Under the Welding Hood Respirator

[Avadon]

I'm not on iforgeiron much these days because I'm framing my workshop but my local welding supply company OxArc (Bend,OR) started carrying these respirators. I've already used it and wondered why it took me so long to know these things existed. I felt I had to tell others about this right away!! This respirator is so handy it should come with every welding helmet sold. It could save your life!

 

RESPIRATOR:  NORTH 7700Series Silicone Half Mask  (www.northsafety.com)

Model 770030M

 

 

Cartridges:

 

Honeywell 75FFP100   NIOSH P100    W522935  www.honeywellsafety.com 

 

 

These cartridges have female threads on the back and they screw into the respirator above (you remove the larger cartridges. These flat, disc shaped cartridges work just as well. I tested them in the store with a smoke-irritant test kit. Amazing just how well they work. Over the last several years ventilation in one shop or another has always been an issue and since most of us don't have thousands to drop on expensive ventilation or point extraction systems this is a cheap no brainer. All in the setup is only $25-$30. Fits perfectly under my welding helmet and I now can weld on metals that have paint/glue/etc. on them that pour off smoke and I get none of it in me. I really wish I would have known about these years ago!! I emplore you to get them. I'm sure you can find this setup on ebay or amazon. No amount of fans or open windows will ever work like this will. It's also about 1/2 as light as your standard respirator so it's great when doing wood working, sanding, drywall, etc. in addition to welding.

The only caveat is that it's for dust/particulate and what they call "nuisance level smoke." It's not to be used to protect from heavy metals and it's not for welding galvanized.

 

So if you do a lot of welding on painted things or even a lot of welding in a tight shop this should be on your face. No more fume fever! :-)

[Avadon]

Put them together and it looks like this

 

This is a 3M model, but I can't vouch that it fits under your welding helmet because I haven't used this model. It may?

[Bruno C.]

I use the 3M 7500 Series half-mask.  The P7093 Filters work great for all around dust and Grinding operations.  Light-weight and Effective.  I however use the 60926 Multi-Gas/Vapour cartridge for welding operations.  It's heavier, and does not fit well under my welding hood, but I get by as I only weld in a hobby setting.  The Multi-Gas/Vapour cartridge is better for organic vapours such as what zinc turns into when you weld on it and other gases.  *THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF WELDING GALVANIZED*.  I Would NOT TRUST IT!

I believe O.S.H.A. requires a proper fitting of mask's and maybe different filters when welding Galvanized, and frankly I would NOT DO IT under any circumstances unless I had a full Face Welding Hood with Forced Air.  *I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT O.S.H.A.* But not many of us have $1000 to spend on such a unit.  Even then,  I would not weld Galvanized because I don't think it's worth the risk to one's health.   I use 60926 filters while welding because from what I read, it does well with welding fumes, and does a job of blocking Ozone created by my arc welder.  Keep in Mind that All of these Filters are intended for "Nuisance Level" smoke and particulates.   Having said that, if you walk into an enclosed room full of welding smoke thinking your mask will protect you and then Die, It's your fault.

 

Overall,  I would recommend a Half-Face mask to anyone doing anything involving Dust/Grinding/Cleaning or anything else the puts Nasties in the air for you to breath.   They even make filters for Lead Based Paint or Mold clean-up situations,  but something that toxic usually requires wearing a full Disposable plastic suit to avoid the spread of contamination through Clothes, shoes or other means.

 

Stay Safe.

 

-Bruno

[Avadon]

Thanks for chiming in Bruno, hopefully we can start a serious trend of wearing these things. I think we would dramatically cut down E.R. visits and respiratory diseases.

[billyO]

hopefully we can start a serious trend of wearing these things. I think we would dramatically cut down E.R. visits and respiratory diseases.

And if there's a big enough market, perhaps the price will drop and the quality will improve. 

 

 

Just like the free-market promises!!!  :huh:

 

"Not bloody likely"

[Glenn]

I can in-vision a fume removal system that could be used at a work station to extract the nasty fumes for minimal costs. We do this all the time at the forge and call it a chimney.

 

As to using a good dust collector to protect against heavy metal fumes, lead fumes, paints and plastics fumes,,,,,well,,,, it will remove the dust from the mix.

 

Thanks for the review of the product but the filters should block what you do not want to inhale. Good point on the disposable coveralls.

 

Like going to a gun fight with a BIG gun and no bullets, when safety is involved you need the proper equipment, otherwise it IS NOT safe. 

 

 

 

Under the Welding Hood Respirators have been discussed in another thread. May want to look it up.

[DSW]

One of the biggest keys to things like this is a good fit. Masks like this are NOT a one size fit's all sort of thing. They come in Small, Medium and Large for a reason.  If they don't seal, they won't protect you. Also guys with facial hair will need to possibly shave to get a good seal. I worked one job where we had to go do service work at a chemical plant. 1st thing we had to do when we walked thru the door was get fitted for a respirator. They handed those of us with a beard a disposable razor and a can of saving cream and pointed up towards the wash sink to shave. No clean shaved face, no entry.

 

With the newer laws regarding lead paint removal, masks like this are becoming more common. My paint store has a better selection of 1/2 masks than my welding supplier does. Also more places are training their staff on what it takes to help fit customers with these. The quantity of forced air supplied welding  hoods has also grown over the last few years. More and more companies are offering them now.

[EMAN]

In alot of shops that i have worked in they have some kind of what we call "smoke suckers". it is prity much a large vacuum with filters in it. Or they have welding helmets that have a fresh air pump that forces air in to the helmet. Sorry i dont have a picture of one right now. If you want i will get one. The only bad part of it is that there expensive! The one i have was $1500.00! Luckly i didnt have to pay for it my work did. If you dont do ALOT of welding its hard to justify the cost. But if your welding alum. or galvanized you almost need one. Or you could use some kind of blower to suck the fumes away from you. I made a vortex blower kind of like the Dicen fans. It amplifies the air pressure that you feed it. Dont know if that helps at all but just some other suggestions for you. If you want to see any of these  let me know and i will get some pictures for you.

 

GIHAHIH!

 

E

[L Smith]

I used those North masks for years aircraft painting they are very good if you are properly fitted and tested. The thin flat disc filter also pictured not so good as it interfered with side vision and got in the way if doing close up grinding. We are remodeling our home and create a lot of sheet rock dust so I got my wife one also and taught her how to test it. We use them all the time. Home Depot sells them with replaceable cartridges. Harbor freight ones are junk.

[Iceman_713]

 These respirators are great, i bought mine after being tired of dealing with the black snot everytime i blew my nose, if i remember right these are designed to fit underneath 98% of welding helmets manufactured today.

[ptree]

Zinc oxide, the metal fume from welding galvanized is NOT an organic vapor. it is weld fume, a solid particle. The red pancake filters shown in the second post are the idel filter for weld fume and grinding dust. They are a P-100. that means they are rated to TRUE HEPA efficiency and are permissable for use in oil mist. a somewhat cheaper N-100 will stop the weld fume but are not for oil mkist areas.

 

I use a half face respirator with the P-100 pancake filters and they are rated for weld fume, radionuclides and asbestos. This means they are rated for the extremely tiny particles theat weld fume consists of. Weld fume is metal that is vaporized in the heat of the arc, and then freezes back to tiny solids that can stay airborn.

Organic vapors are solvents that evaporate into vapor and stay that way. These would be for instance paint solvents and thing like acetone, toluene mineral spirits ETC.

 

Choosing the right filter means the difference between stopping the threat or not. Please read and understand the specifications before use and advising others on safety items such as these. If you have questions all of the big makers have websites that can answer any question you may have. But they all pretty much also have filter selector charts as well.

Ptree the industrial safety guy who has purchased the respirators and filters for a industrial shop with 650 fit-up welders as well as for paint shops and asbestos abatement.