Tutorial What you need to know about respiratory protection!

Just being extra cautious but, would these cartridges work with this respirator? And are these pieces correct for spraying sealant? Located in Canada so trying to find cartridges that won't execute my wallet every time they need to be replaced.

 

You mentioned you used the kitchen sometimes and that you had a skylight. Some stoves have a ventilation hood over them. If it vents to the outside of the house you could turn it on. Also you mentioned that you open the skylight. You could rig something like a shelf or hangers to put the pieces on close to the opening of the skylight, this would allow the pieces to off-gas and since most of the off-gas chemicals are lighter then air they will go out the skylight.

 

Mistress_Wish
I took a look at these and they should work just fine for you. I have used this same respirator in the past with more dangerous Chemicals.

 

Thank you so much for putting this together and informing all of us. It took me a while to find everything in Europe.
A while back there was a doll meet I was invited to where we would be creative and one partvof the group did face ups and I (stupidly) thought that msc would not be sprayed during the meeting so I did not bring the mask.
I was dead wrong. They were spraying the entire time. Their idea of safety was spraying outside. That did not make a big difference. One person was also working with a airbrush inside the entire time. It was my first time meeting them and I did not feel comfortable about reminding them of this topic. I had trouble breathing for a week afterwards.
Soon there will be another meeting and I will bring my mask. I am probably the only one there with one. Is it my responsibility to inform them of the risks?

 

@Subzerolover - Maybe you could print some copies of the information listed here and just offer it to the other people at the meeting? That way they could read it or not (I definitely think they should!) and even if some of them ignored it you would have the comfort of knowing you did your best to help them. Offering printed information might be easier than trying to explain in person.

 

I would not worry about what they think of you for wearing a respirator. That is for your protection.

As StellaMarigold said you could have some kind of information about protection. It is a very touchy subject for some people. Some will see the benefit right away and for others it will take a while. I've worn respirators most of my adult life working with chemicals worse than MSC.

 

Hello! I would like to buy a respirator before spraying MSC and found these 3 so far. Is anyone familiar with them or would you recommend one in particular? I've seen several people mention 3M here but I am not sure which one is the most suitable for spraying sealants.

 

Hello,

I have used this one in the past. The other 2 I have not. I've used it in much more harsh environments than MSC. I know you would be fine with this one. Make sure you get the chemical filter for the MSC and also get a few particulate filters to snap onto the outside of the chemical filter. Once breathing starts to get harder leave the area and go to an area that has fresh air, then pop off only the particulate filter and put a new one on. Dispose the old one and return to continue with your project.
You can also see my posts in this thread on Doning Doffing and Cleaning.




Have fun and be safe.

 

Thank you @scorpion !
The respirator comes with 6001 OV cartridges and 5P71 particulate filters, which protect against sealants according to 3M's website. Are these the filters you are talking about or do I have to buy others separately (I saw previous posts mentioning the 5N11 N95 filters for example)?

 

Yes, that is the chemical filter (6001 OV) and particulate filter (5P71).
The particulate filter also has a plastic cage that holds the particulate filter onto the chemical filter. It just snaps on. That plastic piece is reusable. I've used these in a professional situation. I worked QC/QA at Glidden Paint company for several years. We changed these filters every shift. And I never had a problem with breakthrough or difficulty breathing (meaning the particulate filter was plugged).
The particulate filter is cheap enough to use for a day of spraying then tossing. As little as you may be using the respirator you should be able to use the chemical filter several times.

 

@scorpion thank you so much, that's really helpful and I feel much more at ease starting this project relying on professional advice!

 

Does anyone have any advice for finding a respirator that fits when you have a big nose? The last time I bought a respirator the bridge of my nose pushed the nosepiece up so there were gaps along the sides. I was thinking about getting a full face respirator, but I wear glasses and I feel like it probably wouldn't seal over them. Help?

 

Honest truth is that the more protection the better with resin. If I were to do anything with resin, I'd look at something like this:

 

From what you have disclosed, I would suggest that you attempt a larger size. You will see that I have posted here on this thread many times. It sounds like you have a respirator that is too small. There will always be plenty of space inside of the respirator for all portions of your face. I have worn many different types of respirators during my life. The full-face respirator shown in the previous post looks to be acceptable, however in my experience I would be a little hesitant of it. One place I worked at in the past that used a respirator like this one and it had a power supply that forced air over your face and out around your chin. It was not very effective.
A full-face respirator is what I would suggest. However, a half-face respirator will also be acceptable. You would need a pair of safety glasses to cover your eyes during spraying. I to wear glasses and have a adaptor that is made for corrective lenses to be installed. For this reason, I would suggest a half-face respirator with safety glasses over your eyes as this the insert could be quite expensive.
Just as I have posted here, I would suggest using some sort of ventilation hood which could be as simple as a box with a ventilation fan.

 

A lot of respirators will not fit perfectly, unfortunately. If you’re not able to do a fit test (which is expensive), it’s really hard to get the size right . What size did you get the last time? You may wanna try sizing up if you can, although I understand the struggle. I have a 3M half face respirator, size small, and it does fit, but it also hurts the bridge of my nose, BUT I think a bigger size would not fit right around the rest of my face, because it’s thin.

As for the glasses, I settled for not wearing them, and I wear safety goggles so I can get closer to my work when I need to, OR I wear an old pair of glasses that I don’t mind getting a little bent, because they do with the goggles. It’s not a perfect solution.

Scorpion’s solution with the insert is really ideal though, if you can pay the extra money.

 

Thank you folks! It seems like I do have some options. It's a little daunting, especially since I don't know if my shaky hands will even let me do a faceup. I may get some brushes and practice on paper first to see if it's even a possibility, before I invest in any equipment. But I appreciate everyone's input.

 

Thank you so much for this information! I have been really wanting to get into faceups- it's my favorite part of the hobby. But my enjoyment has been so ruined by not knowing how to be safe doing them, that I just stopped. I have dolls in boxes, faceless and uncustomized. I ordered the half-mask I need with the right cartridges, and I am SO excited to give my girls face ups with peace of mind that my hobby isn't a risk to my health. Thank you!

 

I have got diagnosis MultipelChemicalSensivity from not protecting from airbourne chemicals when I was young. I am very isolated now. And not very well.

 

@tovej - I'm so sorry I have MCS as well, although it isn't from chemical exposure, it is a weakness in my family. It is very isolating. Travel is hard, going to stores (especially new stores) is risky, I'm always having to tell friends and family not to wear perfumes or colognes, etc.

One thing that has helped me is buying some mini portable HEPA-filter fans. Mine fit in my purse so I can take them with me when I go out and use them when needed (for example, if in a very strong-smelling waiting room). I don't know if they have them in Sweden, but maybe you'll find something similar.

I hope that you can feel better soon.

 

A while back I got into modding and started sculpting and casting doll parts myself.

I looked around and did some research for which resin brands to use and what kind of colorants to go with them and settled on one of these art and crafts resins that are used for coating and making little trinkets like jewelery and coasters. The product I used was Resin 4 Decor and it was advertised as "odorless, non-toxic, no VOCs, non flammable, safe to use" and on the bottle the only safety instructions were to work in a well ventilated area and to avoid skin and eye contact no mentions of needing a respirator.

I also used colorsthat were non-hazardous according to their safety sheet.

So I ended up mixing and casting the resin without respirator in front of an open window as instructed. But after I was done, I noticed a bit of a sore throat and irritated nasal channel. It went away after a few days but I ended up doing more research about the product and one (!) page said dangerous when breathed in and on their website more or less in small print it says that the non-toxic etc refers to the cured product.

I'm a little worried now, does anyone else have experience with this type of resin? Can your respiratory system take permanent damage after being exposed for 30-45 minutes like this?

Edit: I of course did not inhale or sniff it purposefully but I was mixing and pouring several smaller batches of resin for the mentioned period of time.

 

@heliocoelin I don't have any experience with that specific product, but this is why it's so important to read through the MSDS/SDS for all the parts of the products we use. These are not user manuals, though. There won't be any step by step instructions on how to use the product safely fo what protection to use, but they will include information on what the product is and does and that in turn makes it possible to work out work own safety and handeling, relevant to our own use of the product.

Never, ever rely on only what it says on the package! It's not that anyone is necceserily trying to hide anything from you, but the entire MSDS wouldn't fit on there, it's a separate document for a reason.
Oh, and never buy from a company that doesn't make the MSDS easily available to your through a link or download. Sure you can find it yourself, but it can be dificult to know for sure if you've found the relevant one.

 

I will admit at the time I was looking at so many products that I got overwhelmed might have mixed up which one I had reliable details on.
Generally there's a lot of these safe for home use advertised resins and I can't really say anymore why I didn't use the respirator this one time because I HAVE ONE that I've been using for everything else before. I guess after looking at so many products promising easy resin fun that was "so much safer than other products" I got lulled into false security.
I never experienced issues after the soreness went away again tho.

 

Hello Heliocoelin,
Which products did you use? I can look at the products and give you some advise, however I need to know which products you used.

Thank you,
Scorpion

 

This thread helped me realize i needed to replace my cartridges! I had no clue about that, thought i only had to replace the filters. Thank you a bunch. My mask didnt come with any info on what level the cartridges and filters protected against, but i couldnt smell anything through it and it was sold as being against vapours on amazon. That being said, i have disposed of those filters and cartridges but kept the mask and filter holders, since they seem to be compatible with 3M.

It is crazy how resin is being marketed as non toxic! I see that all the time when i go shopping for it No resin is ever non toxic afaik, especially not the pouring kind. In the japanese resin kit community they always stress that particles will fly in the air from casting your resin, so please be careful folks!

 

Sorry if this question comes off as naive, but are there any safer alternatives to using MSC? x.x if I were to do faceups I would of course take the necessary precautions, though. But I’m a very anxious person by nature and not sure if I could work up the courage, even with the proper protection.

EDIT: nvm, I see that Liquitex is a thing, at the cost of quality.

 

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but it just came to my mind that if you prefer to work inside, or the weather isn't kind, get a good spray booth. By good I mean one with a fan and filter! Mine was 200 euros, but it has never failed me and you can really feel how strong it is. You can also build one yourself for way cheaper, but I'm not much of a builder myself The toxins and smell go through a long tube that goes to the outside. You want to keep it running a few minutes after your work, and preferably use it in a place where you do not sleep, like a garage or extra room. It's great for multiple things at once too, like airbrushing and spraying primer.

I did however, put together a small little box to suck in resin dust while working with my mask. It is quite simple, I followed a Japanese youtuber's video;

It's cheap and effective! this way, your resin gets sucked in and doesn't collect on stuff around your workplace or the floor

 

Just a few pieces of added information:
The effectiveness' of a cartridge is only as good as several parameters that shorten its life.
-- How hot or cold it is
-- Humidity
-- How excited you are (breathing heavy / light)
-- Correct filter for the chemicals you are working with
-- Fit of the respirator (loose / tight)
-- Concentration of the chemicals
-- Ventilation (sufficient / insufficient) (direction of flow away / towards yourself)
-- Cleaning of respirator
-- Storage of respirator

The type of work I did in the past mandated that I change my cartridges after every use. Sometimes I changed them twice a day. You will not be working with chemicals as bad as what I was, however I would suggest that at the least you change the cartridge after each use as a "Best Practice". This is not to say change the cartridge if you are taking a break of some sort including a lunch break or restroom break. If you do ever smell a strange odor (MSC) inside the respirator during use, immediately stop and leave the area to a safe area. Move away from the direction of flow of your ventilation.

When you are finished for the day is when I would suggest tossing them in the trash. I look at changing the cartridge out as being a good cheap insurance polilcy for your life.

 

Please do not be hesitant to ask any questions. A quote I heard many years ago is a good one to live by and here it is even though some people might get a chuckle out of it.

"The only dumb question is the question that is not ask".

I know that their alternatives and people here have listed them. I am unfortunately not one of them.

I am however a person that can help you with any questions you may have concerning respiratory protection. Also, I have posted a lot on this thread that you could use for reference.

Also look just above this post that I made for some other suggestions.

 

As someone who uses brush-on Liquitex matte varnish, I do encourage you to try it out. I wouldn't say you're losing any quality with the method (all the faceups I've done with it have been lasting well without any chipping even on heads that have had to survive my clumsy dropping). Plus if it makes you less anxious about the materials, it's definitely worth using over msc.

 

Could you post image or link to the varnish you specifically use? + Do you just brush it on or dab like I've seen some people mention they handle it?

It seems that where I live the weather is bad for spraying 98% of the time, this summer has so far had one day which was cool enough, dry enough and not too windy. sucks that I don't have garage or other outside building where I could handle it instead.

 

I use this one: Matte Varnish and dab it on with makeup sponges. You'll only need a tiny amount each time, too, so even the smallest bottle will last you forever.

I'm in a pretty humid area, too, and it hasn't behaved weirdly with moisture. The only annoyance I have is dust getting on the sponges and then on the face, but this can be easily picked out with a toothpick.

 

Ah, thank you for your perspective! Yes, I’m probably selling it too short, especially since I’ve never used it before. That’s my bad.
I’ll definitely consider it, when I get to the point of needing to choose. ^^

 

Thank you so much Scorpion! Yes, that’s a very true quote to live by. Everyone on here is so helpful, which is a huge relief to us newer folk.

As an asthmatic I will definitely take all the respiratory protection advice to heart; as much as I want to get into this hobby, I definitely don’t want to cut corners when it comes to safety.

 

Hello, I have some questions about bjds hobby...
About resin, some years ago, the bjds started to have strong smell of resin.. especially in Summer. At the beginning I didnt mind too much, but after a while it really naused me and I place the resin Dolls all inside their box and inside the ikea closet in my room.

Now, my doubts are about the possibility of gas could come out from the box and from the closet even If these dont smell evidently?

More over, since I always had in my room, place where I stored colors, water colors, fimo et c etc Im starting to think, to close everything in plastic bags so that nothing would evaporated or emit gas...

I have this more attentions since Yesterday I was diagnosed of a chronic bronchitis.
BOPCO, the acronym for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a complex set of pathologies united by the pathological narrowing of the airways of the bronchial tree (bronchi and bronchioles) and by a series of consequent breathing difficulties, especially during the exhalation phase . The most frequent are chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema. COPD is a disease that usually worsens gradually over time.

In the past I used MSC sometimes without mask around 2003, 2004.
I have to be careful to fumes and gas and all agents that can irritare my respiratory apparate.

But I think the smell of resin is not good for me anymore. I dont know if close them inside a plastic bag, and place it outside my room.
But In the other rooms in case, theres something these gas can still circulate in home? And since I will close them in plastic bag, what will happens in the time I will open the plastic bag again? All the gasses, will be accumulated inside the bag and come out around?

I think that all the hobbies, have some particles that one can breath every day.

Anyway seems this disease I have, give around 10 years of life.

I hope to have more informations about the fumes of resin and what to do with the Dolls where to close, or how..

Thank you for the help..

 

@dollypeach Under normal circumstances the gasses given off by polyurethane after the first curing phase (a few hours up to a few days, depending on temperature, resin type and humidity) are not enough to cause much harm to humans or animals. For reference, when I cast dolls I leave them out it the open for at least 48h before packing them up to ship out for this very reason. I'm sure most makers have similar routines. If you are super sentitive it is still adviced to open a new doll in a well ventilated area.

Normally the advice is to leave polyurethane items out in the open and to not enclose them in small spaces because the gass will build up within that space and normally it's only in high concentrations it can become a problem.
Good circulation is vital in any living space for a range of reasons and you can add this one to the list.
The dolls will give off less and less gass over time, so an older doll sould be safer than a newly made one if you are sensitive. There will always be variations between doll makers as well as between individual dolls depending on materials used and casting conditions.
Do not enclose polyurethande dolls in plasic bags. You don't typically know exactly what material the bags are made of and you don't know if there will be a chemical interaction between the doll and the bag. There have been documanted instances where spare parts left in bags have yellowed where the part had contact with the bag. Most plastic bags are further not made to contain gas and the vapors from the dolls could potentially escape through the plastic, allthough at a slow rate. Worst case scenario you would still have small amounts of the gas in your living area and also get a face full of it in a high concentration every time you open a bag to interact with a doll.

A better idea would be to store or display your dolls in an different room from where you sleep. Somewhere where you can see them and intract with them when you want to, but that you can walk away from. The same is true for art supplies and craft materials. Most of what you mentioned is probably safe enough, but as a general rule, paint, glue, uncured polymer clay, uncured resins and similar products should not be stored where you sleep.

All this is very general advice. I know too little about your condition to give any advice on you situation specifically. You should probably talk to en expert on the disease for that.
Best of luck to you and I hope you find a solution that works!

 

Thank you for these good advises.
Yesterday I was to the doctor to show some "rays X" of my lungs and the incredibile thing is that they says my lungs are "like if I've smoked for years and years" (and this gives a reason for triggering a certain chronic bronchitic character which is caused by exposure to fumes, chemicals, gases which may have caused this. So now Im curious and Im trying to investigate over anything that Ive breathed in my years of life).

The doctors yet dont know why my lungs are this way. . If was for the smoking of 20 years ago that we passively breathed sometimes, when my father still were smoking (I was more little and it was many years ago, but my father stopped to smoking around 2001). So since then, I never breathed passively smoke in home. More over, I could not stand the smell, so I always was far anyway in other rooms when he used to smoking.

That s why I dont think was this the cause. My brothers (which stay often in the same room when my father smoked), or my mother, when they had covid 19, they had all ray x, tacs, and they dont have any of this "strange white" stains in their lungs, compared me.

So I dont think it was the smoke. Or at least, Im trying to see if something else that entered in my lungs could cause this.

And lets exclude also the gas and fumes of resin of Bjds. (random gasses I've smell from 2008 up to the last time I keep Dolls in directly exposed in cabinet, in my room, (2019), time when I could hear the smell of resin). If was this, everyone into this hobby, with normal xray at the chest, should have this white "spot" in the below part of lungs like me. And I dont think is this the case, but in anycase, I will post maybe some photo and ask if someone else that is in this hobby, had ever done a Chest xray and have the same similar white spots (bilaterals?)

What else. Im trying to investigate over all the things Ive done in contact and breathed over years.

The last thing to analyze is the MSC.
Now, why Im asking in the forum? To exclude anything that could be had origins by this hobby. since here theres a lot of people, surely, if was something caused by this hobby, I guess many should have found out a "white spots bilaterals" in lungs like me. So, if nobody (of course only if I one have done xrays can know) had this, I can totally exclude also that was, somehow, even a little contact without respiratory, during using MSC. I will explain better my doubts in few lines below). If nobody, even from those who used MSD without a properly respiratory (even Few times) without a respiratory mask, any of them, with xrays in the chest, have perfectly clean lungs, without any bilaterals white "spot", then is not MSC, a possible causes as well.
But since I dont know, yet, I have to consider the times between 2008 and around 2019, when I stopped to use MSC definitively (I used MSC without a respiratory, by simply spray outside and place simple masks ff2 or plastic bags over, not breathing for some seconds I spray, run away immediately and use a fan, outside the garden, toward the opposite direction of me and things like that, and I know this is not safe anyway, but I did it. So, since many, at least at the beginning, May have done this as well, if was MSC the caused, they should have the lungs with bilaterals white spot as well. But If they dont have it, then I can exclude also the MSC.

These white spots I have in lungs, doctors (up to now, 3 different doctors says me that this condition of my lung, is when one have breathed something, not only smoke from sigarette, passively or not, but also from something that one smoke passively from something else).

The only thing Ive "breathed" in my life for long time are rightly: 1) passively smoke (from my father that used to smoke since he stopped in 2001, but nobody of my entire Family have any white spots in lungs).
B) MSC without respiratory (but I used it sporadically, from 2008 up to around 2019) I could have used it just when every 4 years I made a faceup of some Dolls, but in all these years, maybe I used it 6 or 8 times or max 10 times in 11 years and just to spray for sealing make up. But I used not respiratory, but the "methods" I descrived above. Lets for now exclude this as well (if nobody that have done like me have no white large spots in the below part of lungs.

The last thing That I smell for years is also the Mold smell (in my room every morning from 1993 up 2019,I could smell some smell of mold, especially at night and when the winter was so humid. I will make some tests on 16 Nov as well to exclude that I m allergic to mold.

But the very very last thing I should ask is about (again) MSC. Why? Because is true that I use to spray outside, no respiratory, but holding breathe, plastic bag over head, run after spray outside, fan in the direction opposte outside before I run away after spray etc..etc etc... But...

the very first 2 or 3 times I used MSC, I was totally ignorant about the dangers of it and what Ive done? I used to spray MSC Totally Without any precautions, but Only to spray like i spray inside my room like a normal "perfume", I mean, Ive spray MSC and breath it during this process, without problems... and I ve done this for 2 or 3 times, before knowing about its danger.
Now, I know also that some, like me , have done this too, so my researches, just to totally exclude also this hobby, is to know if someone that have done this as well (spray msc inside the room without any protection at all), with a xray in lung, done in some recent time, have show something like a situation ao f a bilateral like a chronic bronchitic nature, which has made the lungs like the lungs of a smoker, with the lower part of the lungs completely covered by a extended white halos/spots bilaterally.

If nobody have this, then, I can totally exclude that MSC used in past, could be something to suspect in the medical investigations we are doing.
Just to exclude things.
Thanks, for any informations.

 

The length of time you listed that you have been away from your family smoking should have cleared up your lungs quite well. So my guess is that MSC and other factors (outside air-condition) could be related. Your results could be different than somebody's according to your resistance.
Here is some information from the SDS or MSDS. The Threshold Limit of MSC has a few that have a moderate hazard listed in the 100 ppm - 200 ppm level. This could explain some of your issues.

Acute: Larger doses over a short period of time
Chronic: Smaller doses over a long period of time

I'm not sure where you are located in the world. However, I will be doing a panel during the 8th Resin Rose Doll Expo in the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas, Oregon during the event August 9th - 11th 2024.

 

I'm having the same problem I started doing faceups back in 2015/16 when I started the hobby and have always used the 3M half face rubber respirator in size M with organic vapor cartridges. I always spray outside, but occasionally I would still smell the MSC. I stopped doing faceups for unrelated reasons for several years, and only started again a few weeks ago. I got new filters but used the same mask. But the last couple times I tried spraying, I smelled the MSC, so I stopped. I tried the pressure seal checks and no matter how I adjust the mask I can't seem to get it to seal. I won't be spraying anymore until I get a new one that seals properly. I have also decided to try Liquitex varnish instead of MSC, but I know a respirator is still needed either way.

I'm going to try getting a silicone respirator, but my concern is I have no idea if I should go bigger or smaller or still get an M. I'm a small person and the M fits my face overall, but my nose is big and that's where the air leaks when I try the pressure seal tests. However, I'm afraid an L size would be too big.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice or has had a similar situation?? I really want to be able to do faceups again, and I literally have like 4 heads in progress that I need to finish sealing. But I am super scared of exposing myself to any more sealant fumes Any help/advice is appreciated!!!!!

 

The first question would be is a medium too large or too small? Does the respirator move around any when you move your head. This is a common issue especially if you are sweeting. For me I have different sizes for different manufactures. I use Medium for one and large for others.
Second question would be how long are you using he filters before you smell the MSC? Also the wind direction. If it is blowing toward you then the filters will get used up quickly.

If you are going to Resin Rose this year, I am doing a panel on the safe use and protection from chemicals. You will find a thread here on DoA or you can search over several platforms.

 

Also, if anyone has used a full face respirator, I'm really curious what your experience was.

Thank you so much for responding!! I actually am going to Resin Rose, so I'll plan to attend!

I think my problem is I that I have trouble figuring out if the mask is too large or small. It feels like it fits well, but like the person I quoted earlier said, the bridge of my nose seems to push it up and prevent it from sealing. At least that's what seems to be happening? There's no visible gap but when I try the pressure seal test where you exhale, I can feel air escaping around the bridge of my nose. I will say if I had to err on either side, I would guess it would need to be a bit smaller, because I do tighten the straps quite a bit. I might be wrong, but I feel like the issue for me stems from the fact that my face is small and my nose is large in comparison. But I'm sure I can find a mask that fits better, I'm just hoping it won't be too difficult

My current thought is I'll try a medium silicone mask and see if the silicone helps at all with the fit, then I'll see if I need a different size. Also, I think one of my issues is that I didn't have the prefilters for my organic vapor cartridges, so perhaps that also caused them to be used up quickly? The wind could also be part of it, especially since I spray outside. Anyway, I ordered a replacement set with new cartridges, prefilters and retainers!

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help! I'm looking forward to the Resin Rose panel!

 

Glad I could be of help. Be sure to bring your raspatory equipment and I will be able to determine the fit for you. I am also the photographer for the event, so I will be there the entire weekend.

 

Imagine posting this 10 years before an actual worldwide pandemic.

Aaaand, also, thank you for all this valuable information! I was about to go outside and seal some heads, but I think I'll wait and get a half mask respirator - obviously all the masks I have from the last few years aren't good enough! I'm sure I've unknowingly done a bit of damage to my lungs with previous crafts, so I will try to prevent anything further!

 

I use a halfmask 3M 7501( xs)

 

I'm new to this so I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for this thread, especially the experts on here sharing their knowledge. I've known for a while that MSC was dangerous but didn't realize that any aerosol could carry the same danger, including spray paints. I have some D&D minis I want to paint (in addition to learning how to do doll faceups) and it had never occurred to me that I'd need a big respirator for the spray primers/paints/sealants for those, too, so thank you!

Questions re: pastels--I'd done some pastel work on some dolls at one point and after the first few hours of work, I realized that when I blew my nose, it came out blue (the primary color I was using), so I started wearing a surgical mask to keep the dust out of my nose/mouth. That did reduce it, but in hindsight, I'm realizing I probably should have been wearing something at a higher level or that at least sealed better to my face. Would a KN95 be enough for pastels? I struggle to find N95s that fit my face properly but I have a particular style of KN95 that seals to my face pretty well, and if those are good enough for filtering out viruses, I figure they're probably good enough for pastel dust particles, right?

 

You may wanna wear protection (the kn95 should be good) when working with any dust.

I’ll admit I don’t always if I’m only using a tiny amount once in a while, but I know some pigments can be toxic, although most nowadays should be safe. Regardless, if you see blue coming out of your nose, it’s probably a good idea to protect yourself.

 

@StoryTeller42 - I use a n95 for pastel work - since the pigment powder particles are much bigger than, say, a virus, and don't emit vapours/fumes like a sealant, it should be sufficient. I have a small face and struggle to fit the masks, too, so I "tailor" them by stapling them smaller under my chin to get a better seal

 

Thank you both! I think my KN95s should be fine for pastels, then, since the concern is particles/dust and not fumes/vapors. I guess I'll know for sure if I wear one and then blow my nose after a while, lol. XD

 

I need some advice. I have a 3M half face respirator. I've replaces the cartridges a few times now, and fit it as tightly as I can. However, sometimes air still escapes from the top of it when I do a fit test, and I can clearly smell sealant when I spray it (outdoors). Is it possible my mask is too big? What should I do?

 

If you smell it, it’s probably not a good fit. I’m between small and medium with 3M. Small fits tighter but hurts my nose, Medium I have to tighten a lot and make sure it doesn’t let air escape. If it used to fit better it could be that the strap is loose maybe?
You could do a professional fit test although it is expensive, or maybe try a smaller size. It shouldn’t let air escape from the top and you definitely shouldn’t be able to smell anything…

 

Thank you so much for your reply! I'm a pretty small person, so a smaller mask is likely needed.

 

There is 1 other possibility, which is the respirator itself.
1 How old is it?
2 How do you store it
4 How often do you clean it?

The rubber could be drying out.
I would suggest maybe looking at a different manufacture.
I have several different respirators, and the sizes are different between them. I use a different size depending on which company the respirator is from.

 

I use a 3M 7500 halfmask, it is silicon and I used it for 5 years now. I clean it often.

 

It's probably about four years old, and I store it in a sealed plastic bag between uses. I've cleaned it....uh, never. Sorry if that's gross. I have changed out the cartridges before, but that's about the extent of it.

 

4 years is not terrible. As long as you check it for pliability. It should be soft all over pretty evenly.
I guessing that you store it without the filters on it. Putting it into a sealed bag is fantastic. However, if you have the filters on then the dirt can migrate around and get inside for you to breath in the dirt and bad chemicals. If you haven't used the filters much, I would suggest that you store the filters in a separate sealed bag. I would also suggest that you place something over the opening that attaches to the mask so that dirt and chemicals do not migrate around and get into the back side of the filter. There are a few ways to do this
1 Stretch a ballon over the opening toward the mask
2 Place a piece of plastic / plastic bag over the opening toward the mask and use a rubber band to hold it into place
3 Place "saran wrap" "plastic stretch wrap" stretched over the opening toward the mask. (This is what it is called here in northeast USA)

For cleaning once in a while use a mild detergent (NOT bleach). If it has a disinfectant in it, that is best. Mix it up using warm water. Submerge the disassembled mask into the solution and lightly scrub ALL surfaces inside and outside. Then remove and rinse with warm water. Shake it off then hang it somewhere to dry. Once dry reassemble and place into a sealed bag for storage. It is always best to keep the mask out of direct sun light and in a cool dry place.

NOTE: You can use a marker to write the date you open the filter right on it. You can also keep track of the amount of time you used the filter in the same manner.

NOTE: As long as you do not smell the chemical inside of hte mask you should be fine.

 

Thank you, this article looks very useful! I'm also wondering if we need to concern air quality, if we put a lot of dolls in the room?

 

I use a glasshelf for my dolls, because of that.
I have diagnosis Mcs multiplechemicalsensivity.

 

There should not be any concern, as long as you allow the dolls sufficient time to off gassing after you do any work on the doll. Dry To The Touch (DTTT) only means that the surface is dry and the material under the is still wet for up to 2 days.

Glass is less porous than any of the other materials that shelves are made of. However, the material you decide to use for the shelves is not important as long as the paint, MSC or whatever kind of coating you decide on is dry.