3m airmate

[joe zarnitz]

do you use the tyvek face shield with the airmate or remove it

[Bill Boehme]

Removing it would basically defeat the purpose of using a PAPR system. Why do you want to remove it?

[joe zarnitz]

in the videos of bill grumbine it didnt look it was there

[Paul Williams]

Perhaps Bill removes it for the video so it doesn't interfere with the mic or the audio.

[Harry Robinette]

I believe Bill says a little about not wearing the shield on the video cause it interferes with something. I haven't watched Bills dvd in a while but I think thats why.

[Alan Zenreich]

I assume that you're referring to the 3M AirStream that Bill and others wear.

When it was originally sold as the Racal Airstream AH5, it was configured with soft rubber shields instead of the tyvek skirt that's common now.

The rubber shields were made in two sizes, large and small. These served the same purpose as the tyvek skirt, except it left the 'chin' portion of the faceshield open... not a problem, as the air exits there instead of through holes in the skirt.

This works out well for people with large heads, whose chins don't fit entirely under the shield. Bill G is one such person... I don't think the tyvek skirt would wrap around his chin and beard.

One of the 3M AirShields I have is configured with the tyvek skirt, and I recently received an earlier one that has the rubber shields. I'm trying to decide if I should just put tyvek on both of them, or keep the two different configurations which could be useful if I have a guest with a large mellon < s >

[Bill Boehme]

Just to make sure we are on the same page, are you referring to the white colored "cloth-like" SEAL with an elastic band that fits between the edge of the FACE SHIELD and the wearer's head and neck to seal out dust? This is what I assumed you meant. There is also a flexible rubber face seal that is black colored and I think that is what Bill Grumbine once said that he uses. It might be harder to see in a photo than the white Tyvek seal. I think that some turners with beards find it more comfortable than the Tyvek seal. The purpose of the seal is to prevent dust in the surrounding air from mixing with the filtered air blowing across the wearer's face and reducing the effectiveness of the unit. Bill has said that the Airstream is a fairly tight fit for him so it is possible that the seal might just be a moot point in his case. Unless he has recently changed, he is using an Airstream and not an AirMate. Anyway, unless you have a really valid justification, I don't think that it would be a good idea to pay the big bucks for high efficiency air filtration and then do something that would decrease its effectiveness.

I am sure that Bill G. has not removed the polycarbonate face shield from his Airstream -- unless he removed the shield for a video because of glare from the lights. I have the impression that he is a strong advocate of respiratory protection based on my conversation with him seven or eight years ago before I bought an Airstream.

[Alan Zenreich]

Harry, to be clear, we're not talking about the faceshield.

We're just talking about the difference between using the tyvek/elastic skirt that closes the sides and bottom of the faceshield, or using the soft rubber panels that cover just the sides of the faceshield.

[Bill Boehme]

BTW, Alan, it is still called the Airstream. You are thinking of the Trend Airshield.

[Alan Zenreich]

Bill,

Thanks for catching the typo, I fixed it in my post.

I decided that a picture is worth a word or two.

Here's a photo showing the tyvek skirt and the large side shields.

[Bill Boehme]

Alan, do you find one to be more comfortable than the other?

The battery rig looks nice and compact and I will certainly give it consideration whenever my battery poops out. I might also consider having it rebuilt. The current price of about $260+ is a bit rich -- although batteries for my 18 volt DeWalt drill is about half that and batteries for my Canon 7D are in that neighborhood too.

The Airstream on the right looks like it might be an older model because I don't see the nylon button at the front of the helmet.

[Alan Zenreich]

Bill,

I don't yet have a preference, I've used 3m shields with the tyvek for the past few years and only recently acquired the unit with the side shields.

The unit on the right is an original Racal AirStream AH-5.

The alternate battery I'm using costs about the same as having the original rebuilt, and of course I like the newer configuration. I don't generally use the OEM batteries any more.