particle woes

sethshaun

Active Member
Am I wasting my time using a dust mask? I have been using N95 type masks.....which ever ones seem to have the most materials on the packaging. I want to get a twin can respirator but its about $60 at Home Depot. What I want to know is are the masks I am using doing much good or are the tiny particles getting through anyway?
Thanks
Seth
 
As a safety person, I will say this. WEAR A RESPIRATOR!!! As a minimum wear a good twin cartridge, half mask is fine, as long as you have a good seal area (clean shaven)

One thing I see in guys shops is that once they quit grinding, they take off the respirator. As a rule of thumb, unless the total volume of air in the room has been exchanged at least 4 times, respirators should be required. Latent particles will be in the air in an enclosed space for several hours!

A large evacuation fan that expels air out of the room and an opening to allow fresh air to replace it is a great idea!!!! Filters are fine, and a good plan, but they can only remove so much.

Keep in mind your breathing zone (18" surrounding your face) if dust is in this area, wear a respirator.

Exotic woods, ivories and synthetics such as micarta and G10 take a heavy toll on your lungs, and I can only imagine what is in stabilized wood:eek:

Your passion for knives should not eclipse your passion for living.

God Bless
Mike
 
To answer your question, yes. Anything is better than nothing. However you will want to upgrade when funds allow.
 
The way I see it, we spend the money, which isn't small change, for the equipment and materials to make knives. Why do we have so much trouble spending a few dollars to save our precious health or maybe our lives?

I spent most of my life in a shop of some kind and never used a mask and now I have severe breathing problems. The doc says it isn't reversible.

Something to think about.

Larry
 
oh wow!

Ok. That's leaves NO question as to what I will do. Thanks for caring! :bud:
Now, I need to find out if all respirators are created equal and if there are any to avoid. I know to get a two canned one. What else?
 
As Mike said, wear a respirator. They come in 3 sizes: small, medium, and large. Take it out of the package and make sure it fits. Cover both inlet holes (where the filters go) and try to breathe in. If air comes in, it ain't the right size - try a different one. Check the labels on the filters. The label will tell you what the filter will keep out of your lungs. I probably don't need a filter for organic vapors but the particles in organic vapors are a lot smaller than grinding dust so it makes me feel better about what I'm doing.

Just my .02
Carey

P.S.

How much is your health worth? How much is lung surgery?
 
that,and good safety glasses!!!
After having a sliver of hc steel start rusting in my eyeball after 3 days,
and then breaking off when the nurse tried tweezing it out,then having to go to an eye surgeon who used a tiny,battery powered drill and tiny burr to get the remainder out...
Oh,and don't rub your eyes after grinding with bare hands either:another sliver in the eye,but that I tweezed out myself.
 
ah! I have itchy eyes now!

That's sounds immensely irritating! Just thinking about a tiny sliver in your eye is enough, let alone Doc drilling through your head.....

My sister somehow got a fuzzy caterpillar cacoon to bounce off her face while playing in the woods and had to have 80 or so micro hairs removed from her eye by the Dr. and some interesting equipment. It was itchy but certainly wasn't in the same league as metal shavings involving rotary mechanics!

I wear prescription glasses and a face shield so I don't have to replace my expensive lenses prematurely...but I wasn't even thinking about rubbing my eyes with dirty fingers. Thanks!
 
I read somewhere on a forum recently about a magnet that is made specifically to remove metal fragments from the eve. Sorry I don't have any more info but I do have a couple of magnets in the shop that might work if I ever need one.

Using any kind of machinery is dangerous and we would all do well to use any safety gear and procedures that we can. Healing is never fun and the older you get the longer it takes. Some injuries can become permanent handicaps.

Have fun but please be safe first,
Carey
 
Take a look at welding supply houses for respirators. Ed Caffrey found one that evidently seals over his beard. Mine, if I fuss with it does pretty well too. Spending a little now on a good respirator may save a fortune on oxygen tanks later. Help protect the family and pets by vacuuming immediately after you finish grinding or sanding. Covering your clothes with at least an apron that stays in the shop is a good idea too. I once worked with a nurse who died from the asbestos fibers her husband transported home on his work clothes.

Doug Lester
 
Seth,
You have to look at it like this,.. 60-80 bucks and cans for good respirator, (and can be found cheaper),.. now, weigh that against future Emphysema, lung cancer,random lung exploratory surgery, nose surgery, etc.
That wheezing sound at age 60 isn't cool either, especially if it could have been easily avoided but the price of 100 bucks was too much.
Your health is worth more than all the knives you make put together.
And remember, the rule is- If you SMELL it, then you're BREATHING it!!

A long life and enjoyment of making knives is what you want, not having to quit at 45-50 because youre lungs are quitting on ya.
Grind Safe bud :)
 
Great advice here.
One thing to add ...
If you can swing it, try to work one of those big louvered vents directly to the outside nearest your primary dust source.
I have a 35 inch fan blowing to the outside (right through the wall) right next to my grinder. It's a wind tunnel by the grinder but you can turn over the air really quick and a lot of the really fine stuff goes right out. Even then, some still hangs in the air (believe it or not). You can see it glittering in the air when the light is right, but it moves out much faster than it otherwise would. Not to mention it's good for dispersing fumes from belts, titanium, etc.
 
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I have two doors and 3 good fans in the man cave. I thank ya'll for the good ideas.
What kind of fumes does a propane forge give off? I was wondering if it lays low or floats up to the rafters?
 
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