Don't skimp out on a respirator

[ReLo442]

So lately I have been having issues with my throat, coughing alot, wake up with sore throat, mucus....blablabla.

I contributed all this to smoking to much:chilling: so i took thirty days off from smoking, and went straight edibles thinking this would fix it right? WRONG. Turns out the smoking had nothing to do with it and Im thinking it is actually from tooling graphite, building kilns, making frit without a respirator. Today I started making a marble mold and instantly felt the feeling in my throat. Stopped what i was doing and went and got a good respirator and continued my mold making without a sore throat. Dont be stupid like me and rely on a fan for ventilation when doing these things.:bangHead: $30 is worth it to know your not going to have lung cancer.

That is all....

[frillcappa]

its the damn truth tho, hold some 6 mil up to a light and cut it with tile nippers and see the cloud of glass dust coming off.
If you don't want Tony from Goodstash to kick your ass, use a respirator when smoking glass on glass bongs please, he will make death threats on you mom, true story

[tweek]

learned that lesson first time I made frit
never again

[ALIEN!]

So lately I have been having issues with my throat, coughing alot, wake up with sore throat, mucus....blablabla.

I contributed all this to smoking to much:chilling: so i took thirty days off from smoking, and went straight edibles thinking this would fix it right? WRONG. Turns out the smoking had nothing to do with it and Im thinking it is actually from tooling graphite, building kilns, making frit without a respirator. Today I started making a marble mold and instantly felt the feeling in my throat. Stopped what i was doing and went and got a good respirator and continued my mold making without a sore throat. Dont be stupid like me and rely on a fan for ventilation when doing these things.:bangHead: $30 is worth it to know your not going to have lung cancer.

That is all....


Good advice here. Molten, you might want to get checked by a doctor if you're having problems that are truly concerning you. silicosis and heavy metal exposure is nothing to fuck around with. We might look like its all fun and games, but when it comes down to it, lampworking is like working in a foundry or welding, there are hazards on the job you can't even see, and those hazards can kill you. Be safe people! :gassy:

[re-vit]

...from tooling graphite, building kilns, making frit without a respirator.

i heard that there aren't any respirators that are rated for glass dust... it's some nasty shit! if this is true, and you are using a respirator, that could be much more dangerous due to the fact that the respirator is giving you a false sense of security. i'm guessing that everyone making a lot of dust is just trying to use top notch ventilation, and ducting it far, far away. instead of a respirator, you should switch over to a wet process.

i make frit this way- put a bunch of shards in a stainless steel bowl, put the bowl in the kiln and ramp it up to 1400. this serves to preheat them. then i pull the shards out of the bowl in the kiln with a hot punty. torch 'em briefly till their glowing, then quench in a bowl of distilled water. when i'm done, i sift it (under water) and end up with two or three useable sizes of frit. pour off the water (trying not to let any glass go down the sink), set the bowl on top of the kiln, and it's dry in 30 minutes.

[STROKER]

there are for sure mask rated for any and all dust.

i have been making insane amounts of dust for a very long time and i use a half mask respirator from msa . after trying every brand out there i have come to like their mask the best.

nothing gets through if its sealed properly on your face.

[ReLo442]

I got a $30 from home depot and it has charcoal filters on the sides, and a nicely fitting rubber part that fits my face really well. I had the shop vac with a HEPA filter sucking as much of the dust as I could as well as a fan blowing air away from me. Once I did this I felt much better about working with graphite. I have been hacking up black mucus tho... which is good that its coming up, but bad that it was there to begin with.

Alien thanks for the tip. I may go get a full physical including a heart test, breathing test, stress test, all that jive. Im turning 25 this year so i figure its time for my 250,000 mile service.

On my glass bench I have a big blower fan that sucks ALOT of air out very quickly. I have tested it by leaving a lit cigar RIGHT NEXT to my torch, next to my kiln, next to my frit area, and a couple other areas that concerned me and the entire bench has really good flow so I feel good about that. Never took the same precautions in my workshop at home cuz im usually working with wood, metal, or other "non nonhazardous" materials. I will def start wearing one anytime there is any kind of dust, including using the table saw. router, drill press and any kind of grinder. I watched my grandfather slowly die of lung cancer and thats not a fate I want to live (or die) out.

[JBob]

Older then the dirt on it, but this man offers some good advice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OmpnfL5PCw

THIS IS GLASS DUST, DONT BREATHE THIS!

[hashmasta-kut]

hahahaa and he is out of frame, with no mask on holding his breath!

[elad65]

The recommended respirator for glass work and making frits and fuming is a N-100 anything less and you are fooling your self.

N-100 is for DRY particles and dust applications and will filter 99.97 percent of airborne particles.

R -100 is a oil resistant respirator and is good for 99.97 percent of airborne particulate.

P -100 is a oil proof respirator and is good for 99.97 percent of airborne particulate.


N-P-R 95 series is good ore only good for 95% airborne particulate.

To be effective respirator has to fit around nose and mouth with a good seal and they come in several different sizes depending you your facial features.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respirators

Elad

[menty666]

Also, make sure you store them away from the area, or you'll just have crap settling into them and next time you use it it, you'll get a snoot full.

It seems like an obvious warning, but you'd be surprised.

[Bo Diddles]

Also, facial hair can make for a bad seal. It's best to be clean shaven.

[frillcappa]

Also, make sure you store them away from the area, or you'll just have crap settling into them and next time you use it it, you'll get a snoot full.

It seems like an obvious warning, but you'd be surprised.

yep, i used to bring my own resperator to class with me when i hotshopped because the ones they had were sitting around all the time and would have caked dust all over the inside... no thanks, ya know

[menty666]

Also, facial hair can make for a bad seal. It's best to be clean shaven.

That's one of the reasons I don't make plaster/silica molds that often...I don't want to shave LOL

[ReLo442]

hmm didnt think about that....i aint shavin...sorry

[poncho]

my buddy makes a lot of plaster silica molds and we both agree that even though it doesnt make a tight seal its better than nothing with your beard! though its not a air tight seal, your hair is pretty thick offering some sort of airborn particle disturbance! I have a beard as well and do notice it being helpful in not getting plaster dust in your mouth while your working!

[somewhere]

for the beardy folks out there consider a positive pressure systems also known as a forced air respirator.

[menty666]

How's that work? I was looking at one and it says they run a fan that pulls air in, that seems like it would just throw particulates at you faster.

[ReLo442]

positive air pressure resp are POSITIVE pressure meaning they blow clean air into the mask thus preventing anything from getting in the leaks. Im pretty sure they have to draw air from outside, filter it, and then pump it into the mask.

I wouldnt be able to work if i always had tubes running to my mask. Ive used one when painting a car and was SO glad to get that star wars piece of shit off my face. Thanks for the tip but i will not be using a positive resp. Id rather duct tape a normal mask to my face than use one of those tube jobies.

[somewhere]

How's that work? I was looking at one and it says they run a fan that pulls air in, that seems like it would just throw particulates at you faster.

Most of them have a small pump and battery pack you wear on a belt the filter is on the intake. Small hose runs from the belt to a simple mask some have full face coverage. Great for sand blasting or any type of work you would normally sweat. They also eliminate the feeling of suffocation you get from trying to pull air through a filter for hours at a time.
I have also seen them with the pump and filter all connected to the mask. I like the belt ones because the mask weighs next to nothing. Fairly easy diy if your handy.

[Architeuthis dux]

Also, facial hair can make for a bad seal. It's best to be clean shaven.

this is what i told my girl:bouncy:

[ModderXtr]

So a P100 respirator will be good for glass then?

[elad65]

Any of the 100 series respirators is acceptable as it related to size of particles it filters. The "N" series is probably most preferred in a non "wet" (glass) environment .

Elad