Dust Masks

[Heteromorph]

So far the only prep tools that I have are different types of picks. Because of this there isn’t that much chalk dust being put into the air at one time. I currently wear surgical masks which are less restrictive than other dust masks but they seem to be ok for what I am doing. If at some point in the future I start using tools that generate more dust, such as air scribes, would these kinds of masks work or would I need more restrictive ones? What do you use? 

 

Thank you all very much for the help that I have received. I am just beginning to prep fossils and I am trying to learn as much as I can.

[jpc]

I do most of my airscribing in my sand blasting chamber, but that may not help you at his point. 

[Heteromorph]

37 minutes ago, jpc said:

I do most of my airscribing in my sand blasting chamber, but that may not help you at his point. 

Unfortunately I don't have a sand blasting chamber at this point but I will look into them for when I get better tools. I assume that they could be made at home as well? 

[RJB]

 I also have a sand blasting cabinet with an industrial vacuume hooked up to it, but thats for certain stuff, I also use a medical mask when i use my air scribes.  Im 60 and my lungs are still fine. 

 

RB

[Sagebrush Steve]

When the wildfires roared through Santa Rosa last October, emergency services  started distributing tons of dust masks at the local shelters.  I picked up a handful that had the NIOSH N95 rating, which are claimed to filter out 95% of the particles 0.3um or larger.  They are supposed to be much better than ordinary surgical masks, but they are a little harder to breathe through.  Read about them here: N95.

 

I don’t think you need them for hand scribing but if you use power tools without a blast cabinet I would recommend them.  They are available at most hardware stores.  They don’t filter out fumes, so as I discovered, if you are prepping Green River fish from the 18” layer they won’t filter out the petroleum smell.

[Ptychodus04]

I wear a commercial respirator when I’m prepping. The one I use has a P100 rated filter (blocks 99.9% of particulates.3 microns or larger) and has a vapor filter as well to absorb acid fumes and organic compounds.

 

All of these things come into play when doing serious prep work. The respirator only costs $40 and it is comfortable and easy to breathe in.

 

 

[jpc]

2 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I wear a commercial respirator when I’m prepping. The one I use has a P100 rated filter (blocks 99.9% of particulates.3 microns or larger) and has a vapor filter as well to absorb acid fumes and organic compounds.

 

All of these things come into play when doing serious prep work. The respirator only costs $40 and it is comfortable and easy to breathe in.

 

 

Can you wear it with facial hair? 

 

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, jpc said:

Can you wear it with facial hair? 

 

 

Yes. I have used it with and without a full beard. Even with a beard, I can't smell acetone while wearing it and I don't get any dust inside the respirator.

[JohnBrewer]

2 hours ago, jpc said:

Can you wear it with facial hair? 

 

I can

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, JohnBrewer said:

I can

 

[JohnBrewer]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

 

Well sorta. Gotta tuck this 

 

 

in this 

 

 

but it’s gotta a lot easier than Kris or Ron @Ptychodus04 and @RJB 

 

In all seriousness it’s uncomfortable but it keeps the lungs clean. I use one for work in my photo lab as I use heavy metal salts, potassium cyanide, formaldehyde solution and various volatile solvents among other really nasty stuff. Different cartridges are available.

 

I have grandkids, I wanna meet their kids when they come along too.

 

Yeah, it needs a trim! 

[Kane]

Some serious, stand-up grey in that sward, sir!  

[JohnBrewer]

8 minutes ago, Kane said:

Some serious, stand-up grey in that sward, sir!  

It’s just the lighting dude.  

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, JohnBrewer said:

It’s just the lighting dude.  

 

Normally he uses colored light to hide the gray!!!

 

I use a 1/2 mask. It covers the mouth and nose but not the eyes. I wear safety glasses when forging or grinding and I’m behind a lens or microscope when prepping so eyes are safe either way.

[Heteromorph]

18 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

 

Normally he uses colored light to hide the gray!!!

 

I use a 1/2 mask. It covers the mouth and nose but not the eyes. I wear safety glasses when forging or grinding and I’m behind a lens or microscope when prepping so eyes are safe either way.

I have noticed that if I am wearing a surgical mask with safety glasses they always fog up. Does the mask you use not cause this problem with your glasses? Also, what kind/s of microscopes do you use?

 

Thanks everyone for all advice!

[Ptychodus04]

11 hours ago, Heteromorph said:

I have noticed that if I am wearing a surgical mask with safety glasses they always fog up. Does the mask you use not cause this problem with your glasses? Also, what kind/s of microscopes do you use?

 

Thank everyone for all advice!

 

I have the same problem with the dust masks. With the respirator, there is a one way exhaust valve near the chin that forces you exhaled breath down rather than allowing it to escape wherever the seal is weakest (around the nose on surgical masks).

 

I use an Omax stereo dissecting scope on a boom arm for prepping. 

[JohnBrewer]

17 hours ago, Heteromorph said:

I have noticed that if I am wearing a surgical mask with safety glasses they always fog up. Does the mask you use not cause this problem with your glasses? Also, what kind/s of microscopes do you use?

 

Thanks everyone for all advice!

I don’t have any problem steaming up with my mask.

[KimTexan]

I’m not as serious a prepper as most of these guys, but I generate a lot of dust with my power tools. I don’t have an air scribe or blading cabinet. I use the N95 masks. They have a little metal clip thing that goes over your nose. It allows you to bend it and fit it to your nose. So you can adjust it so that you don’t fog up your glasses too much. If you adjust it correctly you won’t have the glass fogging issue. 

We actually use N95 masks at work. They are to be used when working with patients who have TB. They won’t let TB pass through. You can but then at Home Depot. I think the ones I got were in the paint section. They must help to not breath in too many paint fumes.

There are also safety glasses that curve pretty close to your face. My dental hygienists has some that curve in on the bottom and touch her cheeks. They look pretty cool.

Something like these may work.

 

Also, I use to Scuba dive and there was a solution I use to put in my diving mask to help prevent it from fogging up due to temp changes in the water. I’m not sure if a solution would help with fogging due to breathing.

[Sagebrush Steve]

2 hours ago, KimTexan said:

Also, I use to Scuba dive and there was a solution I use to put in my diving mask to help prevent it from fogging up due to temp changes in the water.

We called it “spit”  

 

[Ptychodus04]

I think a $40 respirator is an easy solution to these problems. The canisters last a VERY long time.

[JohnBrewer]

On 24/02/2018 at 12:33 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

The canisters last a VERY long time

I happily recycle my vapour filters for use as dust filters.