Faceshields and Stuff

[John Hart]

OK for those of you who are interested....because I certainly am not going to shove this down people's throats.....because it drives me crazy when people shove stuff down my throat......because I usually choke.......

Oh...sorry...

Anyway. On the subject of Faceshields. I've been investigating stuff. I own a Uvex Bionic Faceshield, but decided to ask our Environmental and Safety Director if I could have a Hard hat Faceshield to sorta test out. He was happy to give me an ensemble, and we put it together.....and here's what it looks like
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Now...those pics are just in my photobooth, so I decided that I needed a model.

Ah....look....there's Rachel feeding the dogs....I'll get her to model this thing!!!

Reluctantly, she agreed, and she even smiled
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Something's goofed up with my part numbers and pricing...but I'll get back to ya with those in a bit.

[John Keeton]

Hart, I am so glad you were smart enough to have Rachel be the model and you take the pics - much better than vice-versa!!The shield itself it looks "unobtrusive" enough, but I will be interested to see how you compare the comfort level of this vs. the Uvex. The cost between the two seems insignificant, so I guess it comes down to comfort and impact resistance.

[John Hart]

...Hart, I am so glad you were smart enough to have Rachel be the model and you take the pics - much better than vice-versa!!The shield itself it looks "unobtrusive" enough, but I will be interested to see how you compare the comfort level of this vs. the Uvex. The cost between the two seems insignificant, so I guess it comes down to comfort and impact resistance.

Thank you for saying that I'm smart!!!:) I tell people that I'm smart but they just call me bad names...but now I gots a witness!!!

Weight-wise....the Uvex is a feather....and the Hard Hat is a Ham Sandwich. I like Ham Sandwiches, but they are a bit heavier. My first time using it at the lathe will be tonight.

Rachel felt that it was very comfortable. She does not like the Uvex

[Justin Stephen]

I have to be honest, I just can't see myself wearing the Bionic. It looks like the airflow in that thing would be dreadful, fogging or not. I have the feeling of breathing my own warm breath back in, even only partially.

The hardhat model above looks kind of similar to the lower-end faceshields commonly available at places like HF and hardware stores, except with a hardhat holding it up instead of a plastic headstrap. It is probably more comfortable than the HF model though and the shield itself is probably a little thicker.

When I have had a gnarly piece of wood that worries me, I have found the most comfortable solution was to throw on an old JT Snapper paintball mask that I had lying around. It offers better visibility range than it looks but the key thing I like about it is that my eyes and my mouth are not in the same confined space and breathing through the plastic mask is very easy.

http://i.imgur.com/zYqcA.jpg

I'm sure those fancier respirator masks are more comfortable with the forced airflow but they are also quite $$$.

[John Hart]

That's pretty cool Justin! Is it tested per the impact specs? I assume it must be.

[Roger Chandler]

I can tell you from my personal experience........I really like the Uvex Bionic face shield......it is comfortable, and fogs way less than any of the other 2 that I owned before it..........with the exception of course of my Trend Airshield Pro.

The adjustable band on the Uvex is of such higher quality that the feature alone makes it impressive, and also the frame around the entire shield makes it more impact resistant and the frame has a groove in which the shield rests and makes a pretty stiff barrier to chips and such.

[Dick Wilson]

John, Very smart getting your lovely wife to model the face shield. She does it justice.......you don't and won't:D:D:D

[John Hart]

John, Very smart getting your lovely wife to model the face shield. She does it justice.......you don't and won't:D:D:D

My wife? Nope. Ain't no cooperation on that side of the house. Nope...this is my lovely daughter Rachel. 17 going on 34

[Justin Stephen]

That's pretty cool Justin! Is it tested per the impact specs? I assume it must be.

Honestly, I cannot vouch for it against a piece of wood like that which poor Ms. Kelly fell victim to. It is over-engineered to safely stop paintballs traveling 300fps at point blank range. A heavier chunk of wood that was small enough to slip between the frame of the goggles itself traveling at high velocity? Dunno. I have at least as much confidence in this as I do in those cheap face shields they sell at Home Depot at least. It also has a "thermal" lens (what JT called their no-fog lenses at the time).

Truthfully, I just wear safety glasses 95% of the time.

[Jon Nuckles]

I have the bionic and don't have a problem with fogging. The only complaint I have is that the strap tightens in small "steps" and I seem to be right between two. It is either slightly loose or tight enough to give me a headache. I might try adding some extra padding to the strap so that it fits on the larger setting. I usually only wear it until the blank is balanced and the bark is gone, but I've launched a few bowls and am going to try to wear it more often in the future.

[Cathy Schaewe]

I wear my face shield pretty consistently, because at my height the shavings hit me in the face coming off the turning, and I don't like it. My question - is a hard-hat top to it going to really provide that much extra protection? Wouldn't it have to be a situation where the piece hit the ceiling and rebounded onto your head? Interested in people's thoughts on this one -

ps - John, your daughter is lovely!

[John Hart]

I wear my face shield pretty consistently, because at my height the shavings hit me in the face coming off the turning, and I don't like it. My question - is a hard-hat top to it going to really provide that much extra protection? Wouldn't it have to be a situation where the piece hit the ceiling and rebounded onto your head? Interested in people's thoughts on this one -

ps - John, your daughter is lovely!

Thanks Cathy...I kinda like her m'self :)

I got to thinking about a time in which a hard hat might come in handy, and that is when I am extremely close....looking down, and my skew catches. But I've never been bonked on the top of the head.....by wood off the lathe anyway.

I guess it would keep chips out my hair.....because you know how unfashionable that is.;)

[Dennis Simmons]

The hard hat puts the shield away from your face thus helps stop fogging, you get from a regular shield. Second it keeps chips out of your hair! Or better yet your hair out of the lathe! :)

[John Hart]

I have the bionic and don't have a problem with fogging. The only complaint I have is that the strap tightens in small "steps" and I seem to be right between two. It is either slightly loose or tight enough to give me a headache. I might try adding some extra padding to the strap so that it fits on the larger setting. I usually only wear it until the blank is balanced and the bark is gone, but I've launched a few bowls and am going to try to wear it more often in the future.

Jon...For whatever it's worth, I wear a ballcap with my bionic shield. Come to think of it, I wear a ballcap without the bionic shield too. I just turn it around backwards and my hat makes it so I don't have to ratchet down on m'head.

[Michael James]

This is exactly like the helmet law for motorcycles. Some are and some aren't going to go for it. Personally, I wear the trend for the sinus / respitory protection and have some Rx x2 (at 1 foot) shop goggles under that for the vision. Too many yrs working in furniture and formica shops without any protection...oh and a few thousand cigarettes (yes, I quit in 97) just takes it's toll. The research is out there, but do what you're gonna do. I'm an adrenaline junkie just like some of the rest of you, but I'm taking sober risks, sans the cavalier attitude these days.
Thanks for posting this John.
mj

[Michael Mills]

Justin,

I like your train of thought…. A JT Snapper paintball mask:)

I’ll see your JT and raise you a ex-bombsquad helmet.:D

[Matt Hutchinson]

I suddenly want a bomb squad helmet. :D

[John Hart]

Ok...I have finished my first trial of the Hard Hat Face Shield.

I decided to try it out on a piece I've been working on. Just wanted to do a little work on the bottom of a vase body.
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I figured that this would give me a chance to get a feel for the shield while doing something pretty benign.

First, I wanted to check the fit. It fit fine. A little on the heavy side but I think that's due to being used to wearing the Bionic Shield, which doesn't weigh anything.

I got out an old respirator
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No...I don't use this. My good respirator was in the house and I was too lazy to go get it. I just wanted to check the fit. It fit fine. The nose section did come in contact with the glass but it didn't impede anything. This isn't something I see myself doing regularly though.

Then the static electricity problem.
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I used these dryer sheets. I thought I had Snuggle dryer sheets, but I guess I'm too cheap for those. These are some generic off-brand, dirt cheap dryer sheets. They seemed to work ok. And my shield was "Country Fresh". (Around here, that means it smells like horse poop :))

The shield did fog up. Quite easily I might add. I switched over to the Bionic shield, and it did not fog up. Soooo, what's the deal? Well, I found out that if I breathed through my nose...it didn't fog up...but through my mouth, it did. So I just shut my mouth. Ok...that worked.

On to the turning. No impediments. The glass was so clear, I didn't notice it. I was able to get up close and personal for the detail stuff....and I gotta say....I was pretty impressed with the comfort.
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Then came the sanding. Now...this is the interesting part. I used heavy 40 grit sanding belts to do certain shaping, especially around seams where two wood types come together. That heavy sandpaper is more like cardboard....not very flexible. Anyway, I was sanding up and down that face, and accidentally hit the steady rest wheel...which grabbed the sandpaper and WHAM!!! It threw my hand right into my face!!! It was loud too. And it gouged some marks into the shield
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Kinda hard to take a picture...so I used the flash. Without the shield, I would have punched myself in the face. Not a lethal punch...but it woulda made me unhappy.

Here's the piece after I was done.
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I called it a night and there ya are.

All in all...I recommend this piece of equipment. I will probably use the Bionic Shield most often...but this one does the same job...just a little heavier.

The Glass is Fibre-Metal brand, PN 4178....It is sold at Airgas.com for $5.20
The Glass Bracket is PN BUL400....sold at airgas.com for $8.07
The Hat is Jackson Safety, PN JAC3002428 and sells for $13.11
The inner adjustable band ratchet thing is $9.37 and I don't know the part number

You can get all the piece at Airgas or Safety Supplies

[Chip Sutherland]

I've got one of the 17 yr olds, too. It would have cost me $20 to get her to model my faceshield.

[David E Keller]

She's a beautiful young lady, John... For that reason, I'd keep a copy of those photos around just to show to any boys that show up askin' about her!

Oh, stop hitting yourself in the head... You don't wanna turn out like Muhammed Ali(sp?).

[Roy Turbett]

Anybody ever try a hockey helmet with a cage and safety glasses?

[Dan Forman]

Here is a post from another forum, by the president of someone's local turning club, about an accident he had recently:

"I was turning an 18" bowl on my 3520 and just starting to finish turn the outside. It was "Hickory" according to my neighbor who had cut the tree down and let me have a piece. I had dried the wet turned bowl for about 6 months in my shop and my drier, and my moisture meter read 2%.
In trying to get a smoother surface I turned up the speed to 2050 and was shear scraping when the bowl shattered and hit me in the face and chest. It did not come off the chuck. The tenon held firm.
I was wearing the "UVEX BIONIC SHIELD" full face mask that I had bought at Woodcraft.
I was knocked down, momentarily passed out, but both my lower jaw and upper jaw were fractured (broken). I was taken to the Emergency Room where I underwent emergency surgery that repaired both fractures with plates screws and having my jaws wired shut. I spent 24 hours in ICU. I also had severe bruising on my chest (where the bowl must have hit me) and rear end as I had fallen backwards. I believe the mask saved the back of my head from hitting the floor.
The mask shattered, but I believe it saved me from much more severe injury or even death.
I am now recovering nicely, my only hardship is that I'm on a liquid diet for 6 weeks.
I will not be at the meeting on May 18, but hopefully will be there in June.
I just thought you should know first hand, so as to be able to dispel any rumors or other stories.
Hope you have a good meeting."

Dan

[Cody Colston]

"I was turning an 18" bowl on my 3520 and just starting to finish turn the outside. In trying to get a smoother surface I turned up the speed to 2050 and was shear scraping when the bowl shattered and hit me in the face and chest.

That's just asking to get hurt. If my math is correct (highly suspect) then the rim of that bowl was turning near 110 mph at 2050 rpm. That's too fast. Using the speed guideline of diameter x rpm = 6000 - 9000, then 500 rpm is the fastest "safe" speed for an 18" vessel.

I have a question for the group here regarding that "accident", too. The guy said he also got hit in the chest by part of the bowl and it was bruised. Does that mean we all need to start wearing kevlar vests in addition to our hardhats, face shields and respirators?

I agree and already stated that face shields are smart PPE. No one wants to risk losing an eye or having their face disfigured. But, where does it stop? How much PPE is considered enough? What about our hands and fingers? What will we wear to ensure they never get damaged? That fellow also bruised his bum on the floor. Should we belt a pillow onto our posteriors to pad them in the event of a backwards fall?

I know I'm being sarcastic but I really do struggle with, as we say in my business, "trying to make everything worm proof." Ken will recognize the term.

Personally, I think a better approach would be to ensure, as thoroughly as possible, the integrity of the blank...ie, no cracks. Use a reasonable speed when turning. Faster gives smoother cuts and makes shaping easier but there has to be a practical limit. Stand out of the line of fire...always. I've had many pieces come off the lathe but I've never been hit by a significant chunk because I always stand out of the most likely path, especially when turning on the lathe. Listen to the sound your tools make. The sound/pitch will frequently change before a piece comes apart. Listen for that change and stop the lathe to examine the blank when you hear it. Wear whatever PPE you deem necessary. Until we get big brother regulating what we do in our home shops, that's a personal decision. If hardhats and face shields make you feel safer, wear them.

For NYW fans, I recall that Norm always wore, and advocated wearing, a face shield, even for spindle turning. :)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Thanks for all that info.

For those of you looking for bomb squad helmets, I was checking around Amazon for the hard hat and shield, found riot gear helmets. 60 bucks or so. Close enough?

[John Hart]

....But, where does it stop? How much PPE is considered enough? ....

Cody...I think you are over-reacting to this thread. But as many of these types of threads go...they degenerate into an "Overkill" and then degenerate further into a "Stop It!!"

That's not what I want. The safety tips that you stated regarding speed, position, checking for cracks, etc., are all legit....and they should be stated. But the fact is, if the subject of safety is squelched, or considered to be a "pansy" subject, then new turners are given the wrong idea about the potential dangers. And you know as well as I, that the lathe has the potential to rip you apart.

I am not a safety nut....far from it. This thread is for providing basic information about basic equipment, as a minimum for awareness purposes.

Please....everyone...let's keep things into perspective....avoid the overkill...and just provide useful information for those who lack it and need it.

Thanks
John

[John Keeton]

John, for the benefit of the discussion, perhaps some perspective is in order. From what I can find, woodworking typically has a somewhat higher rate of injury than does the manufacturing industry as a whole, and most of those injuries occur in "handling" which includes finger and hand injuries. "Hit by falling/moving object" accounts for around 17-18% typically. The most common injuries are laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and the chemicals used in finishing are health hazards, and can cause skin and respiratory diseases.

I cannot find any statistics, but I would surmise that most of the "hit" injuries in woodturning are relatively minor, with the most serious risk to the eyes. Getting one's clothing or hair caught in the lathe is actually considered a significant risk. Overall, woodturning has a very minor risk of injury associated with it. Situations such as that described by Dan, and such as occurred with Ms. Kelly are very rare.

The skull and face, as we all know, can be the site of serious and fatal injury, and it is the part of the body most exposed to the dangers of woodturning. So, I think we are talking about taking reasonable precautions to protect ourselves from that risk. Some would prefer to accept some risk - others not so much. This thread, and others like it, do not advocate anything but the presentation of options for those wishing to avail themselves of additional protection.

If you chose to take the risk, and we all do in various situations, then that certainly is a personal call.

I do agree that good technique, constant observation of the work, including changes in sound/appearance are by far and away the best prevention from injury. But, there are other "add ons" and that is what this discussion is about.

For me, I rarely use a facemask - though I know I should - at least in some situations. I am interested in the options out there, and appreciate the information.

[Paul Singer]

I for one appreciate what is trying to be accomplished here. We all need a wake up call every now and then. It is a shame that someone had to get hurt and die to raise the issue but we all need to examine our practices from time to time. Like "Norm" always tells us at the beginning of every show to know the safety recommendations for all of our tools.

Thanks for the thread. Made me buy a better shield.

[Tim Boger]

This topic got me thinking, I have a face shield though rarely wear it ..... most of my work is smaller segmented stuff. Setting aside the obvious safety benefits of a good shield / respirator I was looking into this accessory for my Jet lathe.

I wonder how tough it is to look through the mesh while turning?

Just an option.

Tim195223

[Paul Singer]

That is a good point. I think that this guard is the first thing most people remove from the lathe. I know I did. I am sure it would save alot of injuries if you could tolerate it.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I actually do rough out blanks with my cage down. I'm probably the only one. It takes a while to get used to it, and it's way annoying. Hard to focus on the blank at times. I've had bark shards hit the cage pretty hard. I move it out of the way after the blank is roughed out and balanced. It's a pretty good place to put gouges whlie adjusting blanks.
I also almost always wear a face shield and respirator.......

[Richard Jones]

I for one appreciate what is trying to be accomplished here. We all need a wake up call every now and then. It is a shame that someone had to get hurt and die to raise the issue but we all need to examine our practices from time to time. Like "Norm" always tells us at the beginning of every show to know the safety recommendations for all of our tools.

Thanks for the thread. Made me buy a better shield.

Couldn't agree more. This has made me rethink my safety regimen as well, plus I also ordered a couple of products to make it easier to work. If it's not easy to use, chances are we won't.

Rich

[John Hart]

For those of you who are interested, here's the review article I wrote for Woodturners America on the Bionic Faceshield

Not long after I began my spiraling trip into the depths of the woodturning vortex, I learned that pieces of wood flying from the lathe really hurt my face. Despite my efforts with safety glasses and trying to look the other way, the wood chips just seemed to find their way to embed themselves in my cheeks, nose, and mouth. I learn slowly.
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Joining an internet forum (Sawmill Creek) proved enlightening in the fact that people were regularly yammering on about different faceshields that helped in this regard. But, ho hum, those conversations usually degraded into arguments about which faceshield was the better one. Which one had the best filtration. Which one the most expensive....most versatile....most gadgets.....yawn. I started to believe that the faceshield industry had planted a bunch of zealots all over the planet, just to crawl the internet to market the latest and greatest. Oh sure, they talked about safety, and they talked about air quality, but it just seemed so scripted to me.
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Well, I wasn't getting any answers from the zealot force, and I didn't have a lot of money, but my cheeks still stung from the constant rapping of the wood chips, so I had to do something. So I went on my own search, looking for something...anything, that would be reliable, light-weight, low-cost, and would make the pain stop.

Checking around with the search engines, I zeroed in on Uvex, a name I had trusted in the past with safety glasses and ski goggles. Oddly enough, they offered a full-face shield called "The Bionic Faceshield" that met the specifications I needed, and the price was a bit lower than I was expecting to pay. Ok...it has a stupid name. "The Six Million Dollar Man must wear this thing", I thought. But after checking the reviews, it looked like I could get something within my budget that met all my needs.

So, I cashed in some soda bottles, checked the couch for change, and came up with the $25 to get my prize.
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When the Bionic Faceshield arrived, I was a little disappointed in the weight. It didn't weigh anything. I thought the box was empty!! But it wasn't. I installed the visor, which was a snap, and tried it on. It was easy to adjust and was comfortable. It seemed a bit too good to be true.

Then the true test. I picked out a dry chunk of oak, mounted it to the lathe, and started roughing. Oh wow!!! No pain!!! There was stuff hitting me in the face and I had a crystal clear view of it. Of course, the newness wore off after a while and I just appreciated the fact that I had the equipment. I still wonder why the zealots are so hard pressed to get everyone to spend all their money on nifty gadgets. But I guess that's the way things are.

When I concern myself with dust and fumes, I have a respirator that filters quite nicely, and it fits under the faceshield. So I'm good to go.
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Now, that story is over 5 or 6 years old. I still have my original Bionic Faceshield. The name doesn't bother me anymore, and it has always served me well. Since then, I've bought others, but the one I always go to first, is the Uvex. The only exception is when I'm teaching my kids how to turn. I let them wear it.

I also have found myself falling into the habit of only using the faceshield when roughing, or when I'm doing something that is obviously perilous. The rest of the time, I just wear safety glasses. I am coming to the realization that it is foolish to assume that I can predict the unpredictable nature of wood, and that attitude has now come to an end.

[Ed Morgano]

That's just asking to get hurt. If my math is correct (highly suspect) then the rim of that bowl was turning near 110 mph at 2050 rpm. That's too fast. Using the speed guideline of diameter x rpm = 6000 - 9000, then 500 rpm is the fastest "safe" speed for an 18" vessel.

Cody,
This is an extreamly good point and one that I wondered about immediately when I heard of Joan's accident. I have some questions and maybe we should start another thread about lathe speed because I don't want to hijack this thread. The questions are: Where was this formula arrived at? He was turning at 4 times the recommended RPM according to your formula. Would 2 times have been ok? How much of a safety factor is built into that formula? When it comes to exploding parts flying off the lathe, I would rather take up golf than to ever experience this so I would really like to know how this formula was arrived at and how it was tested. I definately want to stay in one piece! Hope you can shed some light on this important subject.

[Michael Mills]

Just to add a note about my “helmet”. My daughter and granddaughter also turn occasionally and I feel much better with that shield. They both also have fairly long hair and I have them pull it back in a ponytail, then tuck it into the back of their shirt. The last time my daughter turned it was still fairly cold weather so she wore my “turning smock” over her coat. Since the sleeves were very loose (it’s a Dickies XXL Tall work shirt) I duck taped the sleeves tight at the wrist (not to her, just taking up all the slack at the cuff.
A couple of days ago I tried out an idea. I removed the shield and removed the headgear of my welding helmet. With a very minor adjustment it is a good match. I have since order a new ballistic grade shield ($10 on ebay) and will pickup a quality headgear harness locally. This will make it much easier for them to adust as the helmet is not adjustable in size.
I agree this is extreme but check out the specs on many faceshields.
ANSI Z87.1 Standard: Withstand a 1” Steel Ball dropped from a height of 50 Inches without fracture.
So, If you drop 1” steel ball and drop from your chest to the floor and the shield doesn’t crack you are good-to-go?

[Jon Lanier]

I was turning a walnut bowl in my beginner days and made a poor recess. The bowl blew off hit my chest, rolled up my shield and smacked hard into the ceiling. I tend to try to make sure I've got a shield. But must admit, there are times I only wear my safty glasses, but that is when I'm NOT in the direct path of the turning.

[Trevor Howard]

Thank you John, for taking the time to pass on all this information. Sears screwed up my order from yesterday somehow, so I had to re-order last night. But I did go for the upgrade from the 8500 to 8150 :cool:

[John Hart]

ANSI Z87.1 Standard: Withstand a 1” Steel Ball dropped from a height of 50 Inches without fracture.
So, If you drop 1” steel ball and drop from your chest to the floor and the shield doesn’t crack you are good-to-go?


Yep...This is why it is extremely important to know the difference between ANSI Z87.1 and ANSI Z87+

If a protective shield is rated to Z87+, then it conforms to "..shall be capable of resisting impact from a 6.35 mm (1/4 in) diameter steel ball traveling at a velocity of 45.7 mps (150 fps). For sample size of 20, no failure may occur."

That's 100 mph. and a small bearing like that would extert a huge force in terms of PSI

[Dan Forman]

If something flies off the lathe and hits the Bionic shield, I would still expect quite a wallop, but I do think it would prevent a lot of skin laceration or penetration of the object. Like John, I would use mine even if it only offered protection from the curlies. As long as I can see properly, the safety gear doesn't really bother me while I am actually turning - I tend not to notice it while I'm in the act - it's when looking around for the next tool or whatnot that it starts to bug me.

Dan

[Cody Colston]

Cody, Where was this formula arrived at?

That's a formula I've seen on forums and woodturning info sites since I got my lathe in 2005. Like all new turners, I did not have a clue as to how fast to turn a particular piece and that at least gave a guideline. It's also recommended by Dale Nish at the CSUSA site... http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/article/31?Args=

The following is also by Dale Nish from CSUSA's site:

Several years ago I visited a friend who had been turning large lamps and platters which he was selling at craft shows. He had retired from the construction industry and was involved in a “useful hobby” and he was quite successful. He and his wife traveled to shows in their motor home and were enjoying retirement. He was in his shop turning 20" platters glued up from different species of colorful woods. The joinery showed a few heavy glue lines and the occasional small gap, but the quality was good enough for the customer he was selling to. I mentioned that 800 RPM was much too fast for platters that size, and turning outboard with a light floor stand was dangerous in itself. He didn’t feel that either the lathe speed or the floor stand was causing any difficulty and his comment was, “I’ve never had any problem.” A few weeks later one of the platters disintegrated while he was turning it and he suffered severe head injuries from which he never fully recovered. When I last saw him, he was in a wheel chair, on an oxygen bottle and was watching his shop being sold at a garage sale. This was an accident that never needed to happen. In more than 45 years of teaching, mostly woodworking and turning classes, I’ve never seen a smart accident.

Another sobering accident.

[Rick Markham]

I'm glad y'all are discussing this. I will be honest, I ALWAYS wear my Uvex Bionic. I have also looked at the Trend Airshield Pro, the Triton version, and the powered respirators that 3M offers.

In a perfect world I would have the 3M, they offer one with outstanding ANSI rating. Most of these faceshields (Uvex and Airshield) ANSI rating is substandard for what I am worried about hitting me in the face. Most are rated for low energy impact.

It has been awhile, I think the triton's face shield is a higher rating, though not as high as the 3M version (if I had a grand to spend I would be wearing one)

Now my question is, why can't someone manufacture a faceshield targetted to our hobby that is a high energy/high impact rating, at a resonable price. Frankly the low energy impact rating of the Uvex, and Airshields, isn't going to protect you in a situation like happened to Joan :(

Yes safety is purely our choice as individuals, but it is important to understand the limitations of our gear. All ANSI impact ratings are not created equal!

[Jim Burr]

Rick, keep in mind that the primary purpose of the Trend, Triton and 3M is respiratory protection first and impact second. There is no reason to turn without respiratory protection or impact protection. I applaud you for wearing your gear...and I'll bet your family appreciates it too!

[ray hampton]

I am unaware of the fit of your safety glasses, is it possible that a piece of wood could go between your face and the glass frame
maybe we all need to X-RAY the wood before we turn it

[Jon Nuckles]

John Hart: Thank you for the suggestion of a ball cap under the Bionic. I'll give it a try next time I get in the shop. Unfortunately, I am currently recovering from a jointer injury and haven't turned in a week. Need to quit the flat work!

[Rick Markham]

Jim, I wear it because I am ugly enough as it is, I can't afford to get any uglier lol

To me it is frustrating that yes their primary purpose is as respirators, however their secondary purpose should be a face shield. The 3M is the only one that is both. The triton slightly behind that.
If you actually check the ANSI specifications, almost all protective eyewear sold is the lowest impact rating i.e. low mass, low velocity. It pays to check.

[John Hart]

John Hart: Thank you for the suggestion of a ball cap under the Bionic. I'll give it a try next time I get in the shop. Unfortunately, I am currently recovering from a jointer injury and haven't turned in a week. Need to quit the flat work!

Yeah...flat work is dangerous. Stop it! Oh...and I figured out the reason why turning is statistically the safest.... It's because they don't count the pen blanks exploding on the drill press, logs being cut with bandsaws, segments being true up on tablesaws and disc sanders, grinder chips in the eyes.....oh, and lets not forget our chainsaws.:eek: Heal quickly Jon!!

[daniel lane]

I'd like to add my $0.02 to this discussion. I have used the Uvex Bionic since I started turning and have never had a problem. I love it; it's lightweight, the headband is adjustable with a simple twist knob in the back, so you can put it on and tighten it one-handed. Replacement visors are easy to add in and fairly inexpensive (~$17). The flip-up action is easy and positive, and the down position is adjustable to make room for respirators/etc. I bought a handful of these for my company when I was serving as the EH&S manager, they were worth every penny over the cheaper options.

I have never had a large piece spin off my lathe, so I can't speak to the ability of the Uvex to deflect/etc., but in the case of such an accident, I am more comfortable with it than I would be with a combined hard hat / shield. I've worn those before and I find them to be heavy and awkward compared to the Uvex. Bending over to work on a piece, the hardhat would feel like it were going to fall off. Considering how much of the head the Uvex covers, I'm happy using it for face/head protection. YMMV, my feeling is not an indictment of others' opinions.


Regards,

daniel

[Robert Culver]

i though maybe perhaps i sould give a face shield a shot I found one for 15.00 that is osha and ansi high impact approved its got a bit of glare but im assuming this is true with all face shields?

[Bill Wyko]

Looks like it would be comfortable. I was actually bidding on a trent airshield on ebay yesterday, someone beat me to it so maybe this could be an option.

[Keith E Byrd]

A few weeks ago this was the hot topic and I finally got mine. I distinctly remember someone saying (I am pretty sure it was Mr Hart) that the Uvex Bionic would work with a respirator. Well I put my respirator on (the kind with two round filters pointing out to either side) and it doesn't fit. Did I do something wrong?

[Jon Nuckles]

My Bionic fits over my dust mask, which has two filters sticking out to the sides. Are you using the thicker cartridges for solvents?

[John Hart]

Yeah...Guilty as charged. Although, my mask fits ok. I'm curious Keith...what is your make and model of respirator?

[Keith E Byrd]

John,
It is by AOSafety, model R5700. I can wear both but the mask protrudes a bit and is uncomfortable.

[Chris Burgess]

Hey I need that for when I get a gnarly piece on the lathe that rocks the whole shop. The Hard hat will protect me from falling material stored in the rafters that shakes out. I wear a shield from the company that harbors freight since I had a small bowl explode and slam into my tiny safety glasses I decided I needed more coverage and FAST!!!!!! Could have been a broken nose or some lost teeth of God forbid I was not wearing the glasses a Glass eye in the future.

[Tim Rinehart]

I have a 'Large' 7500 series respirator with P100 filters and have no problem with the Bionic faceshield. I can see, however, that much thicker filters would start getting in the way. I suspect the respirator you have sticks out a bit more than the ones as I have. For what it's worth, I really like the 7500, it has a soft silicone mold that stays comfortable to the face and makes a good seal (if you're not bearded).

[John Hart]

Well I feel bad about that, Keith. I hate to think I led someone incorrectly. (I don't mind if I fall into an alligator pit....but I don't like the thought of shoving someone else in)

I looked at some pictures of the R5700. From those, it looked like it would be fine. But I guess not. Tim, and Jon may have a valid point about the filters.

[Keith E Byrd]

Well I feel bad about that, Keith. I hate to think I led someone incorrectly. (I don't mind if I fall into an alligator pit....but I don't like the thought of shoving someone else in)

I looked at some pictures of the R5700. From those, it looked like it would be fine. But I guess not. Tim, and Jon may have a valid point about the filters.

John no reason to feel bad - you stated your experience and did not lead anyone astray. I will check out the 3M 7500 series mentioned above. I like the face shieeld really well - it just feels uncomfortable with my respirator. Thanks for the help you provided in all the analysis!