Respirators

[Apollofrost]

Ok folks, what do you use for a respirator and why?

 

Also, where did you purchase them?

[Frozentech]

Ok folks, what do you use for a respirator and why?

 

Also, where did you purchase them?

Half face respirator with organic vapor cartridges, because they keep toxic and irritating dusts and vapors out of your lungs.

 

You can buy them at any decent hardware store.

[Apollofrost]

any particular brand or store?

 

I've got a home depot, harbor freight, and just about anything else around here.

[marks265]

I got mine from fleet farm. I have inserts for vapors and not for vapors. The sidewinder had a good point and that was if you have an unexpected reaction you want to know ASAP. I only use the vapor when I am working with vapors!

[TheSidewinder]

Got mine from Menards, probably the same one as Frozen (soft gray half-mask with white cinch straps?) and as marks said, I made sure to get a filter cartridge that proteced against pretty much everything EXCEPT Ammonia.

 

LOL.... yeah, given what's likely to happen if you suddenly smell ammonia coming from a comp your'e making, I want to be the FIRST to know about it, not the LAST.

[Frozentech]

Here's a pic of the one I use:

 

Safety gear

 

That's true about the ammonia. Certain types of vapor cartridges will filter out the smell of a bad reaction, I have had it happen with Ammonium Perchlorate and Magnalium.

[crazyboy25]

I use a respirator almost identical to this:

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4116FTYLj9L.jpg

 

It's good against solvents, fumes, particles, chlorine etc.

 

You can get it at Anawalt or Home Depot.

[Mumbles]

Yes, I have a similar one to the ones above. I think they're all from AO Safety. Probably just slightly different models from year to year or style to style. I have one for organic vapors, and one specifically for lead vapor. I was attempting to cast lead media, so I went for the lead vapor filters. I've gotten heavy metal poisoning once. Never again. I also have one for ammonia, but I don't use it for pyro generally. Though it's useful in creation of strontium and barium nitrates from AN and the associated carbonate/hydroxide.

 

I've used those paper dust masks in the past. They work alright for minor operations like weighing, but I'd never use them for mixing or sweeping. They work, but just not extremely well.

[TheSidewinder]

Just a confirmation, my mask is a cheaper version of the one pictured, but it and the filters are made by AO Safety too.

 

I found a cartridge for it that served as an "all-in-one" for my pyro uses, when I first bought it.

 

("All-in-one" HERE, meaning: it protected aginst everything I would get exposed to, in a PYRO shop, ammonia being the exception.)

 

Went back last Summer and they weren't carrying it anymore. They had 2 or 3 new ones and none of them covered all things the first one did.

 

Makes me wonder if my first cartridge wasn't actually protecting me as it should have. Hmmm..

 

M

[Mumbles]

Particulates are the main things to be worried about. Any filter should cover nearly everything you're likely to come in contact with. The different filters(Organic, lead, ammonia, etc) have different pore sizes. All the solid pyro chems are far too big to fit into these pores anyway by at least a factor of 100 if not well more than 1000. Unless you are worried about acetone or alcohol vapors a particulate filter should be more than acceptable.

[cplmac]

I use the same mask that FT posted, the purple cartridges are good for any particulate we would come across in the hobby and to an extent vapor. The purple cartridges for asbestos are about the best filters you are going to find available commercially, and yes you can still smell vapor through them somewhat.

[TheSidewinder]

Thanks, Mumbles. I *thought* solids weren't a problem, but I didn't realize the size difference was THAT extreme. Good to know.

 

I *THINK* my first one was rated 2 or 3 micron? I'm tempted to go out to the garage and dig it out to see. (But not THAT tempted. It's cold here today!)

 

And as Mac mentioned, I could still FAINTLY smell whatever solvent I was working with. But I tried to avoid even that exposure when I could.

 

I purposely tested it with household ammonia. I easily detected it, so felt good to go.

 

@CplMac: The purple ones, eh? Thanks, good to know. I'll remember that next time I'm in Menards.

 

M

[JCrewPyros]

Curious... I have 2 respirators... I got them when I painted cars... I wonder if they would work for this kind of work... I have charcoal canisters on both of them... Guess I need to look them up and see what they filter...

[Mumbles]

I probably didn't word my second reply the best I could have. The pores aren't what the actual gas passes thorough. Think of it more like a bunch of channels with the walls of said channels lining the pores. The pores lining the channels are what absorb the ammonia, solvents, lead vapor, etc. The particulates are mostly stopped by physical filtration in the cartridge itself. Think of the solvent absorption more like water into molecular sieves. It's why they only have a finite life time, the pores eventually get full.

 

My main point was solvent, ammonia, lead, etc, they will all stop particulates pretty much the same I believe. I still use a standard particulate filter most of the time, partly because they're cheaper. Working in a research lab, the solvents at home don't even phase me anymore.

[Apollofrost]

I picked up one of the AO respirators that will filter pretty much everything but ammonia. I like it.

[Gunzway]

I need to buy one.

Roughly how much is a good quality one? USD I guess. I'll just convert to AUD.

[mike_au]

Bunnings have a green and yellow one for about AU$40-50 (from memory).

 

I haven't used it for any pyro stuff but I used it when I was painting the inside of my van. The air was so thick with paint I could barely see out the back doors, but I couldn't smell a thing and I could breathe fine.

 

I was in there the other day and picked up a set of impact/dust/chemical safety goggles as well. I had normal safety glasses but these ones are designed so that liquid splashes etc can't get in but they still let air circulate so they don't fog up. AU$22 Not quite as good as a full face mask, but I couldn't find one of them.

[Ventsi]

I'm stuck between two different types of dust masks, I don't know anything about them, just one is rated for drywall/fiberglass and the other for wood/FG.

 

http://images.lowes.com/product/051131/051131963450.jpg

 

 

http://www.usifaz.com/Web%20Site%20Pics/Misc%20Supplies/8200%20dust%20mask.gif

 

 

The yellow ones are 5.99/2

 

And the plain white ones are 5.99/3

 

I personally don't see any difference other than the yellow masks have a slight extension of fabric around the edges, which might help.

[Mumbles]

I would go with neither. They don't work all that well, and aren't really going to be reusable. I'd go for a half face respirator with carbon filter cartridges. They're only about $20, and will pay for themselves soon, as they will last much longer.

[nater]

The N-95 masks work great for certain things, not sure I'd use them around dust. We use them to keep safe from patients with TB. They'll work fine, but like other respirators they do need to be properly fit tested to each person and facial hair is a no-no. I can do this for the guys I work with, it only takes about 10 minutes when you have the proper equipment. Assuming you are using them for dust and not medicine, they are reusable for yourself. They do harbor a fair amount of moisture, so mold and bacteria growth can be problematic. Make sure you store them in a paper bag if you're going to reuse them.

 

I like the half facepiece respirators with the replaceable cartridges.

Edited November 28, 2009 by nater

[Ventsi]

Well then I'll go with a good respirator I suppose, I really don't know which ones are better than others so I'll post a few pictures, and if you guys could turn me towards the best/simplest/most practical one that be great.

 

I think this one with organic fume vapor cans should be fine?

http://static.www.odcdn.com/pictures/us/od/sk/lg/473806_sk_lg.jpg