Hi,
Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers? I've been buying whatever I could find in the sheds; previously they were 3M, this time it was something by Harris. I've been trying to cut some MDF so I needed a mask but even adjusting the bit round the nose I was getting my glasses steamed up. Has anyone found a make that doesn't do this?
TIA
I presume that you are talking about the disposable 'paper' type. I have a similar problem which was mostly solved using a valved version. Plastic grid in the front with a piece of thin rubber - breathe out ant the flap opens to give an open passage to the air (little pressure so little air forced around the nose seal), breathe in and the flap closes to restore filtering
Malcolm
This Harris one is not valved but the 3M ones were. I can't remember now but I think I still had the steam problem even with the valved variety.
In the end, being an asthmatic carpenter, I invested in a full face mask with fan driven filtered air flow (by Trend). Expensive, but a boon for anything dusty. It does 4 hours on a charge, but I have two batteries.
R.
I find its not worth titting about with the fold up ones. These on the other hand:
Mostly I wear a face shield against flying stuff. Under that I can wear most sorts of mask, disposable paper for light stuff on-site, one- month 3M disposable rubber or a good 3M silicone half mask with replaceable filters. So long as you have an exhale valve and a paper mask has the wire nosepiece adjusted, I don't get steam-up problems.
For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from Axminster work well with glasses
And screwfix claim they work for gases even though they are only P2 masks!
A "P2 mask" is something that Vatican masons wear.
Masks have ratings. They may have several ratings simultaneously. "P2" is their rating against particulates, and doesn't have any indication that a mask does or doesn't filter other contaminants too, such as vapours.
That particular mask is one from the 3M 4000 disposable range. As it appears to have a brown & white tag on the valve it's a 4200 series, which have a carbon filter as well as fibre, so they're are also good against simpler organic vapours. As it's cheap and only claims to be P2 not P3, it's probably the entry-level 4251 that should cost about
15 quid, or less in boxes. Common as muck, and a good basic mask. If you teach short workshop courses, you're probably handing these out to every student - they have a 1 month life without COSHH paperwork and work out cheaper than disposables.
Seconded. Just bought a JSP Powercap. Staggeringly expensive and not yet used in anger, but it looks promising. 8 hours on a charge.
Thanks. How long does it last before you have to throw it away? twenty-eight days has been mentioned in other replies. Is that 28 days of use rather than 28 calendar days: mine might sit on the shelf that long before being used depending on what I get round to doing!
I think it is aimed at industry where you can use them for 28 days solid without any extra maintenance or paperwork.
In DIY use they last ages - I have had one for years that still seems very effective and has not got any more difficult to breath through.
Tell us what you think when you have tried it!
I don't wear glasses but find that if I am doing heavy work that builds up a sweat sealed goggles will soon steam up. I am not sure that the protective glasses type are that effective from flying masonry for example.
Andrew
What's "heavy work" ? Raising a sweat, or flinging hot fragments in your mush?
The "Transformers" mask is pretty good as a set of spectacle- compatible goggles with attached cheek shields.
Otherwise it's time for a headshield, hung off a brow band. I wear one of those far more than I wear goggles. My half-masks (screw-on side filters) will also fit underneath, if there's a dust or fume problem. For a real fume problem (usually ammonia fuming) I wear a mil-surplus full-face mask. An Avon S10 is good, easy to find and fairly cheap (but go to a big surplus dealer and root through to find undamaged ones). Although military masks have small eyepieces, they're designed to allow accurate rifle shooting, so they're usually pretty good optically.
Raising a sweat. Most recently channelling out in dense brick and having to reach up to do so. So not sure I would be comfortable using a face mask rather than goggles. But goggles have a tendency to steam up quite quickly.
Andrew
I would go with a full face visor and a SDS for that sort of job (or a wall chaser)
Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I have never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard soap might be your answer.
Dave
I remember that. Ideal Home show in the late 70's IIRC.
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