Technical Painting: What respirator ?

What does everyone use for a respirator these days ? My neighbor gave me an air pump that he used to use for removing asbestos. High dollar unit but heavy and older. Still seems to work well. The hose is rather large and maybe cumbersome. I'm wondering if it's worth the effort. A mask is a whole lot handier, but are the new ones as good as piped in air?

 

Use what you have.. Getting a painting respirator these days is tough..Glad I have a Xtra before this bug thing hit

 

The filters on an asbestos respirator are for dust not vapors. Wrong application.

 

I use a silicone face mask with replaceable side filters by 3M
Probably cant obtain them today

 

I started buying the Gerson disposable respirators. They're good for a few spot jobs, or if it's an allover job i toss it afterwards. Around $16. But like was already mentioned, they're hard to come by right now, all the preppers hoarded them up. The guy that owns the auto paint supply i buy from, took them off the shelf and put them in the back of the store, only for sale to his bodyshop customers.

 

The asbestos rig is a fresh air pump that would be located outside the door paint booth. The paint building I built has an alcove on the front that keeps weather off the compressor and has a convenient place on the other side of the overhead door where I could mount the air pump. I would have to run a pipe thru the front wall and into the booth so I could plug the air hose in. The fume discharge for the booth is at the opposite end of the building.......about 30 feet away from the air pump. The mask would cover my face and fresh air would be pumped in. It wouldn't be filtering fumes and since the pump would be sheltered in the alcove, no fumes should be drawn in. The question in my mind is whether the hose and mask will make painting more difficult. I appreciate your comment, but I don't think fumes will be an issue. Also, I have a beard which makes masks a little more problematic. If a mask will work, that's what I prefer to do.

 

No fitted respirator will work properly with with a beard.

 

Yup.

I was given a choice when it was time to return to work.

Shave, or find a new job.

No respritory protection works without a tight seal.

 

That's true about beard's. When I went through Haz Mat training when I worked for the Govt. They would not fit people with beards for a respirator. Had to shave to be fitted.
Had worn some sort of beard for over 30 years and had to shave .

 

If you are spraying modern clearcoat, then it will most likely have isocyanates in it, which are very poisonous. A regular respirator will not protect you from that, you will need a supplied air system.

 

@ekimneirbo, if you can't find anything-PM me your address and I'll send this to you. I did not research the 2091 filters for paint protection but I use this set up everytime with good results

 

I would certainly think so. How could it not?

Bob

 

That's an oil proof particulate filter... No good for paint.

 

I use a Hobbyair 2. It has a full hood with the hose on the rear. It's a PITA but will keep you alive. Everything about this is a pain. What is your health worth? Forced air from the outside is the safe way.

 

Again , what paint ? Anything with isocyanates in it requires outside air & full body protection , it literally is absorbed through your skin , Its not the lacquer/ enamel days anymore for the " new" stuff !

 

An air supply system is the best option especially since you have one. Just have to get used to where the hose is hen painting.


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Since I haven't tried painting while dragging an extra hose, I figured it would be more problematic. I guess I was hoping someone would tell me it wasn't. I do want honest answers though, so I appreciate your reply.

At this point I'm just making preliminary choices on what I will do as far as outfitting myself with good protection. I don't have a specific paint in mind yet, but expect to paint several vehicles in the next few years. I guess the idea is to plan for the worst case scenario so no matter what I eventually do with each vehicle, I have what I need. I was hoping that maybe some improvement strides had been made in the filters that fit in the silicone masks. I have a box of paint coveralls that I can wear.

So I guess my question becomes.........what manufacturers make the best filters for the masks ? I would like to have the option of wearing a mask when doing individual parts. I can always shave if I have to, but don't want to buy any filters that don't filter the right things.

I'm hoping that the intake/exhaust system I made for the booth will draw most fumes and excess spray down and away from me and keep air contamination at a minimum.....maybe wishful thinking on my part. It has to be better than just spraying in a shop with no ventilation. I put a lot of time and effort into building a storage building that could double as a paint booth when needed. I may as well try to get the last few things I need to use it properly.

 

You must cover every inch of skin , hair face , hands ,feet with Protection , I've lost 2 painter friends to cancer , one to copd & I'm in stage 4 copd , this stuff is nothing to be taken lightly ! FWIW , all of us were painting in state of the art ( at the time) upflow Binks' booths , wearing the best available dual can face masks & gloves ! I don't know what else to say to drive this home , please listen !

 

That building is a kick ass setup!

 

I do appreciate that you take the time to educate and impress upon me the seriousness of the consequences. Thank You ! Sorry to hear that you are dealing with some of those problems.

 

You can get filters that will filter out Iso Cyanates. You have to be VERY diligent about changing them on a regular basis and not using ones that have been sitting around in open air for too long as they do degrade. You also have to be aware that you will absorb the chemical through skin, eyes etc. If you are going to use a stand alone respirator a full face style is needed for proper protection. Also, as mentioned, the only way to get a proper seal with a respirator is on clean skin. Fresh air systems are the best protection and are what are used on a daily basis by the vast majority of production painters. I would also suggest that regular box store paint coveralls are not suitable for spraying iso-cyanate based paints so get a proper paint suit.

 

I’m using an SAS air supplied unit, the hose is the size of a regular air hose. Have it in the garage and have a hole in the wall just big enough for the hose. Been epoxy priming stuff in a portable garage, I haven’t had any issues with the hose, just have to be aware of it. I rarely paint.


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I agree - building looks sweeeeet! I don't paint on a regular basis, 2 cars over the last 5 years, one was base/clear and most recent was Hot Rod Flatz. I use a 3M 7502 mask with 3M 6001 Organic Vapor cartridges.

Also have a COMFO II respirator with chemical cartridge with prefilter that is MSA approved for paint (including Imron - never use that stuff anymore). Was set up for that at an aircraft paint shop by their health/safety/environmental team. I like the 3M 7502 - good seal and fairly comfortable to wear. All of that stuff is available from most paint houses or Auto Body Toolmart.

 

Thank you! I needed some more storage space for a tractor I bought and decided a small building could hold things that can easily be moved out temporarily and leave me with a space to paint that didn't end up with overspray everywhere. Simply including the intake filter,exhaust vents, and some lights during the build and I have a multi-use building. Keeps my tractor out of the weather along with some other easily moved items, and its there when I need it.

 

The painters in the plant I worked in used supplied air systems that had the hookup to the hose attached to a belt around their waist so the hose moved along with them with little restriction on their movement.

 

There is a color code system for filters.
https://www.respiratormaskprotection.com/Respirator-Cartridge-Filter-Reference-Chart.php

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/565214O/3m-cartridge-filter-guide-and-brochure.pdf

I teach this stuff. Currently going through update training. Just completed the safety part. The worst part is realizing all the mistakes you made or things you assumed while handling/using paints.

 

I've got a stupid question.....
Why not use lacquer or enamel instead of the deadly stuff? Is the new paint really that much better that you have to risk your life using it? I'm not trying to be a smartass, I just don't see why the older paints wouldn't be just as good and a whole lot safer. I know the old paints don't last as long, but most of our cars are stored inside, out of the elements, so it will last longer than it would on one that sat outside all the time. I also know some areas don't allow certain kinds of paints, instead making you use the more deadly formulas, so you folks don't have as many choices as others.

I'll just keep using the old stuff myself.

 

It’s what we use in the industry.
Better is relative.
Results and expectations are relative.
Both work well if you use and apply them as designed.
An OE warrantee needs certain specified products.
As far as old cars we mess with, that goes back to the results/expectations.
There is research into going back to 1k products to reduce emissions and address health issues. Will consumers have to expect less from these products? Don’t know.
The other issue is a availability.
But don’t think for a second that safety will be out the door using old stuff

 

Please be messing with us

 

I'm looking at it from a hobbyist point of view. I can see where a bodyshop would have to use the newest and greatest, but the hobbyist can use what he desires {in most areas} to get the same results. There are some areas where the older lacquers and enamels are illegal, but I'm not talking about those areas. They are what they are.

And I'm not knocking safety, either. A proper respirator is required no matter what kind of paint it is. But at least with the older stuff a simple respirator works instead of having to have a space suit to paint in.