Dust vs Vapor protection

[Mike Holbrook]

I am conducting a search for better breathing/dust filtration. I spend a fair amount of time grinding bevels in old hand tools: axes, adzes, drawknives, plane blades....I use CBN wheels to do this grinding and worry about the dust created. I also occasionally run an electric lunchbox planer, bandsaw...I try to use Festool tools when possible, largely because of the vacuum system that works so well, at the point the dust is made. Better to keep the dust out of the air in the first place. I also apply finishes. I suspect the fumes created may require different filtration than dust. I am wondering if there are “masks” with switchable filters, one handling dust the other used for things that creat vapors.


I wear glasses and my frustration with most masks is my glasses immediately fog up. Not sure if I need goggles to fit over the glasses, which may protect the glasses and my eyes. I have been looking at a GVS Elipse P 100- 1/2-3/4 mask. Reviewers say it works well with glasses. One reviewer mentions switching out filters for dust vs vapors. They make a more expensive model that has eye protection too. Maybe goggles that can be added when needed?


Thanks for your ideas/experience/thoughts.

[Reinis Kanders]

If you don't have a beard then 3m faceshield respirator is very versatile

something like this
https://www.amazon.com/3M-7162-Full-...dp/B0002STR86/

one can just change vapor cartridge to dust cartridge when needed.

I have a beard so nothing really works, I only use shellac when inside. Metal dust seems to settle relatively fast, but i lightly oil cbn wheel on the tormek and that definitely helps with dust. Have not tried that with the grinder.

[Pete Taran]

Mike,

You might google PAPR and see those units. They are coming down in cost and allow a loose fitting hood with positive pressure to bathe your breathing area with fresh, filtered air. It's a significant investment, but the coin of the realm for the ultimate in comfort and complete filtration. I have and use one for various tasks that require it. It's a great investment and the filters take a long time to clog and are relatively inexpensive. If you need vision correction, you can use your regular glasses with no modifications. FWIW.

Pete

[daniel lane]

Mike,

I can't speak for the CVS mask, but I've used a 3M 6100 half face mask in the past, albeit professionally (in a chemical manufacturing environment). This mask is inexpensive and can be used with many different types of cartridges. The 3M 2097 (P100) dust filter / nuisance organic vapors filter may be sufficient for your purposes, but is not really intended for more than "nuisance" organic vapors, which is typically defined as below the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). If finishing will result in a higher exposure level than that, look at the 3M 60921 (P100) cartridge, which is good for much higher concentrations. Both cartridges will filter particulates at 99.97% of 0.3 micron or larger, and the "P" indicates oil resistance.

This half mask design is fairly typical and moves your breath out of the mask through a valve that helps eliminate fogging of glasses. They can still get warm, though, and a beard will interfere with performance.

Hope this helps!

[Patrick Chase]

I am conducting a search for better breathing/dust filtration. I spend a fair amount of time grinding bevels in old hand tools: axes, adzes, drawknives, plane blades....I use CBN wheels to do this grinding and worry about the dust created. I also occasionally run an electric lunchbox planer, bandsaw...I try to use Festool tools when possible, largely because of the vacuum system that works so well, at the point the dust is made. Better to keep the dust out of the air in the first place. I also apply finishes. I suspect the fumes created may require different filtration than dust. I am wondering if there are “masks” with switchable filters, one handling dust the other used for things that creat vapors.


I wear glasses and my frustration with most masks is my glasses immediately fog up. Not sure if I need goggles to fit over the glasses, which may protect the glasses and my eyes. I have been looking at a GVS Elipse P 100- 1/2-3/4 mask. Reviewers say it works well with glasses. One reviewer mentions switching out filters for dust vs vapors. They make a more expensive model that has eye protection too. Maybe goggles that can be added when needed?


Thanks for your ideas/experience/thoughts.

I've had good luck with the 3M full-face masks. They're made with an "internal half-mask" around the mouth. They have internal valves so that the airflow goes:

1. Through filters and into the main chamber (the large one that covers your eyes)
2. Through one-way valves into the half-mask around your mouth
3. Inhale
4. Exhale
5. Through a second set of one-way valves directly from the half-mask to the outside.

The key things to note are that the main chamber gets a continuous flow of fresh air from the outside, and that moist exhaled air never enters the main chamber, provided the internal half-mask fits properly. In my experience that cuts way down on fogging of both the mask itself and any glasses worn inside of it. I get much less fogging with my FF masks than I do with safety glasses or goggles worn separately above a half-mask, probably because of the continuous flow of fresh air through the FF mask.

Of course *nothing* beats a PAPR rig with continuous/forced airflow into the main chamber. IIRC the 3M masks can be attached to one...