A slight annoyance I have

Try the 3m disposable respirator - about £15, but works well on partical and vapour, comfortable to wear and makes a good seal onto the face. The air exhaust is in roughly nose position and angled down such that it will not mist ordinary googles.

Dunno if this will help, but I find that 'double-glazed' ski-goggles are resistant to steaming up. It must be to do with the internal transparent layer keeping so warm because of the external transparency layer that condensation has difficulty condensing on it.

Andy.

I find a face visor very effective, and has enough space to wear a dust mask underneath. A decent respirator is preferable, far better than disposable masks.

Here's one of the once machine mart sell, but they do others also, as do other stockists:

Alan.

Agreed. This is about the only one of the many I've tried that mostly avoids this problem.

I have never found a satisfactory solution from these types of product.

Either the filtration is not very good, the eye protection mists up, lets in dust or whatever. Something that is going to do this is not a good protection system at all.

I need to use both forms of protection, and against flying woodchips as well, quite regularly for woodworking including lathe turning, sanding,.... so I looked at powered respirators with face shield.

There are various ones on the market including one piece products with power unit and batteries in the helmet or hat. The problem with these is that either the battery run time is short or the battery packs are heavy and make wearing on the head uncomfortable after a long period of use.

In the end I settled on a set of 3M Dustmaster equipment. This is a range with a whole variety of options in terms of headgear, visors and filters. I went for a fairly light weight helmet with suitable visor. The motor unit and battery pack are on a belt and are connected to the helmet with a flexible hose. Various filter types can be fitted to the motor unit depending on use. Typically I am using the dust and particulate version. There is a lightly elasticated shroud which fits under the chin as part of the helmet. With the fan running, there is a steady stream of filtered air and the area in front of the face is under slight positive pressure. There is no steaming up as a result and the setup is comfortable for hours of use.

it's not a cheap solution, but I don't believe in economising on safety equipment, because it's a false economy.

Rub soap onto the the inside of the lense and polish up with a soft dry cloth. You should find this will solve the problem of misting. ]

SPAM....

either

product.

steaming

Andy, what was your source and about how much?

AWEM

Keep your eye on ebay I picked up a Power Cap

Works fine, but a bugger getting them on over glasses

Rick... (The other Rick)

A full face visor is the only type which is effective for Spouse. It solves the problem of his spectacles and he large beard, which cause different problems with other protection.

I bought one for him years ago from an agricultural supplier, it was very expensive. I'm glad the price has come down.

Mary

What other protection and when

AWEM

The one mentioned in screw fix looks good but would that be good for sanding, as going to be sanding down all the walls.

Secondly, can that one be used forever or is there a life span on it?

Many thanks.

Greenhams.

You can buy this product as piece parts - e.g. the helmet/visor, the tube, the air supply and the filters.; or sometimes as a packaged deal. I think I paid about £250 for mine about a year ago. There is also an option, which tends to be used by heavier users where a workshop air supply can be used. However, it involves a special conditioning and filter pack to remove any oil vapour and other contaminants from the compressed air. Although I have a good workshop compressed air system, this extra filter equipment is pretty expensive. The motorised belt pack has the advantage of portability as well.

This is not a cheap option, but certainly for jobs that are typically unpleasant like chasing walls and other plaster cutting, this is a pleasant option. There is no steaming up or sense of restricted air supply or indeed getting overheated.

Yes, these are certainly not bad. I tried one out at a woodworking show and they are quite respectable, especially with external battery pack. There is also a Trend one, but it tends to feel very heavy after a while.

Another good source of safety equipment , apart from Greenhams, is Arco.

They also do a comprehensive catalogue.

I should add that both firms are "trade" suppliers and one can negotiate on price - don't accept the first offer.

I have a 3M Optrel Solarmatic welding mask which has the same ventilation system - very good indeed.

Yes, very good.

It theortically has a lifespan of 30 days - but I susspect that is 30 full days of exposure to contaminants. Used intermittently they seem to last much longer (I have been using one for well over a year on and off, and it is still effective and offers little added breathing resistance).