Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
Tracy has a series on YouTube on making a liner lock that I've been viewing. I think I will try a couple kits first, but it certainly is different from making say a kitchen knife.
Danger Will Robinson! Danger! The importance of good air and PPE in your shop
- Thread starter Sean Jones
- Start date
REK Knives
Well-Known Member
The outdoor venting is an excellent idea unless your shop is heated and cooled, then it doesn't work very well at all. I am thinking about an inline spark arrestor probably for a dust collector, they do make those.
And fyi, now is a good time to upgrade to a PAPR - they are pretty good pricing on eBay for a slightly used system. I've kept an eye on them for over a year or two now. I currently use the 3m tr600 system with a full face shield/visor (m206).
And fyi, now is a good time to upgrade to a PAPR - they are pretty good pricing on eBay for a slightly used system. I've kept an eye on them for over a year or two now. I currently use the 3m tr600 system with a full face shield/visor (m206).
I dont have AC, but I do heat my shop...it really didn't hurt my shop temp much at all this past winter. granted, i'm not running it the whole time either
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
I've heard some people who wear glasses having trouble getting the TR600 to fit correctly with glasses. I wear reading glasses sometimes, mostly for close up work, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me. Just curious if you had any experience wearing glasses with them
fitzo
Well-Known Member
I use a 3M Versaflo with an M206 headgear. It works okay with glasses for me, Sean, except I cannot seem to remove the headgear without grabbing the glasses with the sealing elastic chin piece.
What I haven't figured out yet is how to wear an Optivisor on the outside.
I can't see in the shop well enough even with the readers.
What I haven't figured out yet is how to wear an Optivisor on the outside.
I can't see in the shop well enough even with the readers.
Goot
Well-Known Member
That versaflo system is mega bucks for a hobbyist, even used. Well, at least for a hobbyist with tiny gremlins (kids?) running around everywhere and college tuition to save for. I figured that with my halfmask, faceshield (i wear glasses), powered air filter, and garage door open, that's the best i can do for the few hours i grind on the weekends. I know they offer prescription frames for a full face mask, but 3M's is like $150 without lenses, overcharging quite a bit for plastic and wire...
CDHumiston
KNIFE MAKER
Just wearing a respirator is a huge plus for your health. Many of the old timers wore nothing and some ended up with lung cancer as a result.
I go the same route as you, a half mask, safety glasses and the garage door wide open. I also roll my grinder and bandsaw out into the driveway sometimes. I'm getting ready to purchase a powered air filter or two.
I'd like to try this, but I wear glasses as well... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NZVFN7T/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=ANOGFRY6JQ27C&psc=1
fitzo
Well-Known Member
My iPad won’t copy a link, but if you search MIRA Safety spectacle kit you’ll find a gizmo that will hold a pair of magnifiers inside a mask. There are a number of choices put there. I have no experience with them but a friend tells me they work okay in his fuul face respirator. $$$$
Added: see Bladegrinder’s comments below.
Added: see Bladegrinder’s comments below.
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bladegrinder
Well-Known Member
CD, that's similar to the mask I wore at work. I worked for a natural gas utility on the first response leak truck, I had positive pressure with an air tank and a full respirator mask made by 3M. I almost always just used the respirator mask on leaks. for years I searched for a prescription lens, nobody could find one. the only thing we found was a wire frame that held lenses and attached inside the mask, the problem with those is they were to far forward of your eyes so I always just wore my glasses. they did fit in the mask with no problem but the one issue I had with them is the gap where the frames went over your ears. on some leaks I went on the dirt was blowing around so hard it would make it into the mask, to solve that problem I just stuffed some small rags in those gaps when I needed. so I believe glasses would fit in the mask you linked.
That being said, I was allowed to keep one of those masks at retirement but have never used it again, at least not in my shop.
I just wear a half mask with filters rated for organics, oversized safety glasses and shooter muffs for hearing.
bladegrinder
Well-Known Member
Fitzo, I just looked at that link for the MIRA kit. that's exactly what I had at work and in my opinion they were worthless.
they sat at my shop for years, every once in a while I'd put them in the mask and try them again. they wouldn't work for me, you just can't get the lenses where you needed them to see right...I never even bothered to have lenses made to try even farther even though they would have been free.
they sat at my shop for years, every once in a while I'd put them in the mask and try them again. they wouldn't work for me, you just can't get the lenses where you needed them to see right...I never even bothered to have lenses made to try even farther even though they would have been free.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
Does anybody know where to get the gas mask BC glasses the military issues? When I was in, you got the one pair of standard issue BCs, and you also got the black gas mask glasses that had a rubber head strap that attached to what were essentially mini-BC frames. Because they had a flat rubber strap instead of ear pieces your gas mask or OBA would make a seal.
fitzo
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Steve. I looked at it when Matt Gregory told me he uses one in a fullface but didn’t know if it’d work in the Versaflo or not. He told me he got them to work but also didn’t really make an enthusiastic recommendation. Given your experience, I’m glad you spoke up to warn against those that I posted. Thanks!
REK Knives
Well-Known Member
I don't normally wear glasses (I use contacts) but I just tried it with mine and it works great... You do have to use 2 hands to get the jaw shroud over the corners of the glasses when opening/closing but it's not bad. Love that it works with my beard too lol
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing that!I don't normally wear glasses (I use contacts) but I just tried it with mine and it works great... You do have to use 2 hands to get the jaw shroud over the corners of the glasses when opening/closing but it's not bad. Love that it works with my beard too lol
MTBob
Well-Known Member
I'm late seeing this post - but, wow! Sean, thanks for giving us all a wake up call about how serious air quality is. It's one of those insidious risks that can sneak up on any of us in a shop. I wish you a speedy recovery.
With a beard I've found the 3M half masks only kinda work for me. I'm now a big fan of a Resp-o-rator. There have been a number of earlier posts discussing the pros & cons. While a full face PPE with input air offers better protection, I find that I'm lazy and will cut corners and fail to put the mask. But, the Resp-o-rator usually hangs around my neck all the time and I just simply insert the mouth piece and nose clip when grinding - it's fast and efficient. All my incoming air enter from behind me through 3M filters that I modified to fit. It's puzzling, but it appears these filters are not in stock in the usual places.
A couple of years ago I did a posting on an air filter I built for my shop. https://knifedogs.com/threads/dust-collecter-air-filter-a-design-for-my-shop.52148/#post-417939
It has stood the test of time and is now a permanent fixture, used on anything dust related - grinding or welding. It has 2 modes - one for point source pickup with the nozzle down, and second, with the nozzle flipped up, and cardboard filter blocks removed, it is a whole shop ambient air filter. In the whole shop cleaning mode, it turns over the entire shop air volume about every 10 minutes. At the end of the day I'll set the timer for several hours and let it pick up ambient particles. This filter box is a rather simple easy to build design using mostly angle iron.
Configured for point source pickup. In this photo a friend is using a 3M filter while grinding.
Configured for general ambient air cleanup
It uses a stack of 2 filters on each face and a metal filter on the incoming nozzle side. The metal filter acts as a spark arrestor. Magnets on the incoming nozzle baffle gather most of the ferrous grinding material. The paper filters are a MERV 8 and the inner filters are a MERV 13 (if I recall correctly). This large filter surface (6 faces total) greatly improves the air particle pickup.
With a beard I've found the 3M half masks only kinda work for me. I'm now a big fan of a Resp-o-rator. There have been a number of earlier posts discussing the pros & cons. While a full face PPE with input air offers better protection, I find that I'm lazy and will cut corners and fail to put the mask. But, the Resp-o-rator usually hangs around my neck all the time and I just simply insert the mouth piece and nose clip when grinding - it's fast and efficient. All my incoming air enter from behind me through 3M filters that I modified to fit. It's puzzling, but it appears these filters are not in stock in the usual places.
A couple of years ago I did a posting on an air filter I built for my shop. https://knifedogs.com/threads/dust-collecter-air-filter-a-design-for-my-shop.52148/#post-417939
It has stood the test of time and is now a permanent fixture, used on anything dust related - grinding or welding. It has 2 modes - one for point source pickup with the nozzle down, and second, with the nozzle flipped up, and cardboard filter blocks removed, it is a whole shop ambient air filter. In the whole shop cleaning mode, it turns over the entire shop air volume about every 10 minutes. At the end of the day I'll set the timer for several hours and let it pick up ambient particles. This filter box is a rather simple easy to build design using mostly angle iron.
Configured for point source pickup. In this photo a friend is using a 3M filter while grinding.
Configured for general ambient air cleanup
It uses a stack of 2 filters on each face and a metal filter on the incoming nozzle side. The metal filter acts as a spark arrestor. Magnets on the incoming nozzle baffle gather most of the ferrous grinding material. The paper filters are a MERV 8 and the inner filters are a MERV 13 (if I recall correctly). This large filter surface (6 faces total) greatly improves the air particle pickup.
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
Thanks MTBob. I've been looking at a similar solution. I actually have an old swamp cooler that I could probably convert to what you have without too much work. I could even vent it to the outside. I'll have to give it some thought.
CDHumiston
KNIFE MAKER
I've even used a 20" box fan with a 20x20 AC filter on it. The suction of the fan at the back side holds the filter on. It catches tons of grinding dust! Especially if you can get very close to your grinder.
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
Not entirely. But I'm fairly close to normal. I can take a deep breath now without my lungs hurting. But my Oximeter readings are still a bit low. 90% or better is the standard. I'm a bit below that, but not by much.
I still tire easily, but I'm improving every day.
Thanks for asking.
Sean. SWAMP cooler conversion, You might put a feeler out to Ed Caffrey. I don't remember how he did it but remember an old post about how he used one to solve part of his dust problem.
As far as lungs did they check into allergies for wood dust. NOT second guessing Docs but,, You might have stirred up some dust from a previous handle that had toxic potential and breathed it in. Some people don't have the same allergic reaction as with skin surface contact. Saw cases in service where people threw wood with poisonous resin/oils in them on fires and guys breathed it in. Totally different reactions than skin contact. Just a thought!
As far as lungs did they check into allergies for wood dust. NOT second guessing Docs but,, You might have stirred up some dust from a previous handle that had toxic potential and breathed it in. Some people don't have the same allergic reaction as with skin surface contact. Saw cases in service where people threw wood with poisonous resin/oils in them on fires and guys breathed it in. Totally different reactions than skin contact. Just a thought!