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Powered Air Respirator

K

KEW

Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
340
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1
Location
North Metro Atlanta
I am looking for suggestions on a powered air system. I am 50 and hope to have a good 3 decades of turning years left, so, although I do not want to waste money, I would be willing to spend some money for a long-term investment.
Ideally, I would like the following:
1) primary function is respiratory dust protection
2) option of adding a filter for using solvents, etc.
3) impact resistant face shield for protection
4) fit a large head (I found when buying a motorcycle helmet, only a few brands were sized large enough)

Thanks!
 
Kurt,

The only one like you describe that I've seen lately is the Triton helmet, belt-pack set up at between $180 and $200. 3M used to make one, but last I heard they were being discontinued. There is another with everything built into the hat.

The belt-pac jobs are subject to what Bill Grumbine has dubbed "The Burrito Effect" so keep that in mind. However, all of these things are for dust only. There is no such unit that will function for organic vapors (burrito-produced or otherwise). For that you will need another properly rated mask and your use of solvent should be done only with a substantial amount of air change moving through your shop as well.

Remember also, since you're thinking of an "investment", that the respirator units are only effective while you have the faceplate engaged. If you take the thing off while still in your shop, you'll mostly negate having worn it because you will immediately be breathing the most dangerous of the fine dust that you can't see, but floats in your shop's air for hours. Some time ago I posed this very same question to my ENT doctor as I was having some sinus issues. He handed me one of his gauze masks, and said "save your money and spend it on a real dust collector and air cleaner." He explained that my entire shop would, in short order, be covered in a fine layer of the very dust I was trying to avoid, so unless I was into vacuum cleaning every item and square inch of surface twice a day with the exhaust vented to the outside, my running around with some elaborate mask thing was a total waste as far as breathing the stuff was concerned. I also mentioned to him that some woods that we turners use can cause allergies and reactions. He chuckled and commented that it I didn't have the sense to avoid such woods, there wasn't much he could do for me. He mentioned that he had treated people who ran afoul of tropicals like cocobolo and even domestic woods like walnut. His directions were always the same: "Remove the offending compound from the area, no wood is worth dying for."

I've followed his advice and have 6" of dust collection ports around my lathe, a JDS 750 air cleaner on the ceiling, and a 20" box fan with HEPA filters on the intake running in my shop. I've had no further hassles with the dusty shop, although I do wear those cheapy surgical masks when I'm sanding, and all my power sanders have dust pick-ups connected to the main system.

Almost all my finishing involving organic vapor solvents is done in my garage. (Why I've migrated to waterbornes) The only solvent-based stuff I use in the shop are shellac and Waterlox, and then only in small quantities.

I know several turners who have and use the helmet rigs and seem well pleased with them. It would seem, however, that you will need to go somewhere to try them on for your size issue resolution.

mm

PS: Here's a link with several options to the Triton: http://www.toolpost.co.uk/pages/Health___Safety/Respirators/respirators.html
 
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Kurt,

If you want using solvent, your only option is 3M that I know of. The down side is they are $$$ investment.
Breathe Easy has filters for organic vapor. That is what they used for auto painting.
I believe Triton, Trend, Air Mate and the Air Stream that Bill Grumbine uses are HEPA only.
You may have to inquire them about the helmet sizes.
http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/category/powered-air-respirators-papr.html

Or you can consider the supplied air system that you draw fresh air from outside.
 
the difference here is supplied air vs forced air.
Forced air is like the airstream, tritons, etc that have a filter and use a motor, battery pack that move air across the face.
Supplied air hooks up to a air supply, sometime the compressor with good filtration, or a remote located pump and uses a pipe to send in air outside of the "contaminated area". Those would be like SAS safety, 3M, Axis Pro-air or hobby air.

A good full face respirator is about $100-$200, Airshield Visor in the $300 range and the Triton about $200. Neither can go into a harmful vapor environment. A supplied air with pump is in the $400-$1000 range, but likely that they are not going to be confortable for long term wear like woodturning.
If you have a big enough compressor, look at the SATA Vision 2000. But compressor supplied air requires good filtration.

The reason I am up on this is I am starting to shoot automotive clear coats on my wood turnings and there isn't a filtration system affective against the isocyanates in the coatings. Only forced air supplys are recommended.
 
Kurt, you have seen my helmet on several occasions. It is probably the best on the market, with a price tag to match, but it does not do vapors. I bought a used Breathe Easy a few years ago for spraying. I cannot use a regular respirator because of my beard, so the Breathe Easy was the way to go. If you are looking for one that will do all, you are going to have to go with something like the Breathe Easy, and that can get expensive with the charcoal filters, not to mention the initial outlay. Even used and with the cheesy Tyvek hood, my Breathe Easy ran me over $600.

If most of your time is spent with particulates, then I would suggest buying a high quality filter system that filters them (Airstream, Triton, etc), and then buy a less expensive (and probably less comfortable) vapor filter that gets used with less frequency.

ETA: I have a size 8 head as well, and the Airstream is one of the few that fit it. The Breathe Easy can be had with several different headpieces, one of them identical to my Airstream.
 
Trend Airshield

Hi I own the trend and the 3m air shield, this is an excerpt from one of the web sites selling the Trend . . .

Not for use in an atmosphere with an oxygen content less than 19.5%. Designed for use against solid and water based aerosol chemicals only. Offers no protection against organic vapors or strong odor products. Not to be used in an environment that exceeds normal PEL limits. This unit is not a certified respirator and offers no respiratory protection based on the 29CFR standards and regulation.
I turn "for a living" I smelled dust when sanding with the Trend I have no beard and the seal was good . . . this is NOT a hepa filter!!!! I would be supprised if it is N95 (a measure of filtration)

Care should be taken when using these types of products!!

Marty Libman
 
I use a Trend Airshield as face fungus would defeat a rubber mask type filter. The TA is comfortable to wear - it has an adjustable head strap to fit different head sizes and I can measure its max diameter for you if you like (btw, I take a Shoei Large).

Here's some data on dust risks and filter performance:

http://cregboy.com/Wood dust.doc

There is now a TA Pro version on the market.
 
Dirty Dust ...

Hello,

you all seem so afraid for some dust ... probably there will be good reasons for it but which reasons? Why is dust so dangerous?

I'm turning already for a while and I have one , rather small dustextracter that I nearly never use because I cannot stand the noise when I am turning. I use it now and then when I am sanding but not often.

But maybe in the future this will cause me troubles ... so why is a bit of dust so dangerous? I never turn exotic woods or woods that do not let me breathe.

I am aware of the fact that I will need something when I'll turn more (from next year on). I was thinking about putting the machine outside (my lathe is near to the wall) to avoid all the noise. I do not want the extractor hanging on the ceiling but just in front of the turning piece. Does anyone has some more suggestions?


Squirrel

Squiirel
 
MartyL said:
Hi I own the trend and the 3m air shield, this is an excerpt from one of the web sites selling the Trend . . .

Not for use in an atmosphere with an oxygen content less than 19.5%. Designed for use against solid and water based aerosol chemicals only. Offers no protection against organic vapors or strong odor products. Not to be used in an environment that exceeds normal PEL limits. This unit is not a certified respirator and offers no respiratory protection based on the 29CFR standards and regulation.
I turn "for a living" I smelled dust when sanding with the Trend I have no beard and the seal was good . . . this is NOT a hepa filter!!!! I would be supprised if it is N95 (a measure of filtration)

Care should be taken when using these types of products!!

Marty Libman
Click to expand...

That is one of the reasons that I use the 3M Airstream. It has a P100 (HEPA) filter. It is MSHA and OSHA approved. When turning with it, I do not even smell the wood -- not even the exotics that produce really strong smells. BTW, no respirator is safe to use in a low oxygen atmosphere unless it is a supplied air type.
 
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squirrel said:
Hello,

you all seem so afraid for some dust ... probably there will be good reasons for it but which reasons? Why is dust so dangerous?...........
Click to expand...

It is not wood dust, per se, and, in particular, not the dust that you can see, but any particulates, wood or otherwise, in the sub-micron sizethat is dangerous. The danger comes from the fact that those extremely small particles which can't be seen also can't be trapped by the body's respiratory filtration mechanisms. Additionally, once these particles are in the lungs, the body does not have a very effective way to get rid of them. Too many people seem to think that the problem is only woods that are sensitizers or poisonous are the problem, but the sub-micron particulate matter can be completely inert -- the problem is that it gets past the body's defenses and into the deepest recesses of the lungs and then can't be removed.
 
Squirrel,
For a good idea about wood dust go here. As to noise, there are a number of good ear protection devices on the market including ear muffs, electronic ear muffs, ear plugs and others. All are inexpensive, except, perhaps, electronics.

Burt
 
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