Anyone ever thought about building your own supplied air system? The respirator masks can be had for less than a $100, and I would think a small airbrush or medical air pump (which look to cost $50-$80) would supply all the air a person would require. If the pump was located outside the building the painting was happening in, a small prefilter on the air intake should suffice for air filtration. This would certainly beat the $500 + I have seen for units from various manufacturers. Any thoughts/drawbacks/experiences? I really don't feel like breathing a snootfull of iso-cyanates everytime I paint
thought about the same thing myself, but using a small inline squirel cage for supply. would be good for blasting too Paul
you better be carefull man ..... you should not breath compressor air .... it will make you sick or worse ...... just step up and buy one that is designed to do what you need .....rather than make some half ass copy and end up hurting yourself ....this is not a place to cut corners ....just my .02 .....
I worked in a body shop back in the early 80's that had a unique setup. The owner had a freind at a dive shop that built him a filter out of a stanless 6 inch tube with skrew on caps at both ends. The filter inside consisted of maxi-pads at both ends and activated charcoal in the center. It had a scuba mouth piece and a "T" for the paint gun air supply. You were breathing and painting with the filtered air. I worked great after you got used to breathing with the scuba mouth piece.
can it be done? yah probably... do you want to take unecessary risks? ... No....and considering how expensive medical attention is (talking multiple thousands, not a few hundred bucks) you should really just do it right. im with donnie, go out and buy a manufactured setup.
if the med air pump will supply enough cfm you should be ok (they're made for breathing air). i'd stay away from the air-brush compressor, though. the oil &/or water in compressed air is what hurts you; it can give you pneumonia by putting liquid into your lungs. i've thought about making one from a canister filter mask, two hoses, and a shop-vac. hook up one hose from outside to where one (or both) canister attaches; cut a hole in the mask somewhere and attach the other hose to the shop-vac. when you've got it on (and properly sealed to your face) and the shop-vac running fresh air will be pulled into the mask through one hose. it will then be exhausted through the other hose. maybe you could attach the two hoses to where the two canisters currently attach, thereby drawing fresh air past your nose. the only drawback i can see is if you don't get a proper seal to your face you'll be pulling bad stuff into the mask. can't do that! no beards allowed for this mask. maybe the idea could be incorporated into a full hood that could seal around your neck with elastic or something.
Why? ....................... are you painting Aircraft, construction equipment, tractors, or spraying other Highly toxic chemicals all day? ......... or just paint car parts every once in a while? ................... The disposable 3M paint respirators work great
This thread is is funny. I'm sorry. I'm thinking you guys could get an old metal diving helmet and a garden hose and a bicycle foot pump and a hardworking midget.... or a scuba set-up. You could use the flippers for counter-balalnce while spraying hoods and trunks. Seriously, would you want to breathe shop vac air, or air compressor air laden with oil and water...and the medical bills that would ensue? You'd be better off painting without a mask, or just getting the right equipment to start with and saving money elsewhere... Good luck.
agree, I like 3M stuff too, they fit and seem to filter well. the setup I had in mind would be for blasting where a fresh air supply is the only way to go. by using a fan seperate from the motor to force air you could avoid the problems with using a compressor but of course every precaution would have to be taken to ensure the supply IS clean. Paul
Thanks for the replies - One question, though - both of the auto body supply shops I went to yesterday said that no one makes a non-supplied air mask for painting that is rated for the iso-cyanates...maybe they were just trying to scare me into buying one of their systems...can someone get me a part number?
it is true ....... the 3m ones dont either .... cmon guys read the little booklet that comes with them .... only a fresh air system will filter out isocyanates . PERIOD ! ......when i worked for disney they tried to tell us that the 3m masks did .... that was until the 3m rep came for a safety meeting and someone asked the directly .... 1 week later we had barnd new units ... don't fuck with that shit . IT WILL KILL YOU !........
airless compressor air is ok,(diaphragm type), with a regular compressor you can get lipoid pneumonia,from the lubricants. if you scuba dive ,you learn these things. you learn to look at the equipment they use to fill your tanks!
Isocyanates enter your system thru the skin, your eyes, anywhere that your body is exposed. During actual painting and on into the curing time. If your spraying with Isocyanate laced paint products, maybe the old hard helmet diving suit isn't such a bad idea! I'm sensitized to Isocyanates. It really does a number on me...I prefer not to paint at all now, even though I love the application process. Protect yourself...it's only money(!). Get the air supply/full face mask and a non-porous paint suit...along with some quality latex gloves. Believe me, both you and your friends will be better off!
Just because I think you SERIOUSLY need to understand some of the problems you can get from not using the proper gear when painting ANYTHING. I've NEVER wore anything because I was too lazy or too much of a hurry or hey screw it, I'm invincible!! Yeah right!!!! I'm paying for it now! My right lung is stuck to my ribcage. It's not smooth and slick anymore. I have to take 800mg of IBU 3 times a day for the rest of my life. And that's just for now. It'll only get worse as I get older because of smog, second hand smoke and other things. I can walk past a freshly painted car (say fresh yesterday) and it will affect me SO badly, that I'll lose my breath. My lips turn blue and most of the time I panic. It's VERY painful and very much a pain in my ass. If I'm lucky, even wearing the proper gear, after I use even just rattle can........I'm down for the next few days. That's lucky, otherwise it's a trip to the ER. Last time I wasn't so lucky, I fell out of bed, couldn't get up, grabbed my cell phone and called my own house. My mom picked up the phone, saw the caller id and came into my room to find me blue and barely breathing. NOT my idea of fun!! The really sad thing about it all??? I'm only 24. xxx Brandy
for the sand blast setup I was thinking something like this, but would need a larger fan to draw air through filters in a clean zone though..
My dad built one years ago when he had a body shop. 1) A compressor made for breathable air - no lube. 2) A mil suprluss gas mask with glass lenses. 3) Full body covering - all your skin and hair must be covered. Run a small hose from the compressor into the emptied filter canister of the gas mask. He zip tied it to the air line for the compressor, so he had one large hose, rather than two to deal with. He made it after realizing he was getting a buzz from uncovered eyes. He figured he needed to stop painting, or get some better gear.
This is a deal where the cheapest safest way is to use professional equipment. No compromise. The price of compromise is your personal health and safety. you're not messing with a mask or respirator. You're messing with your health. Just get a professional respirator and the right filters for what you're spraying. Pay the price, Have a good life, and let your kids sue the shit out of the manufacturer if you don't!
While we are on the subject of breathing in bad things,I want to remind ya all that it is now illegal to buy and or to sell ANY Sand to blast our parts or vehicles. the fine dust produced from the impacted sand is Silica and can be as much or more dangerous than Paint/Isocyanates even.......the new Coal based products[black beautyTM] work better and make very little suspended dust in the process....... ALSO as stated above we need to remember that the exposure to the car while curing on the day after paint is every bit as serious as the day its wet sprayed...... You will know if you are developing sensitivity to this if you aquire a feverish/sore throat condition with slight wheezing or congestion symptoms.For healths sake please avoid contact till its a fresh air situation completely......
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