaner. The type I use is a snorkle design and it is comfortable, so I have no trouble making myself wear it. Better safe than sorry.


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## cabs4less (Nov 2, 2010)

I wear one when I spray but thats it but i do have all windows and doors open with a big chicken house fan blowing out at all times

PS might sound careless but I smoke a pack a day so I guess I am


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I do have an air cleaner, and good dust collection for my machines and tools. I also have a good respirator, but I don't wear it….I don't like them….they interfere with my smoking and drinking coffee, and I do that all the time while in the shop…..I've tried it a few times, but it also impeeds my vision a little….so NO, I don't wear it…..but then again I'm not allergic to any woods, or have any allegeries….I'll probably die some day of lung cancer anyway, so a respirator ain't gonna help me none…..


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## Justin1110 (Apr 9, 2010)

The shop I work in has dust collection to all the machines and a downdraft table for sanding so i don't feel the need for a respirator, the only time i do wear one is when i spray finishes or ill wear a mask when cleaning out dust collection. If i didn't work were they had dust collection i would really consider using a respirator or at least a mask when doing anything that creates a lot of dust even though i find them unconformable.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I cut some treated 2×4's in a basement at my daughters once. Used a portable saw and never thought a thing about it. 2 days later I had pneumonia and spent a week in bed on meds. The mask needs an N95 or better rating. I believe the govt tells us that wood is a carcinogen as are most other things in life.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

It all depends on what I am doing, and how effective dust collection at the tool is. I have a full out dust collection / separator system, and an ambient air filter. I still will use a respirator when doing particularly dusty operations from machines that lack good dust collection like the miter saw…

I use the pink N100 filters… No they don't get 100% but they are as close as you are going to get….

For what it's worth I am busting my tail to improve dust hoods as fast as I can…


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## cannonskate (Jun 10, 2010)

I wear one almost all the time now, but thats because I have no dust collection or air filter as of now. As soon as I get a good dust collection system, I plan on only wearing a respirator when sanding, or for toxic chemical use.


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

The only time I use it for is sanding and wood finishing.


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