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Positive Airflow Facemask

Tony Giroux

Tony Giroux

Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
10
Likes
4
Location
Waynesboro, PA
As I have developed COPD, I'm forced to wear a dust mask for all my wood shop activities. When I'm turning, they tend to fog up my facemasks, goggles, and even my safety glasses. I know there are face masks with fans that keep a positive air flow, but the ones I've read about on the web have some terrible reviews, so I'm wondering if they're just expensive gadgets. Is anyone using one that they really recommend?
 
I had a friend who has neck issues and he could not wear a standard mask with fan. He opted for a medical type which was a fabric head cover. I have also heard of using old CPAP machines, but they need to be plugged in. Not much help, but others will chime in.

robo hippy
 
Get some 1 inch paper tape and run it across the top of your mask and nose. Keeps your glasses from fogging. It’s what we surgeons do in the OR.

Or buy something from Peke Safety.
 
I have been happy with my Trend Airshield - It was a pricey investment, but after several more months of saving up for it (after I got my new Jet) I finally bit the bullet and got it on Amazon (On payments) and it is wonderful- I use it for more than just turning - Also useful when doing flatwork (dust from table saw, dust from sanding, dust from sweeping up shop, etc) Although it is a bit of extra weight on the head, which takes a little getting used to, it isn't too bad. Dust masks do nothing for me (not with a full beard)
 
I use my Trend Airshield also. I find the helmet to also be useful as I’ve had a piece fly off the lathe and hit me. The helmet saved me from a bad head injury.
 
There are basically 2 varieties of Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR). Those with the fan & batteries on your head, and those with fan and batteries in a fanny-pack. There are some variants, like fan-on-head and batteries on your belt.

I use a fanny-pack style from Peke Safety (CleanAir). I had neck issues (have since had cervical fusion), and didn't want extra weight on my head - doesn't bother some people but would be a problem for me. The other thing I like about the CleanAir is the headgear is a Uvex Bionic face shield - so the same as my normal face shield and replacement lenses are easy to come by. It's not just a gadget - it really does help.

There are other brands - 3M, Trend, etc. You can get them with hoods around your shoulders and with a helmet rather than face shield, etc - lots of options. Make sure whatever you end up with has good filtration, and is rated ANSI Z87+ (High Impact) or equivalent. And make sure it'll work over a beard, glasses, etc - whatever else you normally wear. Also note that filtration for dust is not the same as vapors.

Prices for anything you get are not cheap, until you compare them to the potential co-pay at your pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon.
 
I have this one made by Miller welding as a grinding face mask papr. 500 hours before you have to change the hepa filter it also gives a warning when the pre-filter is clogged with dust.
bakersgas.com

Miller Face Shield PAPR - 288356

Utilizing a high efficiency HEPA air filter and a battery life up to 10 hours, this system allows the operator to stay protected and productive all day.
bakersgas.com bakersgas.com
 
I have used a 3M Airshield, with fan in helmet and battery elsewhere, found it too heavy for my neck, and wore it infrequently. Recently, I bought the Peke Safety (clean air) which Dave mentions and find it much easier to wear. The head harness adjustments are many and I'm having trouble getting that part just right, but even with it fitting imperfectly, there's no fogging and it's comfortable to wear. In fact, on the lowest air flow setting, it blows enough air to be a little cold, until the shop has warmed up. I believe one of the adjustments is the precise direction the air comes into the helmet--allowing you to direct it right against the inside of the face shield, if you want. When the Czech company that makes them got the maximum ANSI impact certification, I made the leap to the new system. About half the manufacturer suggested cost of the 3M Versaflow, and only a little above half of Sundstrom.
 
I use the Powercap from Peke Safety. Overall, I am pleased with it. I can put it on and take if off very quickly and I use it every time that I am at the lathe. My only complaint is the noise from the fan motor; however, most of the time I do not notice it.
 
I have a trend airshield, because that's what was easily available to me. If I don't use it for a long time it takes a bit to get used to the weight again. The filters are overpriced for what they are, and how long they last, and it uses a pretty sad Nimh battery that just bit the dust even though it's only a couple of years old. When it works it does the job it's supposed to. There are a few other options, but I have no experience with them.
 
robo hippy said:
I had a friend who has neck issues and he could not wear a standard mask with fan. He opted for a medical type which was a fabric head cover. I have also heard of using old CPAP machines, but they need to be plugged in. Not much help, but others will chime in.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
The medical version of the 3M VersaFlo (fabric hood, model TR-300 N+ ECK) is usually easy to find on the online auction site. Relatively inexpensive, and if you want the helmet later it will interchange with the rest of the medical kit. That's how i assembled mine--the 300 N+ and found a deal on the helmet later.
 
Some quick, perhaps random thoughts.
Since you are already fighting COPD I suggest cost may be a secondary concern, cause the best products are not cheap. You definitely want to consider the filter rating of the PAPR, they're not all the same. N-95 is good, P-100 or HEPA are better. Sundstrum and Peke products are both good and easier to source than some others. I prefer the fan on my fanny type, but Peke has a head mount choice, too. A feature of my Sundstum that I like is that the face mask tilts up, so I don't always have to remove it. Consider what you will do for hearing protection, too. The earmuffs I used to use don't fit over the helmet, and I could never get the foam earplugs to work for me. I ended up buying noise cancelling earbuds (a further expense). When you buy your PAPR, I suggest you also purchase a replacement set of filters to have on hand.
 
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