Airstream Vs Versaflo

[Emiliano Achaval]

Struggling with dust control and researching these helmet-filter systems, hope I can see and try them at Portland in June.

So a Q about the noise-canceling ear gear.... can you still hear the sound of the tool on the wood? This is important feedback to me. Right now instead of a helmet I've got an airbag dust machine near the lathe, with a flex hose to a sanding hood, but it is really loud. Compared to that, how loud is your helmet apparatus?

If I get the helmet, is it still necessary, or maybe just helpful, to also vac away the dust at the source?

Hello John! Yes, I can hear the tool cutting. I did buy the top of the line Bose QC 30 , so I'm speaking about those. @AlanZ describes nicely how and why you can still listen to the tool, your senses feel even heightened by the Bose... Remember, I'm in Maui. I can turn all year round with my garage doors wide open, so chips are not a problem for me, and I turn so much that no machine would be able to keep up with me... I sweep, most days, lol, at the end of the day, wheelbarrow loads of shavings that go all over my big yard... I do use a 2 stage dust collector with a big hood for sanding. I can listen to music, not too loud while I turn, and I can listen to my cell phone. But, when I'm in the shop, I put the phone in do not disturb, so only people in the favorites list can get thru, mainly my wife... Another advantage is if I ever needed to, I can just tell Siri to call 911, no matter where the phone is in the shop... I just saw a picture of Nick Agar, looks like he has an Airstream helmet like mine, but he has converted it to a fanny pack blower, that I hear its a little quieter... Aaron Hammer has one Airstream and he has a bathroom blower on the wall, vacuum hoses feed air to his helmet...
Depending on how much you turn, or how big your pieces are, could be a good idea to have a dust/chip collector by the lathe. I wish I could...
I have visited countless shops in my 2 plus decades of turning, dust is a common enemy for us all. Some have won partial battles, but it's a never ending war...
A few times a year, wish I could do more, I do a deep cleaning, simply amazing how much dust it's all over the shop, very high and low... I had very bad sinus problems 2 years ago, the Airstream has helped me a lot... I read every Woodturning FUNdamentals, keep up the good work. Let me know if I can be of any help. Aloha

 

[DON FRANK]

I have a Triton helmet system which I don't think are available anymore. I don't use the battery pack and filter setup anymore but instead have it attached to a 30' hose that goes to a Breathe Cool forced air system. I use the Breathe cool in my regular job when I'm spraying lacquer and urethane paints. It comes with a face mask that I use when painting but when I turn it's attached to the Triton. The airflow comes down over my head under the helmet and out the bottom of the neck gaiter.
The Breathe cool is in the adjacent room as I have a pvc pipe thru the wall of my lathe room that the hose goes thru. The unit doesn't have to filter dust that way and it eliminates the noise completely that was associated with the battery pack running. I have enough hose length that I can go anywhere in the shop. The hose does not cause any problems even when there is a pile of shavings. It will run all day long without having to worry about charging batteries.
A person could use the standard mask that comes with the unit under a normal face shield. Mine is the Breathe-Cool II and it sells for $359 with one mask, hose and base unit. If I did not have an adjacent room to use I would just build a box of from pleated furnace filters and have the unit set inside that on a shelf or something. The unit itself would not have to filter any dust that way.

 

[Mike Johnson]

A forced air system sure does improve the quality of time spent under a full face system. Breathing through any kind of filter media adds a level of effort made by the person on every breathe. The forced air system also eliminates the face shield from fogging over with a constant supply of air moving through the system.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Both!

If 3M would be willing to donate a Versaflow system for real-world evaluation, I am qualified to give it a thorough senior citizen Tex-Mex environmental stress test.

Bill, today I purchased a brand new Versaflow M-407 on Ebay for $149. There a few more at that price. The are several Breathe Easy units for sell too... I'm just hoping I can get rid of the fire retardant shroud and use a faceseal. I will wait till I get it next week then see what else I need. @AlanZ is helping me with this, he wasn't sure how, but we think the faceseal should work like on the M-300.

 

[Randy Wright]

Are both of these units lighter and more comfortable to use then the Trend Airshield Pro? Or are they more efficient at keeping dust out of your lungs?

The airstream is lighter and more comfortable, however, the 3m airstream has very little airflow despite their claims. About 1/3 of the airshield airflow. This is with an new filter. Besides most of the air flows out the sides and back of the helmet. For twice the money and 1/3 the airflow buy the Trend instead.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The airstream is lighter and more comfortable, however, the 3m airstream has very little airflow despite their claims. About 1/3 of the airshield airflow. This is with an new filter. Besides most of the air flows out the sides and back of the helmet. For twice the money and 1/3 the airflow buy the Trend instead.

If your air flow is going out the side and back then it sounds like you may not have it adjusted correctly. The cradle should be adjusted so that the top of your head rests against the rubber seal in the top of the helmet and the temple seals should prevent air from coming out of the side of the helmet. Also the Tyvek seal needs to be installed so that there are aren't any gaps. There is also the possibility that your battery is defective or the blower motor is defective. When I compared my Airstream with a friend's Airshield the Airstream , the Airstream had more air flow, but not by a huge margin. The main difference was that the Airstream was far more comfortable and didn't feel top heavy like the Airshield.

My Versaflo beats everything else by a huge margin and is very comfortable. However, getting suited up with the backpack and hose and battery makes me feel more like I am getting suited up for a moon walk rather than just woodturning. The Airstream is so quick and easy and comfortable that I'm not ready to give it up. AlanZ has a great solution for his Versaflo.

 

[AlanZ]

Bill, you said “AlanZ has a great solution for his Versaflo.”. Can I assume that you are referring to my video about 5volt battery setup for Airstream and BreatheEasy systems?

These days I use Versaflo helmets, either tethered to a HEPA wall mounted filter in my shop, or when away from the shop, using the waist mounted Versaflo blower/battery.

I am considering selling one of my modified AirStream units.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I was referring to your tethered solution, but your 5v battery is also a great way to power the Airstream considering the upward spiraling cost of the intrinsically safe 3M battery. Every time I look the cost goes up another $50 or more.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

If your air flow is going out the side and back then it sounds like you may not have it adjusted correctly. The cradle should be adjusted so that the top of your head rests against the rubber seal in the top of the helmet and the temple seals should prevent air from coming out of the side of the helmet. Also the Tyvek seal needs to be installed so that there are aren't any gaps. There is also the possibility that your battery is defective or the blower motor is defective. When I compared my Airstream with a friend's Airshield the Airstream , the Airstream had more air flow, but not by a huge margin. The main difference was that the Airstream was far more comfortable and didn't feel top heavy like the Airshield.

My Versaflo beats everything else by a huge margin and is very comfortable. However, getting suited up with the backpack and hose and battery makes me feel more like I am getting suited up for a moon walk rather than just woodturning. The Airstream is so quick and easy and comfortable that I'm not ready to give it up. AlanZ has a great solution for his Versaflo.

I was going to say something about Mr. Wright's comment about the airflow. Glad to see Bill already answered. I can add that if you only spend a few hours a week or less turning, maybe the Trend will work, but for someone that turns every day, nothing beats the Versaflo. Unless you find it on eBay for a fraction of the price, yes, it can be costly. But I'm sure that it is cheaper than a double lung transplant or the sinus surgery that I almost had to have.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Opinions,like your butt everyone has one including me. I have used the Airshield Pro for years. I use it when turning dry wood and can wear it for hours and hours. No hoses or power pack to impede anything I do. Now when sanding I do not like wearing a face mask, helmet, etc. So when I sand I use the Resp-O-Rator, a brilliant device that filters down to .3 microns yet gives total visual acuity. You know if push came to shove the Resp-O-Rator and a good face mask would give at least the same lung protection or even better than the Versaflo or the Airshield. My opinion.

 

[AlanZ]

I was referring to your tethered solution, but your 5v battery is also a great way to power the Airstream considering the upward spiraling cost of the intrinsically safe 3M battery. Every time I look the cost goes up another $50 or more.

Bill, I don’t recall making a video about my tethered solution... perhaps I simply described it well... I just hope folks don’t go searching for it. On the other hand, I may have just stuffed off some brain cells and forgotten about a video I made.

 

[AlanZ]

As a reminder, Lauren and I made this video for the AAW that shows various personal protection devices, including several mentioned in this discussion.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Alan, I wasn't referring to a video, but you had mentioned at least once tethering the hose so that you had full freedom of movement around your working space when turning. As far as videos are concerned, your description in words was sufficient for me to create a video in my head.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Like Bill Blasic I have the Trend and it works for me. I am not turning 8 hours a day but my day job was much more lucrative than woodturning so that was not the thing. Now just 4 hours a day is enough exercise for me especially the pecan I am working on now for 16 offering plates. Oh by the way @Bill Boehme Battery packs are rebuildable and I have done that twice to mine. Best is not always best sometimes affordable has to be in the solution . Better to have something in use than to wait without till you can afford that Lamborghini .And @Emiliano Achaval we are not working with all those exotic woods like you have access to and therefore not near as toxic.

 

[Dean Center]

Randy, I would like to echo what Bill has said about the Airstream. If you're not feeling the wind across your face, something is wrong. Maybe the motor or filter is not hooked up right, or maybe something is blocking the airflow at the end of the filter.

 

[Chuck Zaikowski]

I have two AirStreams, and two BreatheEasy helmets that I have acquired over the years. These are great for portable use.
In my shop, I prefer and use a Versaflo helmet that is connected to a wall mounted HEPA filter through a 10ft hose. The hose rides along a ball bearing shower curtain rod so the hose is suspended from the ceiling, and does not touch the floor. In my little shop, being tethered to the long hose is not a problem. It makes for a very lightweight and quiet setup with lots of controlled air flow. I built this setup after seeing something similar that Eugen Schlaak posted on WoW several years ago.

@AlanZ I like the idea of a remote filter unit rather than wearing one. Just curious - What 10' hose were you able to use? Did it require a lot of work to make the connections?