Replies

1. 
   AndyE | Nov 08, 2005 12:52am | #1

   Yogi,

   First, I am no expert. When I was in college we had a rep from NIOSH come in and give a lecture about safety equipment and a large part of it had to do with respirators. Some of the stuff I remember...

   If you have a beard you may as well not wear a respirator unless it is a full face style. (the respirator not the beard) If the mask portion can't make a good seal to your face, the air will take the path of least resistance which is not usually through the cartridge.

   Those "nuisance" dust masks, the ones sold in a box of 50 with the metal, pinch here, nose bridge are good for breadcrumbs and flies. Not for any type of organic vapors.

   If you can smell the chemicals you are working with,
   - the mask is not fitted properly,
   -the cartridge is incorrect for the type of chemical,
   -the cartridge is full and needs to be replaced.

   A silicone mask will generally fit better and last longer than a rubber one.

   Cartridges should be bought fresh and kept no more than 6 months even if unopened.

   Cartridges can and should be matched to the solvent or chemical being used. The packaging will tell the type of vapors it will block and there are those that do multiple solvents.

   When not in use the mask and cartridges should be stored in an airtight container to keep dust out and prolong the life of the cartridges.

   Try it on before you buy it. There are different styles and sizes of masks to fit different faces. A good fit will do a good job and an uncomfortable mask will stay in the box.

   As for the "denatured alcohol or MC stripper or the other skull & cross bones type stuff I find myself using here of late" compare the ingredients on the can to the label on the cartridge and find one that meets your needs.

   I am surprised NIOSH wasn't more helpful. That is what they are there for, or so I thought.
   I wish I could find my notes from back then. I can recall how when she started talking about aniline dyes and birth defects and vapors and solvents and dimmed the lights and gave the slide presentation how we all got kinda pale.

   Sorry I can't point you to some thing specific for your needs but a little internet searching or try shopping at a different big box and you may find the equipment you need.

   Do a Google search for "respirators" and or "paint respirators" I found a couple of good hits which may help.

   Good luck and breathe safe

   Andy

   "It seemed like a good idea at the time"

   Edited 11/7/2005 4:57 pm ET by AndyE

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/7/2005 4:58 pm ET by AndyE

1. 
   sapwood | Nov 08, 2005 02:34am | #2

   I'm going to disagree with you about one thing. I have a beard and find a good respirator is very helpful. It certainly is better, actually waaaaaayyyyy better than nothing at all. I can spray lacquer for a good long time without any effects. It also keeps out the fine dust when worn for that purpose. I too have alreays heard and read the disclaimers about using one with a beard, but think that those warnings are mostly to cover the hind ends of the manufacturers. Not having a beard is probably a better choice for an individual who must deal with fumes on a regular basis. It's wise to take the best care possible.

1. 
   AndyE | Nov 08, 2005 07:29pm | #7

   If it works for you that's cool. I'm pretty sure that the NIOSH reps point had to do with full beards and the mask not being able to make a good seal to your face. The shop supervisor, full beard, did come in the next day clean shaven. Air would go between the mask and skin easier than through the filters which offer some resistance. Never having done the full beard thing, not an issue for me personally. Of course adding in good ventilation when spraying is important too.Stay safeAndy"It seemed like a good idea at the time"

1. 
   Elcoholic | Nov 09, 2005 04:33am | #9

   I am bearded and find some respirators seal much better than others.  My current favorite is the SurviveAir.  My super-unsofisticated method of checking the seal is to cover the cartridge inlets and inhale.  The mask sucks down on my face and I get get any air with mine.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

1. 
   AndyE | Nov 09, 2005 06:53pm | #12

   I checked the SurvivAir site and they are pretty impressive. Doesn't look to be sold retail so I will have to look into making contact with a rep. Are they very pricey? Don't look cheap, but you get what you pay for.Andy"It seemed like a good idea at the time"

2. 
   Tao | Nov 09, 2005 07:52am | #10

   The most important consideration is good ventilation.  I ran finish lines for a lot of years, and with a good spray booth, a mask is simply not needed, according to all the tests OSHA did at my facilities over the years. Exposure to solvents at the operator's head level never rose above the "trace" level.

   Failing that, an organic vapor cartridge will do for alcohol and most paint and laquer solvents, as suggested above.

   There is no cartridge that will capture methylene chloride, so you're back to the need for good ventilation, or an air-supplied respirator.  The OSHA standards for MC are extremely hard to comply with, unnecessarily so, in my opinion.  It's said to be carcinogenic in extermely high doses - like saccharin was to rats.  It does, however, metabolize into carbon monoxide, so it ain't exactly good to breathe, either.

    Michael

   Sometimes it's the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.  Itzak Perlman, upon playing a concert on three strings at Lincoln Center after breaking a string.

2. 
   rwdare | Nov 08, 2005 05:09am | #3

   An organic vapor cartridge will take care of the alcohol. I can't help you with the MC.

   Dick

1. 
   Yogi | Nov 08, 2005 06:50am | #4

   It's a start-  Thank you-

1. 
   danfromsaskatoon | Nov 08, 2005 07:42am | #5

   http://www.acklandsgrainger.com/AGIPortalWeb/WebSource/Main/begin.do?language=en follow the safty link this is where we got ours on the last job. incredible difference they make. had to paint some red iron up high did the first hour with wrong cartridge pretty wobbbbbbbly coming down had a breather switched to the proper filter worked great u dont realize how buzzed u can get

1. 
   Yogi | Nov 08, 2005 09:48am | #6

   Much obliged-  Looks like a complete inventory-  I'll hafta compare chemicals-  Thanks very much again-

3. 
   JohnWW | Nov 08, 2005 10:17pm | #8

   The manufacturer's web sites usually have full information, in detail, as to which cartridges to use.

   John W.

4. 
   mikegagne | Nov 09, 2005 10:06am | #11

   Yogi, WIllson makes a respirator that probably meets your needs. It is important to know what your chemicals are and they will match your cartridges to your chems. There is no cartridge that does all. Urea formaldehydes need one type, organic solvents another and so on. They are color coded across the industry so that you only have to remember the color of the canister. I use a latex face piece halfmask for most things with formaldehyde (purple) organic solvent cartridges. I also have a full face and a supplied air hood for occaisional use. I buy mine from Zee Medical service. I pay more but they deliver to me at a phone call which I thinks makes up for the extra cost. Cartridges filter for about 8 hours and then are done. Be sure you keep your respirator sealed in a container (Tupperware?) so that it not filtering the air around the shop while you are not wearing it. aloha, mike