# No mask to be found



## OldBull (Apr 30, 2020)

I am piecing together my woodworking shop. I am getting closer to turning stuff on but I can't find a decent mask. Except for those homemade/knockoff jobs, all mask everywhere that I have searched for are unavailable and no time frame for availablity. This is to be understood in our current situation but I don't know if I want to work in small garage woodshop without them. I do have a dust system going in but I am sure the grizzly wall mount bag is not perfect. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.
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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

I have been using this one for a couple of years and it is available today.
I'm also now wear it when I go out in public. It is washable.

http://dustbeegone.com/dustmask.html


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

It depends on your use for it. Even an N95 allows pass through of the tiniest particles, and they are the ones shown to be the biggest health hazard.

Going out in our Covid world I am using mostly double layered cloth, which my Wife sews for us, but I have seen them available in stores, not as dust masks but general safety masks for our current predicament.

In the shop setting I have used for many years a full face 3M 6800 with attached filters to protect both my lungs, as well as my eyes. As to rating, most of these will say N or P 100, which still allows for pass through on face value, but if you use charcoal and multi layered filters I have never seen the racoon face you often see around the nose after wearing an N95 or similar single layered filter. Nor if I blow my nose do I get a ball of wood dust, and never any coughing, and I do have COPD. I feel they do as good a job as I can get, and still be able to function.

Lately I am seeing 3m, North as being not available, but I do see others similar in design, that are showing as available.

https://www.amazon.com/HAOX-Respirator-Organic-Chemical-Woodworking/dp/B085WY7VTY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=3M+6800&qid=1589654191&sr=8-2

Lots of possibles, and this is just Amazoo. Lot's of safety companies out there.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=3M+6800&ref=nb_sb_noss

I think it's going to be a while before we see N, and P 95's, and 100's in a simple mask form.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

I would guess that the particle size in a workshop is much larger than what we're trying to protect against during this pandemic. You may not filter out everything but you can make a significant difference in your personal risk.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Well Mr Covid is tiny, BUT he's usually attached to a spitball, that is huge, and more easily stoppable. If he was aerosolized, and alone, we'd all be sick


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## hcbph_1 (Apr 11, 2020)

You can order some through Menards, I think this is the ones I ordered the other week: https://www.menards.com/main/tools/workwear-safety-gear/respirators-dust-masks/3-ply-disposable-mask-50-pack/2122259/p-7919224473483074-c-13847.htm
They aren't N95's but are decent for dust.
They also list these N95's: https://www.menards.com/main/tools/workwear-safety-gear/respirators-dust-masks/kn95-disposable-particulate-respirator-mask-10-pack/91324/p-4364363664279284-c-13847.htm
I have not ordered them so I cannot speak to them.
You also can get a cartridge type mask that's pretty good, I've got a couple of them and they work good for particles and dust.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

A day in the shop with no mask and I'm coughing all night. 3M is prioritizing medical and I don't trust the random generics from China so I'm holding on to the few I have. Unfortunately the plastic straps broke on my 3M half face mask that takes replaceable filters. Not good. Those whole situation is stupid and mismanaged from the top down.


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## becikeja (Sep 12, 2010)

Be patient and look on the bright side. When all this craziness ends there should be plenty of masks available at bargain prices.


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## BattleRidge (Oct 22, 2017)

I am sorry I can't help with the present day situation other than some type of homemade or other obtained mask.

When I began woodworking I used 3M N95 masks which I still keep on hand for family when they participate in woodworking in my shop, though with the Covid situation, I gave my last new N95 mask to my wife (she has continued to work as an essential in a mental health care office) and have a somewhat used N95 mask for myself in public.

I presently use an Elipse P100 Mask in my workshop and like it really well. It does an excellent job of filtering, is comfortable and works well with my safety glasses and hearing protection.

While the present mask situation isn't great, you can only do the best you can do and hopefully the future will be much better. With the summer season upon us, in addition to utilizing your in-shop dust collection system, perhaps open windows and well placed fans to exhaust the bad air can help keep the shop atmosphere manageable.

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/elipse-p100-mask-m-l?via=573621f669702d06760016d6%2C576455e569702d2f2f0013a3%2C5856d92069702d1cf10023a0


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## KTNC (Sep 12, 2017)

I have one like this that I wear for woodworking. I originally got it to wear when I was painting with oil based polyurethane. It works great for that. I wear glasses and no fogging up either. They had a lot of these at the local Ace Hardware store a couple days ago.


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

I only have a couple left from the packs I had on hand. My wife went and made several masks for me to have once my regular supply runs out. Was at Menards and HF today, they're shelves containing masks were bare. May if you ask someone that does sewing, they could make some masks that are triple layered with a upholstery felt center layer. It's better than the cheap stuff.


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## OldBull (Apr 30, 2020)

Thanks everyone, I will look at some of the sites you posted. From my ongoing, neverending, sometimes embarassing attempt to learn just the basics of woodworking, it seems that wood particles range from large to invisible. The grizzly bag is rated for 30 micron and I can only guess that misses some bad stuff. I tried to find an elipse P100 whose particles size is .3 microns but obviously it is out everywhere.

Again, thanks for the suggestions.

P.S. Those thin mask we always wore for mowing the lawn, the experts claim they were basically useless.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

If you can't get a mask, replace the DC with a machine with a pleated filter. My DC started with a 30 micron bag,, which I think creates more fine dust than the tools alone. If a mask is not sealed to your face, it is not much protection. The surgical style masks are meant for the wearer to not spread disease to others. I checked with industrial suppliers I have dealt with, but since I had not purchased masks from them in the past, no sale. Good luck on the search.


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## TimInIndiana (Jan 6, 2018)

While RZ Masks are not my favorite, they do work well. The website shows stock a couple of times per week. Create a bookmark for it and check often. https://rzmask.com/


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