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txmedic033

Who Wears A Respirator?

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I wear one of the 3M masks you can buy at Home Depot/Amazon - I've been using the mask for years for everything from home renovations / painting / spraying insect stuff / pouring /etc.  I put new filters in regularly and buy them in multiples to keep cost down.  I think my mask might be a good 10 years old.... works great - clean after use (rinse and dish soap when necessary) and just put on new filters when needed.  After you get it adjusted right (fit wise) - you can wear it for hours and not feel like it's bothersome.

 

Disclamier....  I can't tell you it's 100% safe fume wise.... but I can say - I smell no fumes when wearing it and I am extremely sensitive (nose/throat) to dust/fumes/etc... and I feel just fine after pouring while wearing this.... but please read up on tech data to make sure you feel OK with it.

 

  J.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Project-Respirator-Medium/dp/B00004Z4EB/ref=pd_sim_469_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41h0wH0DqbL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0X7WY59JT8QX1PPJAG4R

 

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Respirator-Supply-Kit/dp/B000A7PCS8/ref=pd_sim_469_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=41A0mugEo4L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0X2GHZFM02Z5F4G2090C

Edited by SlowFISH
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Someone correct me if I am wrong but the P95 filter is basically just a dust mask. Filters particulates only. The cartridge needed is an Organic Vapour cartridge (something that can actually filter the chemicals from the plastic), and should be replaced after 8-12hrs of exposure to air. 

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Someone correct me if I am wrong but the P95 filter is basically just a dust mask. Filters particulates only. The cartridge needed is an Organic Vapour cartridge (something that can actually filter the chemicals from the plastic), and should be replaced after 8-12hrs of exposure to air.

Ok I will p95 is good for PVC (oil based vapors) as long as it is worm right. 95 means 95 percent will not get through. There are some masks with two rubber type straps and if you use this type you must use both straps and be clean shaven for it to work. If all this is not done, well why use one at all. Same with the silicone masks with changeable cartridges. Clean shaven and both straps on right. P100 filters will filter 99.7 percent and I believe the only difference is they add a hepa filter to it. If you see n95 or n100 they are not rated for oil vapors and should not be worn. There are some full face masks with air supplied, these are way more comfortable to wear for long periods of time as they feed you fresh usually cool air to breathe. But open your wallet wide cause these are costly. The only guys I work with that use the organic vapor filters is automotive painters as the deal with solvents that need to be filtered out. And those have a shelf life usually 40 hours of use. Put them away in a sealed container if not in use.
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I don't. 

I have read the Safety Data Sheets (SDS formally MSDS) and deem the risk too low to worry about for my hobby level of use.

Not saying you don't need it, but as an Engineer, and a chemist, I have made my educated evaluation.

Learn to evaluate the SDS and learn what Permissible exposure limits are, etc., and perhaps, maybe, you will have a different perspective.  If you don't understand it, then get the best you can and play it extra safe.  And don't drive a car, fly in an airplane, ride a train, ..............

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I don't wear a respirator. Though I have been starting to think that maybe I should. I picked up an ultra molds shooting star earlier this year and there is always some residual plastic in the valves that gets burnt.  Much stronger fumes with burnt plastic than just cooked plastic. 

 

 

 

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I use one in the winter, when I can't paint or pour with the garage door open and a 20" box fan blowing past me out the door.

Generally speaking, anything in bait making that you can smell isn't good for you.  I keep one fan blowing across my workbench when I'm super gluing and painting, and another across my pouring station when I'm pouring soft plastics, and I stay "upwind" of the plastic.  Fan speed is a function of how much I need to not smell anything. 

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16 hours ago, porkmeatballs said:

Huh, I've heard that the fumes could be harmful. I just bought the respirator, but if it's not necessary for automotive, I'll just use it when I'm sanding.  What type of clear do you use, Anglinarcher?

I just realized that this is in the soft baits section... Aw well

For my soft plastics, I just dip in clear plastisol. 

For my hard baits, I usually use AlumiUV.

Back to the thread, which really applies to all of our crafts, learn to evaluate the SDS and then determine what the risk is, and how much risk you can tolerate.  Now, if I was a production guy, with employees, the amount of fumes, vapors, etc., might be higher, and require a different determination of protection.

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This is my take on this topic. Have you looked around your area that you paint at, then reach down on the table that you are working on and gently feel the objects in the area. Notice where you don't feel the paint droplets. How far do you feel the droplets from the paint area? Now how far is your face from that bait area. That point should be made. Any paints!

Next know what paint that you are using. What are the microns that the paint puts out. Match your protection (PPE) to the paint solvents and microns particles. 

Dale

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People respond differently to exposure.  

Several on this site (especially if one has been here for any length of time) will recall individuals suffering headaches, nose bleeds, respiratory issues, etc... following long pour sessions (several hours).  Some guys get headaches anytime they pour.     

I also am a chemist and spend most of my day playing with 20 or some common organic solvents and multiple pharmaceutical compounds.  I don't wear a respirator either when I pour but vent it out of my pouring area.  I don't see the SDS as concerning either but I have poured without venting and noted some minor issues but that was only a few times and using gallons of plastics in one pouring session.  

Richard Prager can likely share his experiences (could have him mixed up with someone else).

Edited by Travis
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LOL, Yes Pork, but this is a soft plastic forum, not the hard bait one.

Now, about the automotive clear, I have used it on occasion, when I was in a hurry, so I can say that it smells bad.  I never use a rattle can inside, mainly due to the overspray.  I leave it outside until the smell stops.  I don't see an issue for outside use.

IF, I were to use it inside, then yes, I WOULD use at least a N95 and probably look for an organic solvent 99% or better.  I have done a lot of nuke clean-up and worked in dangerous chem labs and have worn the full face mask as well as the supplied air units, but I sure don't enjoy it.

But, simply stated, rattle cans and I are always done outside.

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