Hi,

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers? I've been
buying whatever I could find in the sheds; previously they were 3M,
this time it was something by Harris. I've been trying to cut some MDF
so I needed a mask but even adjusting the bit round the nose I was
getting my glasses steamed up. Has anyone found a make that doesn't do
this?

TIA

Fred wrote:
Hi,

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers? I've been
buying whatever I could find in the sheds; previously they were 3M,
this time it was something by Harris. I've been trying to cut some MDF
so I needed a mask but even adjusting the bit round the nose I was
getting my glasses steamed up. Has anyone found a make that doesn't do
this?

TIA
I presume that you are talking about the disposable 'paper' type. I
have a similar problem which was mostly solved using a valved version.
Plastic grid in the front with a piece of thin rubber - breathe out ant
the flap opens to give an open passage to the air (little pressure so
little air forced around the nose seal), breathe in and the flap closes
to restore filtering

Malcolm

On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:32:34 +0000, Malcolm wrote:

I presume that you are talking about the disposable 'paper' type.

Yes

I have a similar problem which was mostly solved using a valved version.

This Harris one is not valved but the 3M ones were. I can't remember
now but I think I still had the steam problem even with the valved
variety.

Fred wrote:
On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:32:34 +0000, Malcolm wrote:

I presume that you are talking about the disposable 'paper' type.

Yes

I have a similar problem which was mostly solved using a valved
version.

This Harris one is not valved but the 3M ones were. I can't remember
now but I think I still had the steam problem even with the valved
variety.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

I have the same problem. These seem to work OK
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/11411/...-Mask-P3-Valve

On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:06:06 +0000
Fred wrote:

Hi,

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers? I've been
buying whatever I could find in the sheds; previously they were 3M,
this time it was something by Harris. I've been trying to cut some MDF
so I needed a mask but even adjusting the bit round the nose I was
getting my glasses steamed up. Has anyone found a make that doesn't do
this?

TIA

In the end, being an asthmatic carpenter, I invested in a full face
mask with fan driven filtered air flow (by Trend). Expensive, but a
boon for anything dusty. It does 4 hours on a charge, but I have two
batteries.

R.

On Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:30:19 +0000, TheOldFellow
wrote:

On Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:06:06 +0000
Fred wrote:

Hi,

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers? I've been
buying whatever I could find in the sheds; previously they were 3M,
this time it was something by Harris. I've been trying to cut some MDF
so I needed a mask but even adjusting the bit round the nose I was
getting my glasses steamed up. Has anyone found a make that doesn't do
this?

TIA

In the end, being an asthmatic carpenter, I invested in a full face
mask with fan driven filtered air flow (by Trend). Expensive, but a
boon for anything dusty. It does 4 hours on a charge, but I have two
batteries.

R.

Seconded. Just bought a JSP Powercap. Staggeringly expensive and not
yet used in anger, but it looks promising. 8 hours on a charge.

On 2 Feb, 16:06, Fred wrote:

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers?

Mostly I wear a face shield against flying stuff. Under that I can
wear most sorts of mask, disposable paper for light stuff on-site, one-
month 3M disposable rubber or a good 3M silicone half mask with
replaceable filters. So long as you have an exhale valve and a paper
mask has the wire nosepiece adjusted, I don't get steam-up problems.

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 2 Feb, 16:06, Fred wrote:

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers?

Mostly I wear a face shield against flying stuff. Under that I can
wear most sorts of mask, disposable paper for light stuff on-site, one-
month 3M disposable rubber or a good 3M silicone half mask with
replaceable filters. So long as you have an exhale valve and a paper
mask has the wire nosepiece adjusted, I don't get steam-up problems.

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0

Are there any goggles more suited to heavy work?

I don't wear glasses but find that if I am doing heavy work that
builds up a sweat sealed goggles will soon steam up. I am not sure that
the protective glasses type are that effective from flying masonry for
example.

Andrew

On 4 Mar, 12:06, Andrew May wrote:

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...=goggles&user_...

Are there any goggles more suited to heavy work?

What's "heavy work" ? Raising a sweat, or flinging hot fragments in
your mush?

The "Transformers" mask is pretty good as a set of spectacle-
compatible goggles with attached cheek shields.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-U...ield-21088.htm
A few stripes of silver gaffer and insulation tape on it and your kids
get to play Optimus Prime


Otherwise it's time for a headshield, hung off a brow band. I wear one
of those far more than I wear goggles. My half-masks (screw-on side
filters) will also fit underneath, if there's a dust or fume problem.
For a real fume problem (usually ammonia fuming) I wear a mil-surplus
full-face mask. An Avon S10 is good, easy to find and fairly cheap
(but go to a big surplus dealer and root through to find undamaged
ones). Although military masks have small eyepieces, they're designed
to allow accurate rifle shooting, so they're usually pretty good
optically.

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 4 Mar, 12:06, Andrew May wrote:

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...=goggles&user_...
Are there any goggles more suited to heavy work?

What's "heavy work" ? Raising a sweat, or flinging hot fragments in
your mush?

Raising a sweat. Most recently channelling out in dense brick and having
to reach up to do so. So not sure I would be comfortable using a face
mask rather than goggles. But goggles have a tendency to steam up quite
quickly.

Andrew

Andrew May wrote:
Andy Dingley wrote:
On 2 Feb, 16:06, Fred wrote:

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers?

Mostly I wear a face shield against flying stuff. Under that I can
wear most sorts of mask, disposable paper for light stuff on-site, one-
month 3M disposable rubber or a good 3M silicone half mask with
replaceable filters. So long as you have an exhale valve and a paper
mask has the wire nosepiece adjusted, I don't get steam-up problems.

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0


Are there any goggles more suited to heavy work?

I don't wear glasses but find that if I am doing heavy work that builds
up a sweat sealed goggles will soon steam up. I am not sure that the
protective glasses type are that effective from flying masonry for example.

Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday
glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I have
never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard soap
might be your answer.

Dave

Dave wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Andy Dingley wrote:
On 2 Feb, 16:06, Fred wrote:

Can anyone advise of a good dust mask for spectacled DIYers?

Mostly I wear a face shield against flying stuff. Under that I can
wear most sorts of mask, disposable paper for light stuff on-site, one-
month 3M disposable rubber or a good 3M silicone half mask with
replaceable filters. So long as you have an exhale valve and a paper
mask has the wire nosepiece adjusted, I don't get steam-up problems.

For goggles (i.e. sealed against dust), these orange-rimmed Uvex from
Axminster work well with glasses
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.a...sfile=1&jump=0


Are there any goggles more suited to heavy work?

I don't wear glasses but find that if I am doing heavy work that
builds up a sweat sealed goggles will soon steam up. I am not sure
that the protective glasses type are that effective from flying
masonry for example.

Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday
glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I have
never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard soap
might be your answer.

Dave
I remember that. Ideal Home show in the late 70's IIRC.

Andrew May wrote:
Dave wrote:

Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday
glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I
have never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard
soap might be your answer.

Dave
I remember that. Ideal Home show in the late 70's IIRC.

Bout the right era. But I remember it from about ten years earlier.

Dave

On 5 Mar, 10:30, Huge wrote:

From my diving days, the standard ways of preventing your mask from
steaming up were either to gob in it or smear it with soap or washing
up liquid.

Snot works better (clear, not aspirated), and you can even do this by
wiping a slug on the inside of your facemask.

Bristol's Department of Mucus Studies is just up the road, and you can
learn all sorts of stuff from them. From people obsessed with fondling
slugs, admittedly. Say hello, but I wouldn't want to shake hands.

Huge wrote:
On 2010-03-05, Andrew May wrote:
Dave wrote:

Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday
glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I have
never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard soap
might be your answer.

Dave
I remember that. Ideal Home show in the late 70's IIRC.

From my diving days,

Muff? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Dave

In message , Huge
writes
On 2010-03-05, Andrew May wrote:
Dave wrote:

Many, many years ago I saw a gell demonstrated that stopped everyday
glasses from steaming up. I was told that it was made from soap. I have
never been active enough to want to try it, so a smear of hard soap
might be your answer.

Dave
I remember that. Ideal Home show in the late 70's IIRC.

From my diving days, the standard ways of preventing your mask from
steaming up were either to gob in it or smear it with soap or washing
up liquid.

I'm not sure how useful any of these are in DIY, though!

Basically - anything that lowers the surface tension


--
geoff