Shop health risks...

KnifeAddictAK

KnifeAddictAK

Joined
Nov 17, 2003
Messages
13,507
First off, my apologies if this topic has been beat to death. The reason I started a new thread is so it's directed at me. I know this may sound weird, but it will help. I did a few searches and didn't quite find what I need.

Okay, here goes. I recently got on with local knife maker. Beautiful work. The thing is, first go at it, I didn't even have eye protection. :footinmou

Second time, eye protection in place. The thing that occured to me is, while I was sanding down a knife, he did some work on titanium (Grinding/Shaping). No resperator (sp?). For either of us. Funds are tight, so what all should I get in the way of a respirator (inexpensive please) and other things to be aware of. (I'm not sayin' my health ain't worth the $$$)

My current project involves working on D2 and linen micarta. My only form of defense is glasses :rolleyes: I don't want to be some "Ohh, I can take it" idiot.

Thanks for your help in advance and don't worry about offending me ;)
And again, my apologies if this thread is annoying :)
 
You should be concerned about your health because there are alot of bad things that can get in your lungs while making knives. Buy the BEST respirator that you can afford. Steel and mircarta dust are BAD things to breathe. Eye protection in the way of goggles or a face shield or both together are a must. try to keep the area cleaned up of dust and debris. Don't skimp on protective gear. ;)
Scott
 
KAAK,
Wandered out of W&C for a bit? :rolleyes:
Well, one thing you don't want are the cheap filter masks.
I use a dual, replaceable filter, cartridge respirator.
This is the kind with the filters pointed out to the sides, and I like it better than the ones with the filter on the front, because I can see what I'm working on.
Available many places at about $40.
Sears
Harbor Freight
These wouold be the minimum acceptable for me.
There are much better. $$$
 
Like the guys say,
get a resperator. A good two cartridge one, don't even think about going with just paper/cloth face mask. I know it's a bit expensive, but breathing is not an option to life.
Also get good quality glasses.
And take care of your safty equipment. If you scratch your glasses and can't see well get new ones.
Before I even ordered my grinder I had a set of glasses and a resperator. It's just foolish not to have the proper safety equipment.
Have fun but be safe.
 
Thanks. I figure it's better safe than sick or dead. I guess I didn't consider the small things :rolleyes:

Don't need to be risking my life and just needed a kick in the butt
 
Until you can afford the proper safety equipment,DON'T go in the shop.A cartridge filter is a minimum.You can wait to afford a KMG.You can't wait till you can afford a good respirator.If you put off safety gear,you may be on a waiting list for a lung transplant.
Stacy
 
The North respirators are nice. They last forever. Small investment, and you replace the cartridges now and then. Get the ones rated for fine dust and formaldehyde, I think. It seems like the best move is the North full face silicone respirator with the "backpack" attachment. This attachment uses hoses where the filters are, that go around to your upper back. The filters screw into the hoses there. You carry the weight on your back and it relieves your neck, and the filters last longer. You also get eye and face protection and it's supposed to be pretty comfy. This will be my first shop upgrade, but until then I have a good half mask respirator. $22 will get you North's half mask and another few bucks for the filters.
 
I have delt with Lab Safety Supply(www.LSS.com). We have done a lot of business with them at the High School I teach at. They have a tech support line that is well organized. I have called them, told them what I am working with and they will tell me what filters I need to cover it. I have ordered for school and for knife work also. When you do get the resperator you need, be sure to have a covered container to store it in when not in use. Don't just hang it up. "Stuff" can settle in it when it is just hung up or put in a drawer.
 
You will need more than off the shelf protection in your cartridges.
Micarta gives off phenol, and formaldehyde gases when worked. It's highly toxic.
A regular organic vapor cartridge will only protect you from the phenol.
You have to get cartridges rated for organic vapor, AND formaldehyde.

I use a 6000 series 3M, among others, and my cartridges are the dual rated as noted above, and the number of them is 6005, but any company that makes respirators will have them.

BTW, micarta dust can still be toxic if it's just on your skin. Those toxins can absorb through the skin, so vacuum yourself off right away after grinding the stuff.

Get the adapters, and cotton dust prefilters also no matter what you get. They go over the cartridges, and keep dust from contaminating them, and they will be effective for a lot longer.

Vacuum the outside of, and wipe the mask down when finished, as per instructions, and store it in a zip loc bag. That will also help everything to last longer.

Titanium by itself can send you to the hospital. The dust is highly toxic.

I don't know if you realize it, but many knifemaking materials are extremely toxic, and just because some knifemakers treat this stuff in a cavalier manner makes it no less dangerous.
Every time you grind without a respirator, you're doing some kind of harm. It just might not be noticeable at the moment. It will show up down the road, and nobody, including you, or your doctor will have a clue, and they will only treat the symptoms.:eek:
 
amen Mike

I think it was Ed Fowler that mentioned about his dog that past on and he had him opened up to see what happened ... Micarta dust I believe it was

I hope he chimes in here..

I find myself doing quick jobs without the mask yes a dumb dumb I know..
I have two respirators but remember just because you stopped grinding don't mean the dust has gone from the air..
 
My Trend "air-shield" stays plugged in ,in the clean shop in the house.It goes on my head before I go out to the wood shop or grinding shop.The only place I don't wear it is at the forge,which is in the open air.
 
I did talk about that kind of wreck, but it was Bob Loveless,. As I remember he was grinding some kind of wood, (cocobolo ?) his dog was laying at his feet and when Bob was done, the dog was dead!

It is best to keep the pets away from the dust if you can.
I placed a special dog mattress that Abe likes a lot away from the grinder, it took a while but he finally got used to it and goes there when I start grinding.

About the dust stuff:
First I use fresh coarse belts on handles and keep the particle size large as possible. Then every night I pour some salt into a cup and flush my nose with salt water using a little rubber baby syrringe, the squeeze kind, and flush out my nose and sinuses (sp?) until all the black stuff is gone.

Have not had a headache or sinus infection since I started doing it. My last chest X-Ray came out normal.

I can't get used to the respirators, but one thing good about sheephorn, we get along well. I don't grind a lot of the stuff some of you do and if I did the respirator would be used.
Take Care
 
I've been doing my own research into duct collection systems lately. Oneida, Penn state, etc....looks like I'm gonna spend about 2k to get rid of all the grinding dust, AL oxide from my breathing space...I figure it's well worth it.
 
I've been lurking here for a while, lots of good tips learned, thanks to everybody. This is one thread I will try to be serious in. My father is an automotive upholsterer, and I worked for him off and on in my teens, the glue that he used for headliners, seats and other jobs has given me some respiratory problems over the years, I'm 25! My pop is gonna be 52 this spring, and he abuses his albuterol inhaler, I think that shop glue is caked on his lungs, it doesn't help that he smoked well into his thirties. I've talked with him about installing a ventilation system, but his shop is so small, and he rents it, that he has brushed off the subject. I've noticed that the plastics and machine shops in his commercial park don't have ventilation systems either, but those guys also smoke like a 53 Buick :D, so I can't really take their hacking into account. The autobody paint shop next door has a ventilation system, but the autobody shop itself does not. Seeing all of these guys, in their 30's and older, most I've known since I was a kid, coughing like men in a nursing home, has made me think long and hard about wearing some type of breathing mask when working with my airbrush, and hopefully when I start working on some knives :)!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top