Respirators, Cartridges, and Filters.

[Cgriff]

What kind of filters or cartridges do you guys use on your respirators for grinding or sanding fiberglass with polyester and/or epoxy resin? Also, do you use a respirator for applying epoxy? I have a 3M 6200 half face respirator and have been using the 3M 2097 P100 filter. So far this seems to work fine for grinding and sanding. I just read an article where someone recomends using a 3M 60921 cartridge for working with liquid epoxy and for cutting and grinding it after hardening. They recomend using the 2097 filter for welding and woodworking but not with epoxy.
My 2097's are getting clogged and I need to replace them. Should I be using these 60921 cartridges anyway?
AND,
Using this half face respirator with goggles sucks!! I ware glasses under them and dust gets in and after a short time I start to sweat and the goggles fog up. I found a full face respirator (3M 6800) on ebay for $85.00-$100.00. I'm thinking about ordering one. They have good reviews and people say they don't fog up. Do any of you use a full face and how does it work for you?
Attachment 358127

[XstreamVking]

Respirators are good to use. Carbon is king for fumes! But, you must turn the air over for any real control of fumes and air born particles. Nothing better than a big fan.

[W2F a V-King]

For me, this is all I use anymore. NO sweating inside or fogging glasses. Cool air supplied inside.

http://www.turbineproducts.com/breat...-w-tyvek-hood/

I am buying a second hose to adapt to my full face 3m, as I have the welding screen for it as well.


James

[1BadAction]

For me, this is all I use anymore. NO sweating inside or fogging glasses. Cool air supplied inside.

http://www.turbineproducts.com/breat...-w-tyvek-hood/

I am buying a second hose to adapt to my full face 3m, as I have the welding screen for it as well.


James

^ Only way to go if you do paint/glass work with any regularity and don't want to end up typing like some of the glass guys on here.

Also, like Cullen said, a huge ass fan is a great start to get the nasties away and dissipated.

[W2F a V-King]

^ Only way to go if you do paint/glass work with any regularity and don't want to end up typing like some of the glass guys on here.

Also, like Cullen said, a huge ass fan is a great start to get the nasties away and dissipated.

Their cheap enough now. Think when I bought mine it was $420 to my door with a longer hose.

The huge fan keeps the floor clean too!

Before I got married years ago, cleaning the house for me was simple....open all the doors and windows, fire up the compressor, get out the extra long hose and blow out the house....done! Didn't take 15 minutes.

Get married, and she doesn't see the simplicity of it.......................so I lets her do it now.....


James

[Cgriff]

For me, this is all I use anymore. NO sweating inside or fogging glasses. Cool air supplied inside.

http://www.turbineproducts.com/breat...-w-tyvek-hood/

I am buying a second hose to adapt to my full face 3m, as I have the welding screen for it as well.


James

This looks like the way to go! Will definitely put this on my wish list. For now I think I'm going with the 3M full face and bigger or more fans.

[tunnels]

my God there must be some dirty workers around and there dirty work places !! blowing glass laden with resin that goes ever where is a major hazard ! If you have ever witnessed a glass factory fire and how fast it spreads you will understand why!!, given the right environment glass and resin dust is almost explosive and burns very quickly , plus its toxic and generates enormous heat !
Learn to collect and dispose of your dust if you grind then your dust is all going in one direction so grind so it stays in one place and a very high percentage is able to be collected up and disposed of then vacuumed up the last !!
ANY ONE CAUGHT blowing dust with a air hose any where gets there butt kicked very quickly in any factory I have been manager of !!have you ever taken any notice how long glass partiacals take to settle after some one uses a air line ??Think !!!
Its possible to grind without a mask if you know what you are doing ! so learn to be clean ! you are creating a fire bomb blowing dust every where !!

[tunnels]

Spraying Gel coat , Grinding glass ,Cutting glass using a diamond saw ,grinding core be it balsa or any sort of foam , Its how you use the grinder and where you direct the dust to go as you are grinding that makes a huge difference when you working in a small enclosed work spaces and there are other people working in close proximity its you duty to them not to be a grub and make a mess !
Spraying gel coat also the guns are always adjustable so properly set the fine over spray can be kept to a minimum ! The way you use the gun when spraying has a big difference as to where the spray is actually directed to and where it goes , I always spray on a slight angle to one side so all the spray is going away from me !, sometimes it possible to spray without a mask of any sort as everything is directed and going away usually over the top of the surface that's just been sprayed so fallout settles on the wet surface .
And yes I will never expect any of my workers to do any job I cannot or will not do myself ! and if they are making a mess then they are shown a better way !!

[1BadAction]

Fiberglass shops doing huge jobs with multiple guys daily in the city and how/where these guys are grinding out in the country at the volume they're doing it (not very often) are two completely different stories. In their case, blow the crap away from what they're working on, it's easier and safer. With fumes you should always have as much ventilation as possible, and that goes for anywhere.

Personally I live in the burbs so I can't blow **** out the garage door everywhere and all over my neighbor cars. I work inside an enclosed 2 car garage right next to toolboxes work benches and all kinds of other stuff that can't get dirty. Usually I grind with a guard that has an integral vacuum fitting, collect it with a shopvac that has an oiled foam filter, then dampen it with a hose when I bag it up. If not I use a multi-tool with a vac attachment. Usually when I finish grinding my rubber gloves are barely even dusty. Any actual fiberglass work requires me doing it outside under a tent with a fan on it and leaving it there until the majority of the smell bakes out. If I don't my whole house would end up smelling like resin for a month.

[W2F a V-King]

This is just all common sense...Really.

I live rural, and set up a 10x20 canopy outside to grind, sand, etc...
Wet the ground before sanding, shop vac while grinding, rinse boat and ground when done, also collecting the water that drains.

Whats in the air while grinding can not be collected outside, but that's why I am outside.

Not rocket science...common sense. If it's bad enough to make you itch..................

[zstyle]

Fiberglass shops doing huge jobs with multiple guys daily in the city and how/where these guys are grinding out in the country at the volume they're doing it (not very often) are two completely different stories. In their case, blow the crap away from what they're working on, it's easier and safer. With fumes you should always have as much ventilation as possible, and that goes for anywhere.

Personally I live in the burbs so I can't blow **** out the garage door everywhere and all over my neighbor cars. I work inside an enclosed 2 car garage right next to toolboxes work benches and all kinds of other stuff that can't get dirty. Usually I grind with a guard that has an integral vacuum fitting, collect it with a shopvac that has an oiled foam filter, then dampen it with a hose when I bag it up. If not I use a multi-tool with a vac attachment. Usually when I finish grinding my rubber gloves are barely even dusty. Any actual fiberglass work requires me doing it outside under a tent with a fan on it and leaving it there until the majority of the smell bakes out. If I don't my whole house would end up smelling like resin for a month.

I said F the neighbors and grind in the driveway, I wear the same respirator as mentioned above. Just storing glass in my garage stinks up my house. I feel the price I pay is still worth it in the end though.

[tunnels]

I said F the neighbors and grind in the driveway, I wear the same respirator as mentioned above. Just storing glass in my garage stinks up my house. I feel the price I pay is still worth it in the end though.

AAAH glass is odorless !!!
Its the resin that's the problem and also the CATALYST ! Where do you store those items ?

[zstyle]

AAAH glass is odorless !!!
Its the resin that's the problem and also the CATALYST ! Where do you store those items ?

Sorry I was stating all glass products are stored in my garage, including resin.

[tunnels]

Sorry I was stating all glass products are stored in my garage, including resin.

always store catalyst safely, cool and dark ! Is very dangerous stuff and has been known to spontaneously combust for no apparent reason!

for no apparent reason !

[MattGreen]

There is actually a LOT invoked in selecting the correct type of respirator and associated cartridges. Here are some general guidelines for hobby Fiberglass work (this advice is not meant to apply to workplaces, which have additional legal responsibilities, nor to people with existing respiratory health problems):

- yes, a full face is much better for grinding than a half mask plus goggles. A full face offers the best eye protection available plus is also rated to provide 5X more dust and vapour protection than a half mask. As a bonus, the visor on a full face is typically rated to the same ANSI Z87 Impact specs as a face shield which offers excellent protection in case your grinding/cutting disc flies apart.

- a combination organic vapour (charcoal) and P100 particulates cartridge is the best choice for grinding, either styrene-based resins or epoxy. When you are grinding on relatively "new" resin of either type, it's still not 100% cured. With epoxies, those remaining reactive sites still present a risk of respiratory sensitization. For styrene-containing resin systems, you've still got some residual monomer (sometimes for years if the mixing was poor or under-catalyzed). By wearing a cartridge that traps both the particles and vapours you are covered for both hazards. The 3M 60921 is this type of cartridge. It will also do a good job for solvent protection when cleaning up, and styrene protection when laying up new glass. The vapour pressures of epoxy components are very low and it's hard to generate really high concentrations with hobby-level hand layup unless you have very high temperatures, really tight spaces, or really poor ventilation. If any if these apply, definitely put on this respirator.

- 3M is definitely good equipment, you won't go wrong there.

- as others have stated, don't rely on the respirator alone. Use as much mechanical ventilation as you can. If you can setup a flex duct right near your work area to draw dust and vapours away that is one of the best approaches for a small shop if you need to keep the doors closed to conserve heat for proper curing. Small fan systems for this are available from tool discounters like Harbour Freight.

- yes, if you can afford a supplied-air respirator, go for it - it will provide better protection that any cartridge unit for home/hobby use. Just a heads up on that turbine unit - it lacks the NIOSH approval for use in a workplace and as such is only for hobby use.

- the statements made above about not wearing respirators for spraying gel and grinding are false and present a health risk.

Matt

What kind of filters or cartridges do you guys use on your respirators for grinding or sanding fiberglass with polyester and/or epoxy resin? Also, do you use a respirator for applying epoxy? I have a 3M 6200 half face respirator and have been using the 3M 2097 P100 filter. So far this seems to work fine for grinding and sanding. I just read an article where someone recomends using a 3M 60921 cartridge for working with liquid epoxy and for cutting and grinding it after hardening. They recomend using the 2097 filter for welding and woodworking but not with epoxy.
My 2097's are getting clogged and I need to replace them. Should I be using these 60921 cartridges anyway?
AND,
Using this half face respirator with goggles sucks!! I ware glasses under them and dust gets in and after a short time I start to sweat and the goggles fog up. I found a full face respirator (3M 6800) on ebay for $85.00-$100.00. I'm thinking about ordering one. They have good reviews and people say they don't fog up. Do any of you use a full face and how does it work for you?
Attachment 358127