Dustmasks

[Alice in Wonderland]

Can anybody help me please??
Everytime I go into the Workshop I face one big issue, do I wear a Dustmask or wear eye protection? I have a small face and if I wear my big mask, when I carve spalted wood, I can not manage my prescription glasses and the protection glasses, no matter how I try it my eyes usely get full of dust. Since I am small from top to bottom my head is also very close to my work, What do you people do to prevent this?? I really would appreciate any help ,how about you girls?? What do you use?
Thanks to all
Alice

[dart]

Hi Alice, I know what you mean. I have tri-focals. I have to get inches away from my work to see what I am doing. I wear the eye goggles that enclose my glasses and a dust mask that covers my nose and mouth area. Problem is neither fit good and dust still gets in. This happens when I use my tablesaw, router, ect. I have a dust catcher hooked up to my old bandsaw which does a good job but I still wear the goggles and dust mask. I have a full face mask that I haven't tried yet as I've been pretty busy. I don't think my small dust mask will fit under the full face shield tho. It's frustrating...

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Maybe you need to invest in one of those full face shields with the fan/filter.....you can wear your glasses under the face shield.....they are expensive I think about 250.00 but worth it if you are having that much trouble!

[Donna_T]

Alice,
I absolutely know what you mean. If you need your glasses to see your carving, they also keep your dust mask from fitting well. What I've chosen to do is get the best dust mask I can afford (prefer a ventillator one) and I put it on and get it snug. Then I put my glasses on. If one isn't going to fit well, I'd prefer it be the glasses. Sometimes, if I'm doing closer work, I work with a visor instead of glasses and it doesn't present as much of a problem.

I've got goggles but I just can't get a good fit with them over the mask. They do a better job of keeping toxic dust out of my eyes, but I'd rather keep it out of my lungs. One other thing I do to help is to put a fan on low just beyond my elbow so it can help blow any dust (that the dust catcher misses) away from me. If I'm carving with power, I let it blow across me; if I'm wood burning, I put the fan where it works as an exhaust to gently move the stinky air away from me instead of blowing on the burner directly.

Still not an ideal situation, but it's the best I've come up with so far. How about everyone else?

Donna T

[MelNM]

There is a mask called Dust Bee Gone that is supposed to be adjustable to any face, this probably won't work if you have a beard. The mask is even hand washable so it would probably save you money in the long run

Here's a website that has that mask, they also carry some carving stuff.
www.woodworkingshop.com

[wade clark]

The Dust-Be-Gone is great! I use it and a bubble shield face mask, with my reading glasses under it all the time. I have a beard and still strongly recommend this combination.
Some times you need more. I have a Trend Airshield...it is really as good as they say, and if you value your lungs/health/LIFE, then it's a bargain at $250 to $300! It's just not that convenient, so I use the other set-up 90% of the time. I also have a 4 ft. tall floor fan, about $300 at Sams, that I usually set up on low speed behind me, carrying my dust to the rest of the universe rather than my lungs. Do everything you can to keep your lungs free of debris! Most of those beautiful woods weren't meant to be in your lungs, some are even carcinogens when put there, but your body will reject dust from any of them. I got the Trend Airshield after incredible sinus headaches from carving cypress!
A wet bandana covering the nose and mouth will do wonders, unless you carve where it's cold!
Hand tools don't generate any dust. I lean that way as mush as I can!
Wade

[Kenny_S]

If it is the paper kind, fit the mask first then the glasses. Personnally, I would wear the mask first then the glasses. I finalling bought a respirator and it fits snug and then I fit my glasses over it. Yep both are a problem as the glasses tend to slip off and it sure is hard to blow the dust away from you work with the respirator on. I did buy a dust filter from grizzly and worth the money as it fliters out about 95% of the dust with dual fans.Been thinking on putting anothe rfilter on the back side also.

[Callynne]

Alice, I know exactly what you mean! Here's how I do it, I put a paper face mask on first (3M makes the kind I use. I get them at Wal-Mart, they are heavier than the ones I used to use, they have two yellow bands to hold them on, instead of just one, which makes for a better fit). Next I put my glasses on, over that I put my eye protection. They are the 'glasses' kind, what I find is, the outside edge of those kind (they have the adjustable sides on them), rest on my regular glasses. The face mask actually helps support all this, so there isn't any discomfort from the weight of the eye protection glasses resting on my regular glasses. All that's left to do is add my ear protection, am I the only one who's bothered by the noise of running rotary carving? One thing for sure, I sure look weird with all that get up on....but I don't care....I'm carving then, so I'm happy and content! Deborah

P.S. Oh yes, I also run a dust collector....do you know how loud you have to turn the radio up to hear it over the dust collector, rotary carver and through the ear plugs?! Sarcastic

[squbrigg]

Go to an industrial safety supply store and ask for a two canister dust mask, respirator type, they are about $24. The canisters are replacable, though with the amount of dust a hobby crafter would produce, will not need to be for years. The fit is much better than most cheap dust masks and comfortable to wear for long periods and your glasses and safety glasses will fit when you wear it. Works for me.

Bob

[Alice in Wonderland]

Hi to all
thanks for your help , yes I wear tri focals too and they sit on top of the mask out off focus :-( sometimes I just wear thos enlargement glasses and it works for a while. I shall go through all your suggestions again and see what else I can do.You are all very kind to help. I also work with Powertools and their motor blows right into my face. Since I am a "guest" in my husbands workshop I can not blow to much dust around :-) I usely do a lot of rough work outside ,it is easier.
Thanks again from Hopeless in Wonderland ( right now covered in ice and snow)
Alice