I'm looking to get a half mask organic vapor respirator. Knowing how I
am I am sure that I will not use it as often as I should if the thing
is either too uncomfortable or too hard to put on and take off. If
you Google "comfortable respirator" every company claims theirs is the
most comfortable respirator on the market.
I see where 3M makes one that is somehow designed to be removed
without taking off a hard hat. That really appeals to me. One that
you could just drop down around your neck to talk to someone or get a
little fresh air would be even better, but that is probably the realm
of dust masks and not something a respirator could ever do. From what
I can tell no one claims this unit is comfortable, just easy to remove
from the side. The fact that it removes from the side, probably means
it is not too easy and quick to get back on.
To me the idea of comfortable probably boils down to the thing doesn't
heat up so fast that my face feels like it is on fire in 5 minutes.
For the record, I have no facial hair or any other issues that would
prevent a standard system from fitting correctly.
TIA
On 2010-07-30, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
> To me the idea of comfortable probably boils down to the thing doesn't
> heat up so fast that my face feels like it is on fire in 5 minutes.
> For the record, I have no facial hair or any other issues that would
> prevent a standard system from fitting correctly.
My suggestion would be an MSA mask. I had one for years and it served
me well in many situations. I think this is the model, as I
remember the alum reinforcement across the front and the thin round
screw-in cartridges:
http://www.msanorthamerica.com/catalog/product583.html
As for comfort, what can I say? Any respriator is a drag. OTOH, this
one was comforable enough that I used it while operationg a gunite rig
to keep out cement/sand dust, wearing it all day long in CA Summer
temps, often reaching 100+. This while humping 100lb bags of cement,
clambering around a 15' high rig, and jumping between two trucks and a
Bobcat. Hot and heavey work, but I never got silicosis, the reason I
wore the mask. I recall it passed enough air that I could still
breath without difficulty when I became a slightly winded, as I often
did on that job. If I had to buy another respirator, this is the one
I'd buy.
BTW, I seem to recall it originally came with organic chemical
filters, but you can check on that.
nb
An option (the lighter side):
When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra. When one side
fails, just spin it to the next breather cup.
Problematic isses, with various other types of masks? All those other
concerns won't be an issue with something else on your mind.
>That really appeals to me. One that
>you could just drop down around your neck to talk to someone
Conversation/subject matter won't be an issue, either. Your
vocabulary might even expand, a bit.
Sonny
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>> Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak.
>
> Well - whatever floats yer boat. I'm not going to tell anyone else that
> their preferences are not right.
>
>> That is OK. I still have all ten fingers.
>
> I do too, and I'm a safety moderate.
I don't wear a hardhat when woodworking, but the way some of my projects go
it might not be a bad idea....
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> DGDevin wrote:
>
>>
>> It's easy to clean, easy to change filters, and I've had no trouble
>> getting it to seal on my face. "Comfortable"--well, you know, it's
>> never bothered me enough that I've removed it when I should have been
>> wearing it. You can drop the mask down so it hangs from the lower
>> strap when you don't need it but you'd have to remove your hardhat to
>> do that (or at least remove it to put the top strap on your head when
>> you need the mask again).
>
> How many people wear a hardhat in their garage/basement woodshop?
>
*raises hand*
It is what my face mask is attached to. If I wear the face mask for
anything, I wear the hard hat too. It is a matched set. I got it originally
for metal working. Now it is just natural. I have used it so much that it
just seems natural.
Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak. That is OK. I still have all
ten fingers.
"DGDevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>> Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak.
>>
>> Well - whatever floats yer boat. I'm not going to tell anyone else that
>> their preferences are not right.
>>
>>> That is OK. I still have all ten fingers.
>>
>> I do too, and I'm a safety moderate.
>
> I don't wear a hardhat when woodworking, but the way some of my projects
> go it might not be a bad idea....
>
It is kinda like a kevlar vest that does its job. Once you save your head
(ass) from something with it, you become a believer. It is hard to shake
that once it takes hold.
My "awakening" moment occured when I was all of 11 years of age. I was
riding on the side of a small John Deer bulldozer. My grandfather was
driving and we were going up into the woods to get some trees. It was part
of his small logging operation. He hit a small tree's root, which snapped it
right down on my head. Most of the tree broke off on the roof of the
bulldozer. But the rest crashed into an old looger's tin hat. It put a big
dent in it. It knocked me off of the cat and left me a bit dazed.
I can only imagine what would have happened if I had not been wearing that
thing. And I have been protected a number of times since that time by a hard
hat. I have had several of them including a "management white" hard hat. I
grew up around people who were victims of various work related injuries.
They occured for various reasons, such as stupidity, poor safety practices
and even drunkeness.
Those folks were my role models. I vowed to never do anything they did or
suffer those types of injuries. I was a dissapointment to my family. When I
got out of high school, I vanished from my old home town. I have been back
rarely since.
A counselor once called me risk averse.. That is OK. I survived childhood. I
don't need any more adventure in my life.
Only when shared ;-)
Martin
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Originator & Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/
On 7/30/2010 12:03 PM, FrozenNorth wrote:
> On 7/30/10 12:54 PM, Sonny wrote:
>> An option (the lighter side):
>>
>> When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra.
>
> Wouldn't a c bra or a d bra work better?
> :-)
>
In article <[email protected]>,
FrozenNorth <[email protected]> wrote:
> > When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra.
> Wouldn't a c bra or a d bra work better?
> :-)
Ooo, what big fat lips you must have :-)
In article <[email protected]>,
Lee Michaels <[email protected]> wrote:
> Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak. That is OK. I still have
> all ten fingers.
With ten fingers you must be some kind of freak :-)
In article <[email protected]>,
Stuart <[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> Lee Michaels <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak. That is OK. I still have
>> all ten fingers.
>
>With ten fingers you must be some kind of freak :-)
>
Well, for _years_, he helped Hemingway raise cats. Who caught what from
whom, and *how* is a still-unanswered question.
"Twas a dark and stormy night, Lee and a herd of cats huddled in a
cave. ...."
In article <[email protected]>,
FrozenNorth <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 7/30/10 12:54 PM, Sonny wrote:
>> An option (the lighter side):
>>
>> When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra.
>
>Wouldn't a c bra or a d bra work better?
>:-)
>
Actually, the smallest size works like *magic*.
Per the well-known incantation;
a-bra cad a-bra
<groan>
`
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm looking to get a half mask organic vapor respirator. Knowing how I
> am I am sure that I will not use it as often as I should if the thing
> is either too uncomfortable or too hard to put on and take off. If
> you Google "comfortable respirator" every company claims theirs is the
> most comfortable respirator on the market.
I got one of these from Hell Depot a couple of years back and then they
stopped selling them so I had to hunt down a safety supply company that had
replacement filters. But now Woodcraft has them, and I've stockpiled spare
filters.
It's easy to clean, easy to change filters, and I've had no trouble getting
it to seal on my face. "Comfortable"--well, you know, it's never bothered
me enough that I've removed it when I should have been wearing it. You can
drop the mask down so it hangs from the lower strap when you don't need it
but you'd have to remove your hardhat to do that (or at least remove it to
put the top strap on your head when you need the mask again).
http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=2038&ss=964d7cbe-1c56-40ea-955e-394a8e10603e
On Jul 30, 12:03=A0pm, FrozenNorth <[email protected]>
wrote:
> On 7/30/10 12:54 PM, Sonny wrote:
>
> > An option (the lighter side):
>
> > When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra.
>
> Wouldn't a c bra or a d bra work better?
> :-)
>
> --
> Froz...
>
>
Damn typo ruined my joke. Was supposed to have ersaed that "a".
Sonny
"Lee Michaels" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It is kinda like a kevlar vest that does its job. Once you save your head
> (ass) from something with it, you become a believer. It is hard to shake
> that once it takes hold.
Well, for the most part my woodworking project don't involve big heavy
things over my head. If I was working in an environment that did involve
the possibility of falling objects I would certainly wear cranial protection
(I got used to that working in the oil/gas fields as a much younger
man--that job also left me with a liking for fire-retardant coveralls).
I've also reformed on the subjects of safety glasses, ear protection,
dust/vapor masks and so on--must be something to do with advancing age. I
also wear a helmet when I'm riding my mountain bike, something I couldn't
have imagined as a kid.
So I'm not opposed to hardhats on philosophical grounds, I just don't see a
need for one when when hand-sanding some baseboard or applying polyurethane
to a bookcase three feet high.
DGDevin wrote:
>
> It's easy to clean, easy to change filters, and I've had no trouble
> getting it to seal on my face. "Comfortable"--well, you know, it's
> never bothered me enough that I've removed it when I should have been
> wearing it. You can drop the mask down so it hangs from the lower
> strap when you don't need it but you'd have to remove your hardhat to
> do that (or at least remove it to put the top strap on your head when
> you need the mask again).
How many people wear a hardhat in their garage/basement woodshop?
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Lee Michaels wrote:
> "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> DGDevin wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> It's easy to clean, easy to change filters, and I've had no trouble
>>> getting it to seal on my face. "Comfortable"--well, you know, it's
>>> never bothered me enough that I've removed it when I should have
>>> been wearing it. You can drop the mask down so it hangs from the
>>> lower strap when you don't need it but you'd have to remove your
>>> hardhat to do that (or at least remove it to put the top strap on
>>> your head when you need the mask again).
>>
>> How many people wear a hardhat in their garage/basement woodshop?
>>
> *raises hand*
>
> It is what my face mask is attached to. If I wear the face mask for
> anything, I wear the hard hat too. It is a matched set. I got it
> originally for metal working. Now it is just natural. I have used it
> so much that it just seems natural.
>
> Some folks accuse me of being a safety freak.
Well - whatever floats yer boat. I'm not going to tell anyone else that
their preferences are not right.
> That is OK. I still have all ten fingers.
I do too, and I'm a safety moderate.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
None of them are comfortable over a period of time. The snug fitting
masks are hot, and build up a lot of moisture in the mask even on cold
days.
I would buy a mask from a vendor which would allow me to return the
unit should it be unsatisfactory, namely HD or Lowes.
They have a nice 3M mask there, as well as an AO safety. For me the
3M edges out the AO mask as it fits my head better. YMMV.
MAKE SURE you buy a mask that has filters that you can easily
replace. I have bought masks that you have to order filters online to
replace, and it is a pain. The 3M masks have the correct charcoal
filter replacements at our local HD as well as the Sherwin Williams
stores.
Remember that you will need to replace the filters on the mask every
90 days after opening the sealed package. Do not be concerned about
how much you did or didn't use the mask. The activated charcoal no
longer works effectively after that time. When that happens, you
might as well be wearing a dust mask.
Replace the prefilters (prefilters are highly recommended) as needed.
If I am spraying inside a house in a tented room, I can usually get a
kitchen and the baths out of a prefilter on a house. If I am spraying
in open air, they seem to last forever.
Lastly, regardless of the make, the mask should be easy to clean
inside. Sweat, dirt, a running nose, dirt, etc., all make the inside
of your mask about as sanitary as your armpit. It should be easy to
clean and keep clean.
Robert
On 7/30/2010 8:34 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> I'm looking to get a half mask organic vapor respirator. Knowing how I
> am I am sure that I will not use it as often as I should if the thing
> is either too uncomfortable or too hard to put on and take off. If
> you Google "comfortable respirator" every company claims theirs is the
> most comfortable respirator on the market.
>
> I see where 3M makes one that is somehow designed to be removed
> without taking off a hard hat. That really appeals to me. One that
> you could just drop down around your neck to talk to someone or get a
> little fresh air would be even better, but that is probably the realm
> of dust masks and not something a respirator could ever do. From what
> I can tell no one claims this unit is comfortable, just easy to remove
> from the side. The fact that it removes from the side, probably means
> it is not too easy and quick to get back on.
>
> To me the idea of comfortable probably boils down to the thing doesn't
> heat up so fast that my face feels like it is on fire in 5 minutes.
> For the record, I have no facial hair or any other issues that would
> prevent a standard system from fitting correctly.
If you want comfort a hood type air supplied respirator is the way to
go, but they aren't cheap.
Look up "Medical and Safety Supply" in the yellow pages
(or online equivalent) for your city. These guys know
their stuff, and will let you try on units to properly fit and
size them. They will also carry a full line of cartridges, prefilters, etc.
-- Andy Barss
[email protected] wrote:
: I'm looking to get a half mask organic vapor respirator. Knowing how I
: am I am sure that I will not use it as often as I should if the thing
: is either too uncomfortable or too hard to put on and take off. If
: you Google "comfortable respirator" every company claims theirs is the
: most comfortable respirator on the market.
: I see where 3M makes one that is somehow designed to be removed
: without taking off a hard hat. That really appeals to me. One that
: you could just drop down around your neck to talk to someone or get a
: little fresh air would be even better, but that is probably the realm
: of dust masks and not something a respirator could ever do. From what
: I can tell no one claims this unit is comfortable, just easy to remove
: from the side. The fact that it removes from the side, probably means
: it is not too easy and quick to get back on.
: To me the idea of comfortable probably boils down to the thing doesn't
: heat up so fast that my face feels like it is on fire in 5 minutes.
: For the record, I have no facial hair or any other issues that would
: prevent a standard system from fitting correctly.
: TIA
--
<o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o>
Andy Barss
Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona
Communications 114A, 626-3284
<o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o>
On 8/2/2010 3:07 AM, Robert Bonomi wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>,
> FrozenNorth<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/30/10 12:54 PM, Sonny wrote:
>>> An option (the lighter side):
>>>
>>> When all else fails, try your favorite lady's a bra.
>>
>> Wouldn't a c bra or a d bra work better?
>> :-)
>>
> Actually, the smallest size works like *magic*.
>
> Per the well-known incantation;
>
>
>
>
>
> a-bra cad a-bra
>
>
>
> <groan>
Just make sure you have a Barbie in the circuit and a Pershing missile.
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> How many people wear a hardhat in their garage/basement woodshop?
Apparently the original poster.