Face shields and breathing masks

[Kiwi Greg]

What is the best mask available to (1) STOP PESKY AND POTENTIALLY HARMFUL DUST ENTERING MY LUNGS
(2) Stop any big bits hitting me in the scone and further limiting my mental capacity.

Is there a site to go to check them out.

Kiwi

[Sir Stinkalot]

All hail the long awaited Triton .....
Check Trition (http://www.triton.net.au/front.html)
And have a look at Triton Times on the front page ... it should be out in a few weeks. I tried to ask the Triton guy at Bunnies on the weekend as he didn't have anybody around but he wouldn't stop playing with his bloody toy.

Stinky.

[KevM]

I have a Trend Air Shield RRP is $499.00 but you can pick it up for less at the Wood Shows.

At our Woodcraft Guild meeting last night, the local Tasmanian Triton demonstrator indicated that the Triton would be available shortly RRP would be about $295.00.

regards

Kev

[rsser]

I use the Trend air shield too - expensive, but then lungs are priceless. And I use a workshop dust filter. They've come down a lot in price here in Oz. In your patch, well, as I said, lungs are priceless!

Ern

[q9]

I use a standard face shield - about $30 and a 3M respirator - $70 + approx $25 for filters and cartridges. The advantage of having the 3M is that you can change the cartridges to suit what you are using.

I used mine in a shed throughout summer for 8 hours a day in 35+C heat and as long as you have some paper towel handy it isn't too bad.

[Sir Stinkalot]

It seems the longer the delay on the Triton the higher the cost ... initially it was about half of the competitors ($250) then $275 now $295. It seems that the publicity shots that were delaying its release may be costing more than first thought and the price will be passed onto the consumer. Oh well ... even at $300 it sounds like a good unit and I await the reviews with baited breath.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Stoppers .... Stoppers .... Stoppers ..... Please get with the program ... you will really need to brush up on your product testing techniques before the SA Woodshow otherwise you will be shown up as a fool.

The purpose of the baited breath is to test the filtering properties of the mask. Step one .... fill your mouth with copious amounts for unrefrigerated bait .... step two ..... fit the mask to the face .... step three .... breath .... stand back and test the effectiveness of the mask. Work colleagues or the wife will quickly tell you the quality of the mask.

I am so glad that I could give you this quick refresher course before the next show.

:D

Sir Notsostinkalot

[Jim Carroll]

Sir Stinkalot you have not seen what doorstop can do to a bowl of baby octopus. No mask is good enough after this.

[Neil]

A Racal with a charcoal filter will stop a fart so it will sure as hell stop Stoppers and Stinkies bait breath.

I'll bet the Triton won't.

[sandman]

12 mths ago I purchased a Purelite helmet. VERY EXPENSIVE but I want to see my children grow up! It is very light with battery lasting heaps longer than any other I looked at. Battery is also centrally located in top of lid so as great balance is achieved.
Not thesort of thing you find at any old harware store. these are a specialty safety supply unit.
just over $1k but pretty good value I reckon!

[Sir Stinkalot]

I would tend to agree that the Trition isn't going to be as effective as some of the units at twice the price ..... but for a starting point for the weekend user it looks as if it would be a good buy. If I was working a 38hr week in the shop then $1K for a good quality mask would be one of the first investments. I find for the stuff that I do the respirator with the big filter mounted on the front works well but in the summer its a pain, and it also hampers my singing :). Keeping dust out on the lungs is a high prority but in my case it will have to go in stages.

What does happen to the fine dust that enters the lungs?

[Wood Borer]

Here's a challenge for Wayne - Design and build a portable Cyclone suitable for attaching to your face.

Stinkalot and Stoppers could model it for the publicity shots and Neil could distribute it. I'll be your first customer.

What could it be called though?

- Wood Borer

[colh]

wouldn't it have to be the UB-Cyclo Stink-stopper?

can't figure how to get Wayne's name into it just yet

Colin

[rbarnold]

Hi,
The Triton respirator is on store shelves now.
I saw one at Bunnings priced at $272 although I believe the recommended is $275
The unit uses 2 standard cartridges (like my standard unit) which could quite easily be replaced with better quality ones.
It is extremely light with most of the weight located in the belt mounted filter houseing.
Filtered air is passed into the rear of the hard hat and evenly distributed (via a slot at the front) down the inside of the polycarbanite shield at ambient temp, so keeping the face cool.
The skirt is great for keeping dust etc from getting in around the collar of your shirt as an added advantage.

This is a truely great product, which probably is why Tritons first manufacturing run has been sold with the second to be arriving in next week or so.

Hope this helps

[Eastie]

Originally posted by Sir Stinkalot
What does happen to the fine dust that enters the lungs?

Air that passes through the nasal area and past the windpipe enters the air tubes (bronchi) leading to the lungs. These airways are lined by mucous producing cells. This mucous catches most of the dust particles (in a stream of air and dust moving through a pipe the solid dust matter will tend to follow its straight course at a bend and hit the side of the pipe rather than take the corner with the air - in the lungs this would stick to the mucous - it's the same principle behind not having 90 degree bends in you dust extraction piping). Tiny hairs called cilia, covering the walls of the air tubes, move the mucus upward and out into the throat, where it is either coughed up and spat out, or swallowed.

Dust that reaches the sacs and the lower part of the airways where there are no cilia is attacked by cells called macrophages. Macrophages encapsulate the foreign particles and in a way that is not well understood, move outwards until they reach the part of the airways that is covered by cilia. The wavelike motions of the cilia move the contaminated macrophages to the throat, where they are spat out or swallowed.

Besides macrophages, the lungs have another system of protein formation for the removal of dust. The lungs can react to the presence of germ-bearing particles by producing certain proteins that attach to particles to neutralize or kill them.

Just out of interest here's roughly how far different sizes of dust make it into the lungs:


5 - 30 µm - Nasopharyngeal Region (upper airway passages - nose and throat)
1 - 5 µm - Trachea, Bronchial and Bronchiolar Region (windpipe and larger branches of the lungs)
1 µm or less - Alveolar Region (smaller branches of lung and the air exchange area)


There you have it, in all it's relative uselessness :rolleyes:
Mark

[Sir Stinkalot]

mmmmm …. that’s pretty much what I was thinking ….. just wanted to confirm it :) ..... wasn't 100% on the sizes :D

[barnsey]

Hi Kiwi Greg

To get back to your original post

I've not used any other respirator coz I'm a tuff Ozzie
So i'll not comment on the others but I did buy a Triton late last week and I think it as good as you could want - definately a 9/10. Could have been powered by better batteries but that will come.

Go for it!!!!

[Kiwi Greg]

Thanks Barnsey,

Are you as tough as the Aussie Rugby team?:D :D

Kiwi Greg

[barnsey]

No,

The Rugby League Team

The cricket Team

:D :D :D :D

Enough of this oneupmanship

Go back and tend your sheep!!!!:D :D

Have a great day!!

Jamie

[GGHorse]

Was down at Bunnings Carseldine (Brisbane) last night and they have the Triton unit previously mentioned for $272.00. I have put my christmas order into "she who must be obeyed"

[Kiwi Greg]

Are the triton units readily available in AUS now?

Not released yet in N.Z
When they are they are expected to retail for $380

Think I'll buy one from AUS

Kiwi

[Sir Stinkalot]

I checked Bunnies Geelong on the weekend ... they have two in stock in there crappy little tool hutch up high our of the reach of the vertically challenged .... for $272 ..... Seems like a standard Bunnies price across the board.

[Kiwi Greg]

Where would I get a Triton mask in central Sydney.
I am over there for the weekend, staying in the city.?

[rbarnold]

Hi Kiwi,

Try any Bunnings Warehouse stores, Triton supplied Bunnings before anyone else, and every store seems to have 2 or more.

I just bought one a few days ago and it's excellent, I just wish they had put NH bateries in it instead of NiCad because of memory effect.
The batteries need to be charged for 15+ hours on the first charge and it's stated the charge should last about 8 hours.

Unit even comes with a flow tester so you can check when you need to clean or replace the filters.

Great Unit at a Greate price

Roger

[Jeff]

I have been using the 3M Power Visor for years and it is great. Full face shield, filtered air blows from the top down across the face, and it is lightweight and best of all, much less expensive than anything else I've seen. There are clear stick-on, throwaway covers to protect the face shield, a must have, and I suggest a second battery if you turn for several hours at a time as I do. I thought the fan might be annoying but have found it not to be. There are more expensive models that have the fan and battery pack at the belt level. A bit of production shop fun is to stand near the user of such a unit and, well, pass gas, and watch them get the full benefit....! Really, I love my 3M Power Visor, and after years of use I find it reliable and a very close friend. It has taken some amazingly hard shots from flying pieces of wood without any problem, such as have left me reeling thinking of what could have happened if I didn't have it. And remember, no job is too small to justify putting on the hood...it only takes a tiny, tiny piece of wood at even very slow speed to take an eye out forever. And remember, some woods are very toxic, and it often varies from person to person based on prolonged exposure. No matter how good your filter is, some dust will get throgh, and you eventually have to take the hood off. Be smart, work smart, work safe. Know your wood, know the toxicity. Look at the 3M Worlwide site, search for Power Visor. Avoid the Australia site, it doesn't load well, or give you the needed info. Good turning, may you make masterpieces...

[JackoH]

Agree 100% with everything Jeff said above. I have the Racal(before it became 3M) Dustmaster. The one with the power unit on the belt. I have had it for 5 years and the original battery is still going strong.
I run the battery flat every 4-6 months and recharge overnight, as per instructions. Compared to a new set of lungs or the odd facial injury I might have suffered without it, it has been a very good investment. Even at the $600+ that it cost.:D
But whtever you do, Don't fart!!

REMEMBER ALL DUST IS DANGEROUS!:eek:

[Sprog]

For all you Perth people, I just got my Triton Respirator from Stillitanos Home Hardware, Alexander Drive, Malaga, for $235.
They didn't have them in stock but ordered it one day collected it the next.
They always give great prices, give them a go.
I have no connection with them, just like their service and prices.

[Badger]

Just to get back to the serious stuff. I've got (and use) a 3Ms filter mask with the battery in the mask. Again it was expensive but it works very well - in both departments. It does a good job of keeping the dust away and it provides good protection. I put a small crack in the bottom part of the face shield a couple of weeks ago when a chair leg I was turning jumped off the lathe and tried to give me a love bite. The only trouble I've had is it sometimes gets stuffy and hot inside the face mask but this rights itself when I remember to switch on the fan!
The other thing 3M could do is make the spare batteries cheaper.

[antman]

Hi all,
I read somewhere that 3m are no longer making the powered respirator which is a bit of a bummer as it seemed to be a little cheaper than some other gear.

Can anybody confirm this and if it isn't true, where can these be bought and for how much?

I might end up with a Trend Airshield anyway....

Cheers,
Anthony

[West Pete]

I purchased a Triton Airshield at Southside Woodturning Supplies, Willagee, Perth, 08 9314 2226, for $259. They were at the August Woodshow in Perth. Very very helpful at the Show, so I decided to visit their shop. Impressive range of Vicmarc lathes and accessories, woodturners are very well catered for there.
PS Airshield is working perfectly!!

[Stuart]

Best price I've heard for the Triton Respirator is $235 (someone on this BB).

Coincidentally, that is the same price that a number of our club members paid when I did a bulk order of the respirators through Bunnies.

[Sir Stinkalot]

What sort of price are Triton flogging them off at the WWS's for then. I wouldn't expect less than $235 but would be dissapointed if it was more.