Buying First Respirator

B

Blades&Bullets

Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
577
Hey guys,

First post in the knife maker's SF. I'm planning on making some wood and stabilized wood knife scales (possibly acrylic and micarta later).
So, is a half mask respirator with safety glasses okay? Someone mentioned in a thread getting a P100 filter. Is that sort of the minimum or a good level of protection?
Thanks
 
Yeah, P100 minimum for your filter. I would suggest a full face. Not that a half face is insufficient but personally, when I switched, I never looked back. Recently, I have been forced to use the Resp-O-Rator, due to my very manly and sexy beard. I gave away my half mask as soon as I tried the full... that's how much I was sold on the full.
 
I'd recommend a 3M 6900 if you want full face, or a 3M 7500 series silicon half mask. For filters, you probably want some 3M P100 2097 filters.

That's what I use at work and the 2097 P100's will filter just about everything from dust to radioactive particulates to welding/grinding fumes.

The 6900 full face goes for around $190, the 7500 half mask goes for around $30.
 
I used a 3M 7500 half mask with the pink filters and a 3M full face shield. Both cost me about 40 bucks combined from Amazon and they work fantastic.
 
Rick Marchand said:
Make sure to get the little pre-filter pads and keepers.


Are you saying that you have a beard?
Click to expand...
I usually have a beard, but I was actually referring to my weight.

Gabriel-FLUFFY-Iglesias-gabriel-iglesias-19415471-400-623.jpg
 
How often should you change the filters? After so many hours of use? When you can't breath any more:D
 
If you notice the pink part turning a dark color, change them. If you start smelling or tasting something while wearing it, change them.
 
I've become obsessed with cleaning my respirator after extended periods of grinding. I took a wet wipe and swabbed the inside of the mask and was quite surprised at how dirty
the inside was....I do bathe daily Arg Arg Arg....and I inspect the mask before using it and replace the filters when they become noticeably dirty. We work with some nasty metal particulate
and dust from wood and composite handle materials all bad for your lungs. Make it a habit to remove the old filters and wash the face piece with mild detergents and remove the exhalation
valve flappers where small particles can gather. Here at work we have Full Face MSA Breathing air respirators for working in toxic air environments these are the best I have ever used....Wish
I had this set up in my home shop!!!!!!
 
One thing to be said about full face respirators is that they're harder to put on and take off. So that means you'll wear it for the little tasks you'll do between grinding sessions. That's a good thing since there's still particulate suspended in the air. I have a half face now and a bad habit of taking it off when not grinding cause it's so easy to remove.
 
I feel that I have a good system for dust control/protection, these days. So much so that I plan on bringing my leather work into the same room as my knife shop. I used to have a "dirty" and "clean" room but I don't think it is necessary anymore.

I have a dust evacuation/collection system for my grinders, a ceiling mounted air filtration unit and I wear a respirator at the grinder. I don't "sweep" up the floor anymore as I have a dedicated shop vac with a cyclone collector. This has virtually eliminated my dust problems.
 
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