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  1. #1
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    Default Half-face respirator good for beards

    Though even without a beard I think it's a crappy fit over my nose ... this is what I have currently, both the small and medium/large version from Bunnings:

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/protecto...rator_p5820154

    I'm heading over to Blackwoods in Fyshwick on Monday to try out and get either the Bionic or Armadillo face visor so if they have a suitable half face I'll get that too while I'm there.

    Or there's these at Total Tools:

    Prochoice - Respirator Half Mask Kit - HMA1P2 | Total Tools

    And my mug, if it helps:


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  3. #2
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    Feb 2009
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    moonbi nsw Aus
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    Default

    It will be interesting to see what you come home with. I have only had my beard for 43 years but it can be a nuisance at times trying to get a seal to exclude dust/fumes. I find I hold my breath a lot with out really knowing it. When I was an apprentice (1972) we were working on a factory building and had to cut out a rectangular hole for a machine in a brick wall. Friction discs were new at the time so we fitted it to a power saw then commenced the cut.......no hearing protection no mask and no eye protection. We would take in a deep breath and cut until we could see no more, drop the saw and bolt out side to take in some clean air and let the dust in the room settle before the next cut. Prehistoric YES but tat is how it used to be. All these years later my lungs are OK but my hearing is diminished some what.
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  4. #3
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    Aug 2008
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    Melbourne
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    34
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    Default

    https://www.carbatec.com.au/health-s...ered-dust-mask
    This one does alright on me with up to a week of regrowth (a bit longer than your cheeks and neck). Having air actively pushed through it also means that it doesn't get nearly as hot and sweaty as an unpowered one.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia.
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    Default

    Recently, I purchased a SafeCorp Half Face Respirator from Bunnings. There is a thread about it somewhere on the forum, do a search.

    I too have a beard, only had it for about 44 years this time. These days it is short, but certainly longer than yours, mine is almost all white to boot.

    The SafeCorp unit was a special in Bunnings and sold for $5.00, plus you needed a couple of cartridge filters, which I picked up for $0.50 a pair. So for a total outlay of $5.50 I had a half face respirator. I just hoped it would be better than anything else I had used in the past, but I was hopeful as I read the description on the packet realising what I may find inside.

    The official description is: Soft and Supple unique TPE silicone composite face seal.

    There was more, but that silicone bit had me hopeful. The TPE by the way stands for, "Thermo Plastic Elastomer". and is usually reasonably supple, but reasonable does not mean it folds around creases in your face, nor does it fold around a beard too well.

    The silicone composite face seal of the SafeCorp unit is brilliant.

    I finally found out just where it is sourced from by Australian resellers.

    HALF MASK RESPIRATOR | Supercraft

    Read the list of features, this tells you it should work to a standard, and what standard, plus there is a compatible list of filter cartridges you can attach.

    That is the exact unit I have, looking at the packaging you can see a reflection from the shiny part, then the mask goes up and turns into a non reflective part. Look carefully, it is semi opaque, you can almost see the head band strap through it. This is the silicone part and is very flexible and very good.

    Now I'm not saying this unit is the bees knees, but it is damned good at what it does for me and the other fella I picked one up for.

    There is a funny noise as you inhale, as the air passes the valve via the external filter, sort of a muffled fart like sound. This is not an imposition in an environment where I use mine, which is standing over a wood lathe, not to mention the dust extractor, noise from this unit is a non issue with me.

    This unit is the same unit, but with a pair of filter cartridges already included.

    HALF MASK RESPIRATOR WITH P2 CARTRIDGE | Supercraft


    I clicked on where to buy on the website, Mitre 10 and Home Timber & Hardware chains came up.

    One last thing, my unit works brilliantly underneath an Armadillo face shield, plus I wear glasses to boot.

    Mick.

  6. #5
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    Oct 2004
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    Default

    Just in case anyone was wondering, I telephoned Supercraft, who are the agents in this country, they have stock of the SCP 1080 stand alone unit, the SCP 1065 which is the P2 respirator cartridges 2 pack, and the SCP 1085 which is the respirator and two pack of P2 cartridges.

    I was informed that yes, I could go to a Mitre 10 or Home Timber & Hardware store, but it would probably be best to go to a Bunnings store and to their special orders desk. It seems that Bunnings get a special deal with Supercraft, which would explain the almost ridiculously cheap price I paid for the product.

    Mick.

  7. #6
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    Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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    Having a beard pretty much nullifies a face mask but I think you should seek out an industrial safety supplier that can fit a mask from companies like 3M, Norton, or an equivalent down under maker. They make the masks in different materials and in different sizes to fit the smallest faces to the biggest. While there look at the full face versions of the same half masks. Since they seal around the outside of the face the part covering the bridge of your nose is just to keep the inside of me from fogging. That means less pressure on your schnozzola. For a mask to properly seal on your carpet you have to rub petroleum jelly into the beard to create an airtight seal.

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by QC Inspector View Post
    Having a beard pretty much nullifies a face mask but I think you should seek out an industrial safety supplier that can fit a mask from companies like 3M, Norton, or an equivalent down under maker. They make the masks in different materials and in different sizes to fit the smallest faces to the biggest. While there look at the full face versions of the same half masks. Since they seal around the outside of the face the part covering the bridge of your nose is just to keep the inside of me from fogging. That means less pressure on your schnozzola. For a mask to properly seal on your carpet you have to rub petroleum jelly into the beard to create an airtight seal.
    As a person with a beard and one who cannot snorkel without using petroleum jelly to form a seal, I would in general, agree with you. However the face mask I have, does work with a beard without any help, something I didn't think would be possible. I put this down to the silicone composite face seal bit, it really is supple.

    For what it's worth, I have just picked up 12 of these half face respirators at a local Bunnings store for $5.00 each. On the way around the store I took two phone calls (one from someone who read this thread this morning) and have already moved 3 of them to friends. The rest will probably go by the end of this week.

    Mick.

  9. #8
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    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    Sorry to be difficult here but without performing measurements with a particle detector it is impossible to tell if a mask is working properly.
    Using criteria like - I don't smell anything, sneeze, or cough up brown gunk these would not pass any sort of OHS test.

    Years ago I started testing masks on myself but soon realised they are impossible to test properly because the results I got were all over the place and I could make no sense of them.

    The variability of the performance of masks is because masks are a bit like ear plugs in that they work slightly differently every time they are worn and a major reason why they they have a limited effect even on un-beareded persons. This is why masks should only be used as a last resort after all other forms of dust control have been exhausted

    No matter how supple a silicone material is it simply will not wrap itself fully around a single hair let alone a mat of hair.
    Remember the dust particles that affect human health are significantly smaller than human head hair let alone beard hair.

    See those red and blue dots in the picture well the finest dust is 5 x smaller than the red dots.

    pm2_5_graphic_lg.jpg

  10. #9
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    Thanks Bob, I needed to be brought back to the ground.

    That said, what I and others have, is certainly a far better solution than nothing. My own shed always has both doors open when creating dust, plus I have the dust extractor via the cyclone running, plus I now wear a half face respirator, which does have what I consider to be the best seal I have ever used.

    I do agree with you, nothing beats measurements like what you have shown.

    Mick.

  11. #10
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    Feb 2014
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    Canberra, Australia
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    Thanks BobL totally accept your point and agree; I'm not looking for something that'd pass WorkSafe inspection, just something better than the green mask from Bunnings that isn't even close to forming a seal and I have to jut my chin out to stop air coming down the top, which gives me headaches. Anything that reduces the amount of MDF dust I breath in is a bonus

  12. #11
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    South Australia
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    There is no static type face mask or respirator on the planet that is suitable for use with a beard, the only type that is suitable is a positive pressure
    system weather that be self powered or via a air line.

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Optimark View Post
    Thanks Bob, I needed to be brought back to the ground.

    That said, what I and others have, is certainly a far better solution than nothing. My own shed always has both doors open when creating dust, plus I have the dust extractor via the cyclone running, plus I now wear a half face respirator, which does have what I consider to be the best seal I have ever used.

    I do agree with you, nothing beats measurements like what you have shown.

    Mick.

    No worries Mick, I just worry a bot when I think newbies might be reading this thread and think that no other dust control is being used.

  14. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    There is no static type face mask or respirator on the planet that is suitable for use with a beard, the only type that is suitable is a positive pressure
    system weather that be self powered or via a air line.
    Yep (like Mick 44 years with a beard) and that's what I use when I have no access to DC or the particular DC I'm using is not up to scratch.

    Quote Originally Posted by NathanaelBC View Post
    Thanks BobL totally accept your point and agree; I'm not looking for something that'd pass WorkSafe inspection, just something better than the green mask from Bunnings that isn't even close to forming a seal and I have to jut my chin out to stop air coming down the top, which gives me headaches. Anything that reduces the amount of MDF dust I breath in is a bonus
    I agree, MDF is not good, 14 years ago I lost my sense of smell for 6 weeks working outside with MDF. I don't ever want to go through that again. It really affected my sense of taste as well..

  15. #14
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    Feb 2014
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    Got a 3M 7000 half-face at Blackwoods this afternoon, very soft silicone and different strap ... it has a semi-rigid ringlet that sits around your crown and then straps down to the mask. More comfortable, and much better fit even though the same size as the cheaper equiv from Bunnies. $88 for the "welders" kit, cheaper than buying mask and disc filters separately. Haven't checked fit inside the Armadillo visor (which I also got today at Blackwoods)

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    MDF is not good
    Couldn't quite make sense of 3M's product selector, looks like they were suggesting the "best" product for working with MDF are disposable 9913V filters that cost like $110 for a box of ten!

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