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I Forge Iron

Just a nice thing that happened today


JHCC

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So, my CPAP mask is in two parts: a hard plastic piece that connects the straps, the hose, and the face cushion, and the cushion itself. The latter has a hard plastic center and a soft silicone rim, and every once in a while, those two decide to part ways. I keep an extra, so usually it's not an issue.

Last night, however, I woke up in the small hours to the sound of a lot of air escaping the mask, and sure enough, the seam between the plastic and the silicone had let go. Aaaaaaand I'm in Boston, on the road for business, and the extra is in my bedroom at home. In the words of Charlie Brown, rats.

I mentioned this in a Facebook post, and not only did a bunch of my friends in Boston offer their own spare parts or tell me about local CPAP suppliers, but a fellow I met at Quad-State last year (not an IFI member) invited me to bring the damaged piece to his workshop fifteen minutes from my hotel. He makes prosthetic limbs and has all kinds of fancy adhesives, one of which is a specially formulated silicone adhesive that turned out to be perfect for the repair. It was fun to watch him work, and we had a great time catching up while the repair cured.

So, let's hear it for Bob for helping me get a good night's sleep tonight and for the blacksmithing community for bringing us together in the first place.

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On the downside, even Bob's miracle silicone skillfully applied did not survive last night fully intact. Whatever plastic that mask is made from really doesn't like to stick to things. I've got it held together with gaffer tape, and I hope it holds together long enough for me to get a decent night's sleep tonight. 

Nonetheless, I'm still going to think back on this episode fondly. Thanks, Bob!

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Gaffer tape for the win. Bob's silicone had only let go in one small area, and the tape both sealed that area and reinforced the silicone across the rest of the repair. Speaking of rest, I got some, and now I'm headed home.

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