Dust Mask.. Which one do you use?

[SARGE..g-47]

I have sought a dust maskl that doesn't fall off, fits well, comfortable, doesn't fog glasses and eliminates dust. I found one last week at Highland Hardware when I was there to pick up a few items as I wore out the old current issue after 5 years.

North N95.. reasonably priced and a perfect fit for me with a clever head loop that keeps the straps from riding down and the mask falling off. Finally.. after a 34 year search..

Just wondered what type you use and do you have some of the complaints I had? Or have you already found one that is a match for you?

Regards... JT

[MilDoc]

I like the Dust Bee Gone. Not OSHA approved since it's not approved for fumes etc., but very comfortable and effective for woodwork, especially with glasses and a beard.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

HF had a new one for around $30 that I thought looked good. It was made of neoprene (sp?) and had filters that could be replaced. The bands that go around your head were nice and wide. There was nothing scratchy that was going to be contacting the skin. Of course I have to wait for it to go on sale to buy it from HF.

I also believe the AO Safety 95190 Woodworkers Respirator at Amazon looks ok. I am going to try one or both of these. If they don't cut it I am going to bite the bullet and buy a Trend Airshield.

While I have pretty good DC practices in my shop, I am having more and more problems with sinus issues. The throat issues particularly seem to have a lot to do with wood dust. My biggest problem is "don't need DC methods for cutting/sanding/planing/jointing this one piece right?"

[maxparot]

I have a AO safety with replaceable cartridges. If you spray any paint investing in a mask that can handle more than dust is worth while.

[WoodButcher26]

MilDoc, you say the DustBeeGone works with a beard, that peaks my interest, since I haven't shaved clean since my retirement. I went to the site for the mask, and read their blurb. Is the filtration factor still pretty good with the chin fur? That's the main problem I have with anything I've tried lately.


Kim

[wardprobst]

(snip)
I also believe the AO Safety 95190 Woodworkers Respirator at Amazon looks ok. I am going to try one or both of these. If they don't cut it I am going to bite the bullet and buy a Trend Airshield.

While I have pretty good DC practices in my shop, I am having more and more problems with sinus issues. The throat issues particularly seem to have a lot to do with wood dust. My biggest problem is "don't need DC methods for cutting/sanding/planing/jointing this one piece right?"

Jeffery,
I have a Trend Airshield and I love it. I use it for things the Oneida doesn't hook up to- circle saw, sanders, drill press, hand held router, etc. I have a beard and wear glasses and this is by far the best thing I've found- but of course it's not cheap. It was worth the money to me.
DP

[SARGE..g-47]

I was looking for the Dust-be-gone as Doc mentioned, Kim. I just finally wore out a Dust-foe 88 (think it was Dust-foe?). Highland Hardware here in Atlanta is carrying the North now as that is where I got my last mask.

I also have a beard and wear glasses in the shop. When I tried one on, I knew I had hit pay-dirt personally. It sealed my beard better than I have ever tried over the years and the way the head-loop and behind the neck attachment was designed just made sense for a change.

The Dust-be-gone may be a custom fit also. I have just not tried it as I ran across this.

www.northsafety.com www.highlandhardware.com

It cost about $30 with a box of 20 filters. And as the guys mentioned, it is not for fumes. I don't spray, but I wear a fume mask when working with finish. Especially in the colder months here in Atlanta when I have the heater in the shop on and the doors closed. Even then, I get it applied, crack the doors and evacuate up-stairs until it cures.

Regards.. JT

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Jeffery,
I have a Trend Airshield and I love it. I use it for things the Oneida doesn't hook up to- circle saw, sanders, drill press, hand held router, etc. I have a beard and wear glasses and this is by far the best thing I've found- but of course it's not cheap. It was worth the money to me.
DP

I am pretty confident that I will end up with the Trend, but I have to fail at the $20 option first. Boy that speaks volumes for how cheap I can be.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I have a AO safety with replaceable cartridges. If you spray any paint investing in a mask that can handle more than dust is worth while.

I have those as well with the high end filters that can be used for spraying. I also use this mask for hostile environments where I face mold, chemicals, etc reviewing large losses for insurance companies. It works well when I have to use it, I just don;t find the process remotely appealing. I hate breathing through that mask. I am looking for something less restrictive and that can make breathing a little easier when I am faced with something less severe such as wood dust.

[steve-norrell]

I started using a respirator-type face mask that filters dust and chemicals after an unfortunate exposure to either wood dust (probably cedar) and/or glue (Gorilla). From personal experience, if there is even a remote possiblity of sensitivity, then the respirator type of mask should be considered. Being unable to breathe normally for two days makes the $40 or so bucks seem really insignificant.

With respect to wood dust, see the attachment for sensitivity issues with various species of wood. Again, sensitivities only get worse on each subsequent exposure, so the respirator type of face mask may be a necessity.

There is plenty of good advice on these forums and it was here that I got clued in to sensitivity issues with glue and wood dust.

Best regards!

[jseklund]

I don't know if it's the BEST out there, but I've been using a 3M 7500 series half-face respirator mask with their 2097 pancake filters. The entire setup was about $25-30, the filters are replaceable for about $7/pair or less. They supposedely last for 40 hours of use, but I've used them maybe a little longer (still on my first pair) and they are just now starting to deteriorate (they get clogged).

The 2097s are a P100 filter (Hepa). If you need to deal with fumes or gas- then you will probably want to get a chemical/gas filter to go with them. However, these should hold for most anything I could come across- wood dust, mold, etc.

The mask is pretty soft, seals tight, and is easy to breath through. Actually, I barely even know it's on after a couple of minutes. I probably have it over-tight (i have been meaning to adjust) and it still doesn't hurt. It by itself doesn't fog up goggles. Actually, it may not fog them at all. My goggles fog even when I am not wearing it, especially if I put them up on my head for a second and then lower them, haha. I need a better pair of goggles....

[gsmittle]

I have those as well with the high end filters that can be used for spraying. I also use this mask for hostile environments where I face mold, chemicals, etc reviewing large losses for insurance companies. It works well when I have to use it, I just don;t find the process remotely appealing. I hate breathing through that mask. I am looking for something less restrictive and that can make breathing a little easier when I am faced with something less severe such as wood dust.

I wear one of these, too. I have a beard and find that for me it seals fairly well, and if I take the time to adjust it juuuuuuust right it doesn't fog my goggles. I've discovered that I'm quite sensitive to sanding dust and finish fumes, so I use it whenever I'm doing anything dusty or fumy (is that a word?). I don't wear it when I use my BT--I find the Shark Guard works very well in that regard. I use the respirator whenever I work with MDF, no matter what I'm doing.

Like Jeff, I don't find it very appealing, but a chronic cough and shortness of breath isn't any fun either.

I REALLY want one of the cool over-the-head-helmet-and-face-shield ones, but that will have to wait until Santa is very good to me...

g.

[MilDoc]

MilDoc, you say the DustBeeGone works with a beard, that peaks my interest, since I haven't shaved clean since my retirement. I went to the site for the mask, and read their blurb. Is the filtration factor still pretty good with the chin fur? That's the main problem I have with anything I've tried lately.


Kim

Filtration doesn't seem to suffer at all, but maybe it's actually the beard at the lower end that does the filtering ...

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Filtration doesn't seem to suffer at all, but maybe it's actually the beard at the lower end that does the filtering ...

So what micron does your beard filter down to?

[James Duxbury]

DustBeGone only claims to filter down to 3 microns and they don't tell the efficiency at that. A simple dust mask like a N100 filters over 99.97% at 0.3 microns. It is quite a difference.