masks for grinding

S

strother1990

Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
3
May be a silly question, but I was wondering if its okay to use those white masks instead of a respirator? I have been making knives just for fun for a few months and have been using those masks when I grind. Any Thoughts?
 
Are you referring to the disposable paper masks? They really are not ideal, and are probably not doing much good. Respirators are cheap, so there is no reason not to have one.
 
do you have any facial hair?

even when I didn't have facial hair, those white masks didn't seal well, even stubble and they didn't seal at all. I went to half mask it sealed OK if I shaved so my beard would entirely fit inside, I cut a face shield so that it would fit around the respirator, my wife just got me a PAPR respirator, Trend Airshield Pro for Christmas, now that was the best! I used it all day yesterday. Comfortable, no steel dust in my nose and throat

-Page
 
Technically, the disposable dust masks are for dust only. Dust is a group name for fairly large airborne particles, mainly what we call nuisance. Good for pollen, grinding dust, wooden sanding, etc. Needs a decent seal around the nose and chin to be kinda effective. Your nose still does some filtering. Technically anyone can wear one as it is not supposed to strain the breathing system.

For anything chemically related, you need a half mask and clean shaven and the CORRECT cartridge. Using epoxy, thats one type, using solvents, thats another, etc, etc. DOES NOT ASSURE YOU HAVE AIR TO BREATHE. Your nose will not be effective and you want to keep this junk OUT of your breathing altogether. You need to be medically approved to wear one to make sure its not too difficlut for you to breathe through it, as in heart attack due to strain.

A whole chapter in the safety handbook.

Larry
Tinkerer
30 year safety professional
 
Well hells bells. I have been using paint masks too...thought they were plenty fine. Glad I found this out before I started grinding down G10 scales.

If this had been sex.....I would have a lot of soggy socks and way too many kids. =(
 
OK folks, Time for Ed to crawl up on his soapbox!

Last year at this time I was in my recliner for 8 weeks after having to have a portion of my right lung removed. Long story short, the Docs are 90% certain it was caused from all the years in the shop! For the most part, I had always worn a RESPIRATOR, but had never paid much attention to the proper fit or filters.....it cost me part of my right lung!
When the final biopsy came back, the found iron, calcium that they equated to ivory and antler, and some synthetics.
DO NOT EVEN THINK THAT THOSE FLIMSY PAPER THINGS WILL OFFER YOU ANY PROTECTION!! GET YOURSELF THE VERY BEST RESPIRATOR YOU CAN GET, AND FILTERS THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM WHATEVER YOUR WORKING IN!!

Having your ribs spread, a chunk of lung hacked out, a chest tube in there for a week, and spending 8 weeks down is not fun! After all of that, including the three days in the hospital, and a cost of over $70,000, the cost of a top end respirator and filters looks pretty darn minor!!
DO NOT SCREW AROUND WITH PROTECTING YOURSELF IN THE SHOP!! DO IT RIGHT OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!

Surgeryaftermath.jpg

OK, now I'm crawling down OFF my soapbox.

During my recovery I did a lot of research on respirators, and talking with several safety experts, I went with the newest 3M half face mask...the 7500 series. I actually purchased a case of the masks, and 2 cases of filters. Now I have a respirator hanging in 4 different place in the finish shop, each positioned so I have to go through the mask to reach the machine or specific work area.
 
How long does one have to wear a mask after getting done with sanding, or cutting G10, or other stuff?

Do you wear one when grinding blades?
 
If you can smell it you should be wearing the mask. What I do is let the dust collector run for a minute or two after I finish grinding then take off the mask. I need to wear mine more. Bought one of the 7500 series and it is very comfortable and affordable. I think I paid $25 for the mask and $10 for a set of filters. Like Ed pointed out that is pretty cheap if you look at the alternative.

And Yes you SHOULD wear a mask when grinding steel.
 
Robert Parsons said:
How long does one have to wear a mask after getting done with sanding, or cutting G10, or other stuff?

Do you wear one when grinding blades?
Click to expand...

You need to wear your mask as long as there is a possibility of dust in the air. You should definitely wear it when grinding. Think about it, you are standing right next to a machine that is spraying fine metal dust in the air, you basically have your head right next to a dust generator!

-Page
 
Robert Parsons said:
How long does one have to wear a mask after getting done with sanding, or cutting G10, or other stuff?

Do you wear one when grinding blades?
Click to expand...

This is a good question. Frequently, the most dangerous partials are the smallest partials which take much longer to settle out of the air, and can be invisible to the eye. Meaning very dangerous air may look clean, and can persist for a long time.

This is a Wiki article about air pollution that discuss the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulate

The important thing to take away from that is that cheap paper filters may prevent black boogers and are certainly better than nothing, but the really bad stuff that can penetrate deep into your lungs and cause cell damage can (and probably does) still get through.

I don't have a forced air system, and considering that I do most of my material removal on a mill under flood coolant I don't plan to get one. But if you're spending a lot of time in an area that exchanges air with your grinding area, you need to consider taking greater preventative measures.

Ed, did they let you keep the bit they cut out? Kept in a pickle jar out in the shop, that would make an interesting conversation piece...









edit to add: I think it is entirely possible that the fractured grit from the belts is likely just as dangerous as the dust from what you're grinding.
 
Nathan,

At the point in time when all that occurred, I was hurting so bad I didn't even think about wanting to keep the "bad" parts of me. :) I was just darn lucky that they found it when they did, and got to it before it turned cancerous....the Docs said that most of the time they don't catch things like that early enough, and by the time they find it, it's usually too late.
It was really a wake up call for me, and if it saves one other person it was worth all that I went through.
 
Hey Ed,

I hope you don't think I was making light of your situation. I remember when it happened and it scared the crap out of me. Based on your high recommendation, I ordered a 3M 7500 series mask.
 
In my opinion the white masks, even the costly 3M ones with the red or yellow noses, are basically useless for protecting you from the tiny particles of metal dust from an angle grinder, belt grinder, chop saw, etc. Get a properly-sized respirator with replaceable filters and be clean-shaven for a tight fit. Respirators do not work with beards or even a several-day growth of whiskers.
 
Miles Undercut said:
Respirators do not work with beards or even a several-day growth of whiskers.
Click to expand...

That is not good news. I am never clean shaved, well not often and surely not in the shop. :(

I also did not think it was that important while grinding steel since I do have a pretty good dust "evacuator".

Guess I have to rethink the whole respirator thing. Maybe get one like Page but that is mucho pesos. :(
 
I hate to hear about facial hair messing up the effectiveness of a respirator. I have some pretty epic facial hair and I use a half face mask respirator and face shield when grinding steel. When i get back into the house and after a shower etc, My lungs feel like they've been punched on.

any help for us guys who don't know what the term "clean shaven" means?
 
Clean shaven means all beard stubble cropped below the skin. If you can feel whiskers you will still not have a perfect seal, trust me, before painting cars I will shave just before putting on the mask, (for automotive paints I use a half-mask with organic cartridges) otherwise I can still smell solvents, and if you can smell it it is doing damage

Patrice my friend, the respirator was expensive, on the other hand my hospital visit this summer was $40,000 (Thank goodness for health insurance with my day job) If i had had to have surgery like Ed's it could easily have doubled that, compared to that the respirators are cheap

-page
 
I agree completely Page. I will buy it even if I have to put it on the credit card. Like you said, it's very cheap when compared to the problems it can prevent. Thanks for making the decision easier.
 
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