Tutorial What you need to know about respiratory protection!

Any recommendations on respirators for eyeglasses wearers?

As I do heavy modifications, which involves a couple hours of dremeling in resin, I'm looking for a light weighted p2A1 half mask that fits comfortable even after hours without my eyeglasses + safety glasses combo going foggy or feeling like my face is in a swamp XD So far I found 3M 7500 half mask coming close to my requirements, but I'm not sure it will fit comfortable with my eyeglasses on.

 

I personally haven't tried the 3M 7500 series off had (though it is one of the good models out there from what I have heard of people who have worn them), though I know what you mean trying to find a respirator that fits well, and comfortably especially for us glasses wearing folk.
I at the moment use one of the 3M 6000 (My specific model is the 6200, 3M catalog number is like R6211) series models, which seem to fit quite well and be pretty friendly for those of us with glasses, or those who need to wear eye protection with the mask.
This is one you could also check out off hand. The initial kit comes with the cartridges and stuff, though you can buy replacements for it likely where ever you buy the mask or through 3M themselves. It uses a duel filter cartridge, so the particulate and the vapor cartridges are separated (though all go together when you assemble it), so at least you only have to replace as need the cartridge piece that needs to be replaced as needed instead of the whole assembly. It is also easy to clean and sanitize which makes a plus as well for when you need to clean it up before you store it to put away. I usually seal up the cartridges between use into a set of plastic baggies to help extend them from continuing to filter when not in use, though I replace then regularly as needed when I note that it starts to show the signs they need replacement.


Also something I found via the 3M Website for those who want to read it: 3M Respiratory Selection Guide
It kinda covers stuff on how to choose a respirator or even the minimum filter type you need for certain chemicals. This is the English/US version of the guide, so you would probably need to find out the equivalent in your country or you can go to the 3M website yourself (http://www.3m.com)
Off hand the UK guide: http://solutions.3m.co.uk/pv_obj_cache/pv_obj_id_FF98E54FE9C1F218A042C2694086D9E619FF0900

Pretty much go to the main site, choose your country, and from there go under Products and Services-->Safety, Security, and Protection-->Personal Safety. From there look for "Respirators" then follow the links to the Respirators pages...somewhere within the Respirator sections of each country is a PDF titled in some form as "Filter Selection Guide"
Of course you can also check out the rest of there respiratory protection area, though the filter guide may be handy in helping in choosing a mask as well, since you can then find out what masks can utilize the cartridges you require for adequate protection in the hobby or work you are doing with the mask in question.

 

@Tekenduis: Thank you for looking into this. My glasses are sitting very high on my nose bridge and are the smaller rectangle ones. The 7500 was one of the hits I got on google for glasses wearers, but I just want to make sure if it really does.
I've got a half face respirator (A1 filter) for MSC and Paint spraying only from my local store and it is fits reasonable comfortable with glasses. It is only a struggle to put my glasses and the respirator correctly in the beginning, but I think I get the hang on it. And it is only for a short use as this mask is getting very heavy after a while.

 

I have a question.
I have been thinking about how to deal with the fact that Sweden is too cold to spray in for most of the year. If I sprayed in to a spray booth, such as this, whilst wearing a half mask would the room after the 20minutes it takes MSC to dry be safe enough to work in again? I'm planning on closing the door and leaving the room whilst the MSC dries.

 

Thanks to this thread I finally got myself a half face mask!

However, I was wondering about a few things:

It says R620 Dust Cartridge on the cartridge thingies that go in the mask- I'm going to look for ones that say P95 or better though.

I got my mask on ebay! (It was only $13) is that okay though? It came with a piece of the original packaging (it's new but it had been removed from the original packet) and it says that it's a Respirator with twin anti dust cartridges made by Neiko tools- is that okay?

And also, I have no idea how to put it on! I think I'm going to google it, but I wanted to ask here as well!

Thank you so much, honestly I think this is a wonderful resource and super awesome of you to help others!

 

I have a question~! So, I try to sand wet whenever possible (and with the proper mask, of course). If I do this in the icky laundry room sink (not used for drinking/cooking/etc), is there any risk to my family members? For example, can some dust particles remain in the sink (or fall on the floor) after the water has evaporated and then be released into the air? Should I do this in a bucket in the garage instead? How do I dispose of the water? The front lawn? If I'm doing a heavy mod in the garage with a dremel, how do I get rid of all the dust I create? What about the dust on my clothes?

 

hello - i bought a half face respirator that said it was for vapors & gas. i bought a size small - as my face is rather small, and not round, and try as i might to follow their and your directions (tightening, adjusting, etc) i could always smell and taste the fumes of msc. so i ended up just holding my breath while spraying, and then running away from the area when i was done. what do you recommend? thank you!

this is the exact one i bought, except in a size small: http://cgi.ebay.com/3M-6200-MEDIUM-...940?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588d06db9c

 

oops, sorry, i linked to the wrong mask. (i haven't used it in a while) but, here is the mask i have, and the cartridges are the ones shown too. http://cgi.ebay.com/3M-6391-LRG-RES...524?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563bfac0ac

again, i have this one in a size small.

 

well, the pink ones i have are #2097, so i guess i did buy the right ones for organic vapors right? they look just like the ones shown on the link i sent you with the mask, but the number is different. (sorry i'm being confusing, i didn't realize the numbers were different on the same color cartridges). but...i will look for the 6001s if they are better. thank you!

 

Thank you so much! I'm really sorry for my super late response! I'll grab a photo as soon as I get home. I think the cartridge thingies came in the mask, but I'll separate out all the parts that came with it so that you can see what I've got- I'm not completely sure what they are @_@;;

 

actually, i can sometimes feel my breath come out from the mask from the section between my nose and my cheeks. and sometimes from the section between my chin and outer jaw, if that makes sense. not always, but sometimes. my face is kind of...angular i guess. kind of bony... so it seems like it's hard to make the mask really tight on all parts of my face at once.

(i will still look for the cartridges you mentioned though). thanks again!

 

My husband and I just found out that we're expecting our first baby.
I've been told by several people that if I use proper respiratory protection, I should be able to continue my painting and modding projects safely while pregnant - Do you think that is the case? I'm eager to finish the projects that I've started, but if there's a possibility that a respirator and gloves won't be enough, I'd rather wait until next year to finish them, just to be sure.

 

D= A couple months ago, I did my dolls faceup and blushed his body. In other words, I used MSC. I sprayed the stuff outside and held my breath as I did so, but I wasn't wearing a mask or anything. I'm seriously terrified now... is there still a chance I could get a disease and die or am I still safe since it only happened a couple times? Eugh, I'm definitely going out to buy a mask.

 

Hi Tekenduis! I just wanted to say your help has been immensely helpful. I now use an A2 filter for my faceup work, and have some P3 dustfilters ready should I need to do any sanding. I have been using them for half a year now, and am on my fourth filter. I feel so much better - I can never smell any MSC at all, yet I can breathe normally, and I feel pretty confident about keeping myself safe - though of course I try to err on the side of caution.

A minor question really... I did an intense bit of face-upping a little while ago, and my eyes started to get itchy. Now this might have been down to hayfever (we had flowers in the house at the time), or the pastel powder, but I was wondering if there's any chance that MSC might be dangerous for eyes too?

~*Mystaia

 

Question: The only way I seem to be able to get my respirator to have a proper seal around my face involves putting it on a position on my nose that forces it to be scrunched up and makes it difficult to breathe through my nose (I have a lot of nose/sinus issues as it is, heh) and gives me a wicked headache. When I'm carving and sanding, it tends to be for a couple of hours and that really gets to be a problem. Is the only solution for me to get less-uncomfortable disposable respirators too, for sanding purposes? I can deal with the squashed nose for spraying, that tends to be a lot shorter.

[Edit] N/m, re-read. "If you have a crooked nose, or sinus problems, look for a mask made of silicon; you will find it more comfortable than plastic or rubber."

[Edit 2] Aside from the comfort issue though, my respirator is workin' great. My whole house smells intensely of bacon right now because someone was cooking it, and I cannot get the tiniest whiff of either poisonous Testor's Dullcote when I go out to spray, or delicious bacon when I return. =D

 

hi there,

just another question. you mentioned me going somewhere to get a proper fitting. well, the safety store in my area that carries the respirators and cartridges does not do fittings, but they told me that there is a man that will do a fit test, but it will cost money (not sure how much yet).

they said the respiratory mask that i need costs $42.00, and the organic vapor cartridges are $68.95 for 2. O.O

so, that seems like a lot to me. do you know if it would be okay for me to just get a cheap one off of ebay, and then have the guy do the fit test on that?

thanks for your help.

 

Thank goodness I only used MSC once without a mask (haven't ever used it since.)
I did ye olde towel around the face, spray outside and run.

...You don't think that one time will have done any damage do you?

 

I've done a faceup with mister super clear a couple times with a bandana tied around my face, which wasn't so bad since I was spraying outside, and now i'm sorta freaking out that I may have severly hurt myself since that last time I used it I was in my garage and had a bit of lung pain afterwards... o_o;; Should I be worried?!

 

Thanks, this was a few years ago now and I've never done it since that one time. I never had discomfort from it as thankfully I did it outside and didn't stick around.

However, although it wasn't MSC that affected me (thanks goodness otherwise it would have been far more serious), I had a bad experience when working with Mr. Colour. Now I was around those vapours for too long and had a burning sensation in my throat and upper chest. I went to the doctor with it but she wasn't too concerned and said that it was probably a slight chemical burn and the rest more mentally brought on (I am a bit of a hypochondriac). The discomfort is long gone but it does mean I now have a sensitivity to chemicals so I daren't risk attempting face-ups. Whether this sensitivity is real or more panic related I don't know but I'm not willing to find out.

 

I'm so glad I found this thread again. I wanted to thank you!

I have asthma and was looking up information on MSC because of the extra risk to my health. I found this information and immediately set off to find a half face respirator. I bought one for £26 at my local hardware store. It wasn't the cheapest one there, there were others that cost less but the store didn't sell the replacement filters for those so I went for the more expensive one. I'd rather pay the extra money than risk my health.

I think it's something to consider when buying respirators. How easily can you replace the filters? If your store doesn't carry the replacements then opt for a better one that the store may cater for. That's what I did. Don't buy a cheaper one then risk getting filters off ebay or some such. The packaging isn't always in English (or your own home language) so you might not know what you're getting. At your local store you can ask the staff questions and take a look at the filters before you decide to buy. I'd suggest that very strongly. Get the product in your hand before you even think about buying it.

Thanks to the information here I went to the store well armed with information and questions and I got exactly what I needed. Now I have a great respirator, I can buy parts for it easily at my local store and more importantly, I can spray safely.

THANK YOU!

 

Yay! Thank you for updating with the shopping guide. I've got some MSC on its way and I had come to the thread to see if I could ask about the respirator shopping and it turns out both of the ones I'd been looking at are on your list. (The starter kits listed on Amazon.) I'm definitely feeling much better about making the purchase now.

Out of curiosity, is there any big advantage to picking silicone over rubber? Is it just a comfort issue, or does it allow for a better fit?

 

My mask has a very soft rubber, not silicone and it's doubled back on itself so there's an air pocket effect. Hard to explain. It's a bit like the rubber inserts on the little mp3 headphones. Basically the two layers are sort of squishy so when you put on the mask it forms a vaccuum round your nose and chin. It's a bit fiddly to get it on just right but after wiggling it around a bit it makes the seal. You know when it's on wrong coz when you breath a small puff of air escapes and either goes along the top of your nose or out under your chin. When it's on right you sound like Darth Vader lol!

As I'm here I'd like to point out also that gloves are highly important. There's no point in saving your face and lungs if you spray your dolls bare handed. Use disposable gloves, they're extremely cheap. I have a huge box of over 100 pairs and I think it cost me £2 or something. I use them once for each spray and immediately discard them in an outside bin. Next time I spray I use a fresh pair and so on. I usually go through 3 pairs per face up, maybe more depending on how many layers I need.

 

Isnt eyeprotection when sanding equaly important as respiratory protection? I heard that resin particles can blind you if it gets on your eyes. Should I get those closed protection googles? Or what else would you reconmend for eyeprotection.

 

Well you can't be too careful. I would say yes, get the goggles. They're not expensive. I haven't done any sanding yet but I wondered about this myself and I decided that I might as well get the goggles anyway just to be extra cautious.

 

Well that's scary. I told my mom i need a half-face for spraying, but she insisted I would be fine and went with the less expensive dust mask N95. since I was still nervous, I did it outside, not downwind, and held my breath and pinched my nose every time I sprayed until I could see the gas was being blown the other way by the wind. Am I going to die?

I'm definitely not spraying until i get a half-face, but am I already screwed?

 

You're probably fine, no one wants to scare you it's just that if you're going to do this on a regular basis please get a better mask.

Dust particles are larger than liquid spray particles and gas particles so dust masks have no way to stop smaller spray particles getting through. A half face filter has a dense fiber filter which does stop liquid and gas particles from going in.

You did the right thing by holding your breath and getting out of the way of the gas. You'll be fine, just make sure that if you're going to do another face up or MSC spray then please let your mum know you need something better. MSC spray particles, if they're inhaled can get stuck to the lining of your lungs, this is what causes the problem. They don't always get stuck there. sometimes they work their way out but ask your mum if she's willing to take that risk with her kid's health.

 

sorry! one more question. i went to home depot, found their 3M half mask kit with organic vapor cartridges, but the prefilters were P95 instead of N95. they had nothing else there.

so, i went onto amazon, and found this: http://www.amazon.com/3M-R-7511ES-Professional-Half-Mask-Respirator/dp/B0009JPR78

the title says the prefilters are N95, but the description says P95!

what should i do in your opinion? am i missing something??

i don't want to spend more money on the wrong thing.

thanks so much again!

 

Thought this would be helpful for anyone looking for somwhere to buy 3M respirators and replacement cartridges from in Australia:

http://www.scomar.com.au/

We use Scomar for pretty much all our workshop disposables, they are really reliable and always have the cartridges in-stock. Our guys are usual exposed to microparticles produced from cutting and faring materials like fibreglass and carbon fibre during building or from grinding anti-foul off the bottoms of older boats, our scariest product is microballoons; teeny tiny spheres of glass - it looks like lumpy talc-powder & used to thicken westsystems epoxy and glues - get that crap in your lungs and its bye bye in a painful way....

I fully second what Tekenduis says - you might feel okay once or twice but in the long term you'll be terribly sorry - and even if you're not a regular modifier, even the simplest precautions will save you a lot of trouble and gives peace of mind.

A little over two years ago while cleaning up my studio my son accidentally moved the vacuum exhaust outlet out of the extractor bag and blew a huge cloud of resin dust into my face just as I was taking my respirator off - long story short medical treatment was a necessity and I still have a shadow on my left lung the size of a plum that may or may not develop into fibrosis......

 

Question: I have an unusually small face, and masks don't want to fit right on me. Also I wear glasses which are always in the way.
Are there any masks out there for me?

 

I want to tackle a modding project that would involve carving shallow scales into the resin of one of my dolls. I intend to get a mask before starting, but part of the problem I'm facing is my location.

I live in an apartment on the 5th floor and I do have a balcony, but the wind is typically quite strong on our balcony and I have concerns about the resin dust blowing all around/over me if I work outside. If I work inside, I have concerns about the resin dust getting everywhere and not only ending up on me as I work, but on my idiot cat after I'm done (I'd lock him out of the room as I work) because I'm fairly certain I won't be able to get it all vacuumed up and I don't want to make either myself or lovable-but-dumb-cat sick.

Suggestions for what to do in this instance? I feel fairly confident that I can get the look I'm after, but I don't want it to be at the expense of my health (or idiot cat's health).

 

What I do is using water to prevent the dust from spreading. When I work on a heavy mod project I'm doing it above an old huge bucket with water and keep the object wet. (Except when using the Dremel/multitool of coarse, then I clean the object with water and drying it in between. )

For smaller mod projects I use an old towel with a rough fabric as my work surface, so the resin dust can get stuck in the fabric. Between modding I wipe the object with a damped cloth. Keep your pets away and clean up your workspace thoroughly.

I can not confirm if this is the safest way, but at least a large part of resin dust can't spread.

 

Sint: Thanks for the tips! The rough towel thing is a great idea. I will need to use a Dremel (or similar tool) as everything manual I'd tried either doesn't produce a nice curved line or kills my fingers to wield.

 

Thank you very much for all the information!!
I suffer of asthma...do you think that I can make a job of sanding/make up sometime? it will be safe for me? Of course I will use a mask, but maybe that will not be enough for me

 

Umm..When i seal my dolls i use a spray called Mod podge (which is supposedly like testors and the others), but I hold my breath or cover my nose and mouth with my free hand. I have, however, breathed in a bit of it at times (it STINKS. It gives me a headache).

Will this little bit of exposure give me problems in the future? And im going to see about getting some of those blue masks to use

 

I also wear glasses With the smaller face masks that I use if I'm only doing a single coat of MSC the nose pinches in for a snug fit and the bridge of my glasses fit over the top of it comfortably

 

Since I'm European, I should look for A1P2 filter, right?

 

I'm so upset at myself right now! Last night, I did a subtraction mod on my tiny doll and I completely forgot to wear a mask! I can be so dense sometimes, I don't know how I forgot something so important.
So now I'm a little worried. It was a very tiny (8mm) modification, and I cut more than I sanded. I was working pretty closely, for about an hour, but I felt completely fine. Will I be okay? I'm terrified!

I also didn't know a mask was needed for spraying aerosol! I thought an open window was all you need. Does that include aerosol deodorant, cooking oil spray etc?

 

Thank you so much for this thread.

I purchased a 3M 7502 Half Face-piece Silicone (Medium) with 3M 2097 P100 filters. It has been working out great for me since I can't smell a thing through it.

 

So far I have not done any sanding yet. I have only used the mask with filters when pouring/mixing urethane resins. Is my filter ineffective for that too? I can't smell a thing like the first time I tried mixing urethane resin in a ventilated room with a fan blowing the smell outside. But because I can't smell doesn't mean it won't affect my lungs.

I will get the filter and prefilter you mentioned before I start sanding resin. Although I plan to do wet sanding, I still may need to dry sand and spray MSC, among other things.

I have to say it is very confusing selecting the filters. I didn't even know what mask to get myself either, but your thread has been very helpful. Again, thanks.

 

If I use a disposable mask for spraying while doing faceups, how much harm can occur?

 

I have a question:
Do I need to wear my respirator only when go out to spray with MSC, or do I need to wear it the whole time that I'm doing my face up as well?
I apologize for the stupid question.

 

Thank you so much for this greatly useful thread.

As the community of Bjds owners (and customisers) in my country is growing, I would like to translate your posts to Vietnamese and post to https://www.facebook.com/AsianBallJointedDolls to spread the words. I'll give you full credit.

 

So which Half-Face Respirators and Cartridges will I need specifically to protect me while doing the following: Spraying MSC (and Fixatif), Dying Dolls, using Pastels/Paints?

I'm getting a little confused by all the number codes on those product pages.

 

I have a question...

I am allergic to rubber/latex. When I get in contact with any form of rubber/latex, I will get a rash a few hours/a day after that.

I live in the Netherlands and I have been to a local DIY store and asked if they had any rubber-free face masks. They contacted the company of the masks they had and the company said that in the Netherlands there are no respiratory protection masks suitable for those with rubber/latex allergies.

Do you have any suggestions for my case? I am willing to get a mask from an other country, but I don't want to waste my money on a mask which appears to have latex in it when it arrives... (because in a Dutch shop I once saw a mask which said 'latex free!' on the package, but on the details it stated that it was made of synthetic rubber - and I am allergic to that as well)

(And I will need to use the mask only for doing face-ups/MSC protection)

edit: I recieved a private message from Sint telling me that I could use the 3M 7500 half face silicone mask, so my question is answered now. ^_^

 

I'm soon gonna start looking into buying a respirator for face-ups. A lot of the face-up artists I have heard of stopped doing commissions due to not feeling well because of doing face-ups.
Is there anything I need to know that will protect me other then buying a respirator?
Or is a respirator all I really need and will it protect me 100%?