Respirator recommendation please

[Jason B.]

I'm new to all this so this is real good info. When you say "they cannot be taped off" - you just add some tape on the front of the North Filters before taking them off? This prevents particulates from being released? Hmm...might have to invest in one of those.

But as far as filtering - I'm guess both the North Filters and 3M pancake filters do a similar job?

Yes, some painters tape is fine.

All are HEPA filtration to .3 micron. Basic filters have nuisance filters for light orders while carbon and organic vapor filters will keep out the worst of smells, VOC's, acid fumes and more. They offer ZERO added filtration so you should never mislead yourself into thinking they do anything extra beside filtering odor. All are still HEPA, some just with added features.

The carbon filters can get expensive (some more than a north resp) and additional care is needed with them. Once removed from their package they are only good for 7 days and that's only if you put them in a ziplock bag. In my experience they seem to last a little more than 7 days with proper care but simply not worth the added cost if all you are filtering out is particulates.

Here is some useful information,

 

[ToddM]

I'd put my vote in for going strait past any of the half mask respirators and going to a full face. I had to wear one quite frequently for work, before that I had only used half face respirators and to be honest I think the full face units seal much better, are more comfortable, and they also double as full face/eye protection. Wearing safety glasses especially goggles etc. with a half face is annoying, seems they never quite want to fit together right or be comfortable, or one ruins the seal of the other. The full face is heavier and hotter but the protection, seal, and visibility is way better IMO. We wore the MSA full face ultra-twin's and they were really nice. If I remember right they were around $350, but there are probably cheaper options that are more than adequate for general shop/grinding use.

As Jason said it's important with any respirator to get the right size for your face, and make sure you know how to properly adjust it, and do positive/negative pressure checks and how to properly clean/inspect them. The biggest thing new people do is crank them on too tight which can become uncomfortable very quickly, not a big deal in your in an environment you can easily remove and adjust, but if not you can have a really really miserable few hours. There are some companies that make non-alcohol based "wipes" for specifically cleaning respirators now. In addition to using the correct cartridges for your needs. The biggest mistake I see people do is they might buy the expensive combo cartridges but don't realize they have a very limited life once unsealed.