Just wondering what kind of respirator the pro glassers prefer to use. I have been using a standard 3m half face, but didn’t know what type of cartridges you would recommend that is best suited for glassing. Wife is always concerned about me & the vapors, so i owe it to her and myself to make sure that i am using the proper equipment.
While laminating / hot coating I use a charcoal filtered half mask. I must also wear a long sleeved tee or shirt because Im sensitive to the vapors of the reaction between resin and catalyst. Try to ventilate the area your working in (neighbors dont always appreciate that ) whitch helps. You can try to ask your supplier for a Material Safety Data Sheet which will proably tell you exactly what you need to know.
The 3M mask has different cartridges you use for shaping (particulate) and glassing (organic).
another little thing alot of people dont know is that you should also keep the filters in a sealed box when there not in-use, keeps the filters fresher for longer.
Yup. Guys at FGH just told me that a few weeks ago. A sealed bag works too. I’ve had a respirator for years and never knew that. Glad someone finally told me!
If your skin is sensitive to the vapors & chemicals, your eyeballs are too. I prefer the full face mask to the half mask. No chance of catalyst or chemicals in the eyes, either.
Good to know thanks zac. How often do you guys change your filters?
Depends on your evac setup and your volume and storage.
Depends on your evac setup and your volume and storage.
You can store the whole respirator in a Zip-lock bag. If you put the respirator on,step outside into fresh air and smell a fairly decent amount of resin smell in the mask; Your charcoal filters are saturated. Things to consider are; Are replacement filters readily available? Are the filters charcoal? You can look the respirator over and generally tell if it is quality or not. Spend more for better protection.