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Respirators and filters for welding

Squamch

Squamch

Canadian
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
93
Messages
1,513
Loc
republic of Vancouver island
What are you using, what filters do I need, why, what don't you like, etc.

My use- welding/fab work under a car tent on rusty or already painted recycled steel. Real ghetto fab goodness. I have a couple fans for extraction, but the air can get a bit thick in there sometimes.
 
I tried most everything and have found the Miller respirator to be far better than anything I used previously. I am about 5 years into the Miller so maybe something else better has come out.
 
I prefer the 3m half face respirators and the big pink P100 filters. Miller's are OK, too. Really, whatever fits your face well and seals, fits under your hood, isn't so uncomfortable that you won't wear it and will hold a P100 filter.

Just make sure you do a fit test (positive pressure and negative pressure) to make sure you have the right size and right adjustments.
 
Im4yotas said:
I prefer the 3m half face respirators and the big pink P100 filters. Miller's are OK, too. Really, whatever fits your face well and seals, fits under your hood, isn't so uncomfortable that you won't wear it and will hold a P100 filter.

Just make sure you do a fit test (positive pressure and negative pressure) to make sure you have the right size and right adjustments.
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I've been fit tested about 100 times and can get a mask to seal up just fine, but excellent advice non the less.
 
My fume extractor can blow out a 200a arc if I get it close. I can cut tires with an angle grinder and not smell a thing. Get a better fume extractor and throw the respirator in the trash.
 
3m 7500 series with 2297's (or 2097's they're just a bit harder breathing) is the ultimate setup.

arse_sidewards said:
My fume extractor can blow out a 200a arc if I get it close. I can cut tires with an angle grinder and not smell a thing. Get a better fume extractor and throw the respirator in the trash.
Click to expand...

which one do you have?
 
[486] said:
on the half facepiece ones, get the blue one and not the gray
the gray one exhausts forward, the blue one down

makes for less lens fogging
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This is exactly what I was going to say. 3M also make one that has a cam style latch on the front you can undo it and it drops the front so you can talk/drink/whoever without having to take off the headgear
 
I'd bet on the grinder wheel dust being a lot worse than the welder smoke
because iron and copper will eventually absorb, where fiberglass and aluminum oxide won't
 
[486] said:
I'd bet on the grinder wheel dust being a lot worse than the welder smoke
because iron and copper will eventually absorb, where fiberglass and aluminum oxide won't
Click to expand...

I get more black shit in my nose if I don't wear a mask from grinding than I do from welding, so checks out.
 
I definitely prefer to use a respirator now for any heavy grinding, cut off wheel-ing and plasma cutting. No more black boogers has been pretty nice.
 
[486] said:
I'd bet on the grinder wheel dust being a lot worse than the welder smoke
because iron and copper will eventually absorb, where fiberglass and aluminum oxide won't
Click to expand...
Nastier particulate for sure. But unless you're some rich asshole who welds with shielding gas the fumes from burning flux are way nastier.
 
arse_sidewards said:
My fume extractor can blow out a 200a arc if I get it close. I can cut tires with an angle grinder and not smell a thing. Get a better fume extractor and throw the respirator in the trash.
Click to expand...

Sounds church as fuck. I work in a 12x20 tarp tent, I have 2 fans blowing at the door, but the door gets closed when there is 18" of snow outside.
 
Squamch said:
Sounds church as fuck. I work in a 12x20 tarp tent, I have 2 fans blowing at the door, but the door gets closed when there is 18" of snow outside.
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It's just the bigger of the two harbor freight dust collectors with the exhaust piped to outside instead of a bag. :laughing:
 
arse_sidewards said:
It's just the bigger of the two harbor freight dust collectors with the exhaust piped to outside instead of a bag. :laughing:
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Those things can be tuned up to move some serious air. Using an amp probe, open up the intake hole until it's pulling the motor name plate amps. You can usually step up to a 6" inlet with no problems (if it's 220v)
 
Been having a bunch of breathing problems recently. I've been wearing the Miller half masks for years but developed some sensitivity to the metal fume and dust. Not just a cough but asthma, inflammation, not being able to get a full breath and low on oxygen bad stuff.

I bought a Lincoln papr hood and backpack blower set up, it's better but I'm still getting a bad reaction.
Whatever it is passes through a p100 filter.

I'm good tig welding in the papr, because there's not any meaningful fume. Mig still bothers me and I can't do it anymore without a solution.

I ordered this today. Plan to park it outside in fresh air and hook the hose up to the lincoln hood. Breathing Air Blower - Allegro Industries

9815-EF_double_6x6_angle_silo-720x720.jpg
 
Dethmachinefab said:
I ordered this today. Plan to park it outside in fresh air and hook the hose up to the lincoln hood. Breathing Air Blower - Allegro Industries
Click to expand...
that "allistairarc" guy on the youtubes is always using a supplied breathing air solution, looks like 3/8" dixon air line fittings and it's plumbed through the shop like tool air
prolly uses an oilless compressor, some filters and such of course
outdoor air intake would do a lo of the work but you'd still want some filtration

that thing looks cool
 
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