Buying The Right Masks And Respirators

Buying the right masks and respirators can be tricky if you’re not familiar with all the letters and numbers associated with these types of products. By the end of today's video you will have a solid understanding of the terms and types of masks and respirators so that you can confidently purchase what’s right for you.

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IN THIS VIDEO:

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POWER TOOLS:
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My name is Josh Fedorka, and I’m the founder of Training Hands Academy™. I have been a carpenter and woodworker for over 25 years. I have also held certifications in home energy auditing and have built several LEED certified homes in New England.

God has gifted me with many “hands on” skills and it is my calling and purpose to share those skills by teaching others. Whether it is to seek a career in carpentry, become a general contractor or improve one’s DIY skills and knowledge, the motivation behind THA is to help others successfully learn how to work with their hands.

0:00 Intro
0:24 Dust mask vs. respirator
1:50 Filter rating system
3:50 NIOSH testing
4:25 RZ, Base Camp, Trend Mask
6:34 Activated Carbon filters & cartridges
7:57 MSA & 3M half-face masks
9:48 Fit & Style
10:31 Exhaust ports
11:28 Knowing when to change filters
12:13 Outro

[treebrookwoodworks]

I was using those paper masks when I started woodworking. They offered no protection really. I'd be coughing for a couple of days after sanding when using paper masks. I received the RZ 2.5 mask for Christmas 🎄🎁.
Was doing some sanding earlier today and haven't been coughing at all. My wife's present may have just helped save my life.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video and keep up the great work.

[MrScubasubie]

This video was extremely helpful. So much better than just standing in the aisle staring at all them.

[michaelgartner]

I am a 30 year safety professional. Everything you said is accurate. There are already several comments regarding facial hair so no need to comment on that again. I found you by watching your cabinet video. 3 hours later, here I am. You have earned my subscription.

[rudetoy]

As a welder, I am much appreciated your thoughtful emphasis of light weight and comfortable half face mask review. It makes metal and wood grind much more enjoyable

[suzannecrawford]

Absolutely love your videos. Smart, no-nonsense, very informative and easy to follow. I’m new to woodworking and it is almost scary how often I have a question about routers, masks, clamping, etc then you release a video that gives me all the information I need to move forward and/or make my own decisions. Many, many thanks!

[yokonamigaara]

I'm not a woodworker but a crafter of other sorts, and the information about which masks have vapor protection was exactly what I needed! I really should have had one of these years ago but I'm glad to be informed when picking one up now

[bignorwegian]

Really good information; thank you for taking the time to go over the subject matter in such detail; subscribed. I have the RZ and a 3M half face; both seem to work great. One tip that might help: when using a half or full face respirator, after you put it on, cover each of the cartridge inlets with the palms of your hands, simultaneously, and draw a strong breath in ... if the mask sucks tight against your face, effectively not allowing you to breathe in any additional oxygen, you have a good seal. This was how we were taught to verify a good seal on our gas mask, in Basic Training.

[RemcoAlexanderPhD]

Store the activated carbon filters in a ziplock bag, so they stay active longer (otherwise they keep absorbing smells from the area).

[LonelyDogBarking]

This was exactly the information I was looking for. Clear and to the point. This knowledge is essential if you care about your health. Tnx a lot.

[Saphius-]

currently getting started with cosplay and eva foam and the likes... THANKS A LOT. Everyone keeps telling me to buy a respirator without explaining anything; it's quite frustrating and scary. Your video was very clear!

[endless_touge]

I watch this one while i hardly breathe. I painted two cars in few days without any protection. Thanks to this video i know where my next investment is gonna be

[oxLiluxo]

I don't often comment on videos, but THANK YOU so much. I love arts and crafts and wanted to start working with resin. I'm looking into safety measures and when I learned it's best to have a respirator I was about to give up 😂 (another complicated topic that I have to research and probably still get it wrong!). But then your video explained everything so clearly that it blew my mind!! I will do a bit more research, but thanks so much for this video, encouraged me to not give up on the resin work yet :D

[georgekataftos]

You just saved my lungs 👍 thank you! I have been wondering what all these option of filters where for years thanks for all the info great! video 😎

[srednivashtar]

I haven’t commented for a while, but I’ve been a big fan of your channel for a long time- it’s great to see the number of subscribers up where your approach and content deserves.

[ConcernedCitizenPPCA]

I know you can get the cartridge filters for 3M with a prefilter attachment which holds a particulate filter in front with a rated N95 or P100 or whichever you want.

Nice choice on the 3M respirator. I got the same one works great.

[samhisi]

One more great option 3M offers are combination cartridge + filters. Instead of using the pancake style particulate filters only you use, the 6001 organic vapor cartridge can be combined with the 5P71 particulate filters and deliver a N95 rating. These work great in woodworking and other high load applications as the pre filters can be exchanged if buildup causes any restriction, and they keep the OV cartridges happy. For environments with smaller particles or if N100 is required, the one-piece 60921 are excellent, but don’t have replaceable “prefilters”. Either case prevents you from needing two different face masks with incompatible cartridge systems.

[distortedodin]

As Clyde pointed out facial hair will severely limit effectiveness of a respirator. You can have something like a goatee but only if it is trimmed tight under the chin. If you can see hair it's definitely limiting.
To test a respirator hold your hands over the intake holes and breathe in. If The mask collapses it's doing its job.

[Bluviolet]

I'm about to buy a respirator and came across your video. Thank you so much for all the detailed information.

[christhomas]

I've been welding for 24 years and use a north half face respirator with the over the shoulder hoses. For welding, this style of respirator will keep the cartridges out of the plume of smoke and will allow me to use 1 set of cartridges for up to a full month. In order to get a proper seal, you need to be clean shaven. That's why you never see a fire fighter with a goatie or a beard. I will be upgrading to a PAPR air fed welding helmet.

[samspade]

Great, great video! My son and I were just talking masks last week. I learned a lot today- Thanks so much. This was very informative.