Buying The Right Masks And Respirators

- Buying the correct mask or respirator can be a bit

of a challenge, especially when it comes

to understanding all the terms

that come along with these types of products.

By the end of this video, you'll have a solid understanding

of the terms and types so that you can be confident

in purchasing what's right for you.

Well, as you can see, there are a lot of different styles

of masks out there, we're gonna cover each one of these

throughout today's video.

But the first thing we need to do talk about

is the difference between a dust mask and a respirator.

Dust mask generally only have one strap

and don't always fit tightly around the mouth and nose.

These masks are designed to stop aerosols

which are both solid and liquid particles

from coming out of the wearer's mouth.

However, they provide little to no protection

from the air that you're breathing in.

The other big difference between a mask

and a respirator is that the mask is not NIOSH approved.

NIOSH stands for the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health,

and I'll get into what they do later on.

Bottom line, most professionals think

that these dust masks are useless and I have to agree.

A respirator on the other hand is certified by NIOSH

and generally has two straps,

which allows the mask to fit snugly around the user's face.

When worn correctly, this style of respirator

does a great job at filtering out

fine particles like sawdust.

However, all of these disposable mask

or sometimes called paper masks

do not filter out organic vapors,

which are very harmful to breathe.

But before we start talking about

what gives some respirators the ability

to filter out organic vapors,

let's dive a little bit further into the rating letters

and numbers that are associated

with the filtering material itself.

You may have noticed that respirators will have a letter

and a number printed on the box around the mask itself.

The letter is first and in most cases,

it whether be an N or a P.

N stands for non-oil, meaning that's a material

that the mask is made out of breaks down

in the presence of oil aerosols.

Again, aerosols can be both solid

and or liquid born particles.

For example, oil aerosols can be oil-based paints,

release agents, or some spray lubricant just to name a few.

What this means is if you're working in an environment

that has a lot of airborne aerosols,

the N-type filter is not recommended.

The P rating, which stands for oil proof

can be used around oil aerosols.

After the letter comes a number.

In most cases, that number will be a 95 or 100.

These numbers are percentages

of how effective the mask material is

at filtering out aerosols.

N95 is 95% effective and a 100 is 99.7%.

There are many different methods that manufacturers utilize

in order to get the filtering material

to be effective at filtering out fine particles.

The two most common are weave density

and static electric charge.

The first one takes into account how tight the fibers

of the material are woven together.

The tighter they are, the more effective they are

at capturing smaller particles.

The second method that some manufacturers use

is to place a static electric charge

on the filtering material itself at the factory.

This is very similar to when you're at home

and you scratch your feet on the carpet

and then you touch a metal object

or another person and get a shock.

However, the static charge on the mask

does not leave the mask material

like when you shock someone,

but it stays and is used to help attract particles.

Okay. Now that you understand the writing, letters,

and numbers, it's time to quickly move on

and talk about NIOSH and why they are so important.

NIOSH tests and certifies the majority

of the respirators on the market today.

At their lab, they test particle sizes down to 0.3 microns

and they test agents that can degrade the filters,

like what we already talked about with oil aerosols

and type and filters.

They test all respirators with some sort

of a salt solution or other methods to verify

that the filtering material is doing its job.

So far, we've only talked about

disposable masks and respirators.

One of which, once you wear these out,

you simply throw the entire mask out.

But there is another option before we get down to these,

and it's this right here.

In more recent years, these more flexible style dust masks

have made the way into the marketplace.

I have two here for us to look at.

One is from our RZ mask and the other one is from BASE CAMP.

These types of dust masks have a reusable outer parts

and on the inside is where the filtering

material gets installed.

And once this wears out, you simply swap out

the old inner filter for a new one.

As you can see, they're both very similar

and they both have a really good reputation

in the DIY and professional communities.

They're stylish, pretty comfortable,

and do an effective job at filtering out aerosols.

Keep in mind though that they are not NIOSH approved

and they're still considered a dust mask,

but as you can see are clearly nothing

like the simple paper dust mask we first looked at.

These types of masks do provide great overall protection

as long as you buy the right size

and make sure that they're fitting tightly.

I do wanna add that the BASE CAMP mask

does provide these extra ear loops

that the RZ mask does not, which really helps

with the overall fit and comfort of the mask.

And the RZ mask provides this little extra foam

on the inner filter by the nose that the BASE CAMP does not,

which adds comfort and provides a better seal

around your nose.

Next to those filters is yet another mask before we get

into the more traditional style mask, which I'll call.

And this one is from Trend Tools.

It's made out of a non-allergenic material

including soft latex and silicone-free face seals.

Similar to the RZ and BASE CAMP masks,

these have replaceable filters that fit inside the mask.

This design is slim and more compact

than a traditional half mask respirator,

which gives you more vision as you're wearing it.

This mask is NIOSH approved

and provides a really good seal around your face.

Before we get further along, let's circle back

and talk about what gives some masks

the ability to filter out organic vapors.

This level of filtration is only possible with respirators

that have activated carbon filters or cartridges.

Activated carbon can remove all types of organic vapors,

which are very harmful for you to breathe.

Examples of products that would have organic vapors

would be paint thinners, epoxies, urethanes,

and of course oil-based paints and stains.

As we already talked about these paper style mask

do not have activated carbon in them,

nor can you get these with it.

However, both the RZ and BASE CAMP mask

do have activated carbon in the filter,

which gives you some protection

not as much as a cartridge style like this,

but it may provide enough protection for you.

If we move over to the Trend mask,

this particular model does not have the option

for adding activated carbon filters.

So this mask would not be good for removing organic vapors,

but does a great job of removing particles.

If we continue down the lineup here,

we can get into what I'm calling more of the traditional

looking half face masks that have removable cartridges.

This style of mask is best for creating a very tight seal

around the face because of the material itself

and because of the multiple straps.

I have two manufacturers represented here, MSA and 3M.

Both of these are a great professional grade mask.

And of course, the cartridges that they use

are slightly different from each other.

Both cartridges, however, clip and unclip, in and out

so that you can swap them out

for different style or filter type.

And I have three different filters for us to look at.

The first one looks less like a cartridge

and more like a, I don't know, a pink pancake.

This is the 3M P100 filter,

which if you remember is a filter

that is NIOSH rated oil proof,

99.7% effective at filtering particles down to 0.3 microns.

This filter works extremely well

at sawdust and other fine particles,

but what it can't do is remove organic vapors.

The next filter is a MSA organic vapor cartridge,

which as you guessed it,

filters out harmful organic odors and vapors.

3M makes these as well,

but this particular filter only removes organic vapors

and does not remove particles like sawdust.

And that's something you wanna keep in mind

when you're looking to purchase a filter.

Does it remove organic vapors or sawdust or both?

And the last filter we have is an example of a cartridge

that has both activated carbon for removing organic vapors

and a P100 filter for removing particles.

Like I mentioned before, both MSA

and 3M make the same cartridges, of course,

just with their own unique style.

Because there are so many filter cartridges to choose from,

I'll leave a link down in the notes section

so that you can download the PDF for both MSA and 3M filters

to choose what's right for you.

The majority of the mask and filters

that we've been covering in this video are more than

adequate for the majority of woodworkers out there.

And when it comes to fitting or finding the one

that fits best for you or the best style,

it kinda comes down to more of a trial and error.

I personally have always had at least two masks.

I like to use my MSA mask set up for organic vapors

and I use my 3M 6503QL set up with a P100 filter

for all of my woodworking.

Out of all my mask, I use this 6503 the most

because it's light weight,

it seals a hundred percent of my face,

it's easy to breathe through,

and they exhaust vent points down,

which is extremely helpful.

Which reminds me, we haven't yet talked about masks

that have exhaust ports and mask that don't.

Mask that have exhaust ports allowed the hot air

that you're breathing out to get out of the mask.

Otherwise, that hot humid air stays in there

and if you think about it, that's kinda gross.

The basic dust mask in this N95 do not have an exhaust port,

but this other N95 does, and you can see that here.

All the other masks on the table have exhaust ports,

the RZ and the BASE CAMP masks do right here,

and the Trend mask has been located here.

The two half face masks have ports on the front

and the other 3M has the port facing down.

This makes all the difference

in the performance of the mask.

Having the port facing down is really important

because it stops your safety glasses from fogging up

when you're working really hard

and expelling a lot of moisture.

When it comes to knowing when your mask filters

need to be changed, it really comes down

to noticing particular odors

and or if it's getting harder to breathe.

So take note when you first put on the mask when it's new

and pay close attention to how easy it is

to breathe through, or if you're using an organic filter,

notice how effective it is at removing odors.

When the organic filters wear out,

you'll start to smell the odors

that you're trying to keep out.

And when the other N or P filters wear out,

you will physically see them dirty and or you will notice

that it's getting harder to breathe through them.

Each manufacturer has its own recommendations

for the length of use,

so be sure to visit their website for specific details.

All the mask that we talked about today

are really good mask, except of course,

this dust mask down here.

Choosing the right style is really gonna be dependent

on the type of work you're doing

and what you think is comfortable.

Protection and comfort is key when it comes to mask

and knowing which one's gonna be the most comfortable

for you really boils down to probably going out

and purchasing a few masks and giving them a try.

Bottom line, the mask has to protect you

from the environment that you're in

and it has to be comfortable

because you need to be wearing it often.

Your health depends on it.

I'll leave the link to all these products down

in the notes section below.

And if there's something that you were hoping

I was gonna cover in this video and I didn't,

just simply ask me the question down in the comments

and I'd be more than happy to help you out.

If you need more specific help

or would like to share some videos and photos with me,

find me on Instagram.

Thank you for watching.

Have a great day.

God bless.

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