REK Knives
Well-Known Member
Hey guys. I wanted to get everyone's take and experience on this. Currently I use the 3m Half mask with the P100 particulate cartridges from amazon while in my shop. It is extremely important to me to protect my lungs (and it should be to you too!)
So I am not really sure if this is cutting it or not... I don't really know if/when they get breakthrough. I have used this set of filters for about 3-4 months and even used it when cerakoting last time (normally I use a military gas mask w/ the 40mm NATO Israeli filter on it but it is pretty heavy, so I used the half mask last time). Well, when I did I could smell some of the acetone in the brake cleaner I was using (so the break through as far as chemicals is obvious, but i'm not sure about the particulates).
E.g. my wife cleans a house for another lady once in a while. she is allergic to dogs (asthma) and the lady has dogs. I told her she could use my half mask while she cleaned. she told me later that she put it on for a few minutes but the "metal" smell was over powering and she took it off. I thought that was funny because she shouldn't have been able to smell that through the filters.
Another thing that is making me wonder if I'm getting break through is that I have lost the upper range of my voice lately, and I am wondering if it is related to breathing in abrasive dust.
Anyway, I want to be really sure that what I am doing is working. This isn't one of those things you want to play around with, and I did for the first year or so of using powered equipment - I never wore anything but then I got wiser =).
Should I just change filters more often?
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Another thing is that I have a gas powered air compressor in my shop, and I am having issues w/ getting the exhaust routed outside (I have it routed through the ceiling as my shop is an enclosed trailer, but it still 'leaks' some from the muffler area). I normally leave the side door open on the trailer. But a couple of times I have gotten pretty bad headaches afterward that lasted for hours, a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning I think (not good!) and one of these times was with my NATO filter on it - which I don't think protects against carbon monoxide.
_____________________________________________________________
That being said, do you think I should go with a supplied air unit or simply:
1. make sure I get the exhaust problem fixed
2. use my gas mask but put a hose extension on it to a good quality 3m 40mm NATO filter that I could just attach on my belt (so it's not so heavy)
My only reservation with an air supplied unit is:
1. price
2. this can happen
So I am not really sure if this is cutting it or not... I don't really know if/when they get breakthrough. I have used this set of filters for about 3-4 months and even used it when cerakoting last time (normally I use a military gas mask w/ the 40mm NATO Israeli filter on it but it is pretty heavy, so I used the half mask last time). Well, when I did I could smell some of the acetone in the brake cleaner I was using (so the break through as far as chemicals is obvious, but i'm not sure about the particulates).
E.g. my wife cleans a house for another lady once in a while. she is allergic to dogs (asthma) and the lady has dogs. I told her she could use my half mask while she cleaned. she told me later that she put it on for a few minutes but the "metal" smell was over powering and she took it off. I thought that was funny because she shouldn't have been able to smell that through the filters.
Another thing that is making me wonder if I'm getting break through is that I have lost the upper range of my voice lately, and I am wondering if it is related to breathing in abrasive dust.
Anyway, I want to be really sure that what I am doing is working. This isn't one of those things you want to play around with, and I did for the first year or so of using powered equipment - I never wore anything but then I got wiser =).
Should I just change filters more often?
_____________________________________________________________
Another thing is that I have a gas powered air compressor in my shop, and I am having issues w/ getting the exhaust routed outside (I have it routed through the ceiling as my shop is an enclosed trailer, but it still 'leaks' some from the muffler area). I normally leave the side door open on the trailer. But a couple of times I have gotten pretty bad headaches afterward that lasted for hours, a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning I think (not good!) and one of these times was with my NATO filter on it - which I don't think protects against carbon monoxide.
_____________________________________________________________
That being said, do you think I should go with a supplied air unit or simply:
1. make sure I get the exhaust problem fixed
2. use my gas mask but put a hose extension on it to a good quality 3m 40mm NATO filter that I could just attach on my belt (so it's not so heavy)
My only reservation with an air supplied unit is:
1. price
2. this can happen
