Wear Your Dust Masks

[Dumfist]

How about when skiving leather?

Or cutting leather in general?

Would this only be for fine particles?

I've been working with leather for about a year and didn't think twice about it. Till about two months ago when I was searching for alternative glues to use other than Barge.

I'd imagine you'd only need a dust mask for fine airborne particles. Like any sanding, sanding leather can create tiny little paricles that can be inhaled as they float in the air. Leather being a natural product, it will biodegrade over time, so it's not as bad as say asbestos or even wood dust, but I don't know about the things that are in it from the tanning process.

Fumes are another story. I kinda like the smell of barge cement, and it's cheaper than booze

Edited March 26, 2014 by Dumfist

[immiketoo]

Dumfist, I hope you're playing because a buddy of mine just went to the doctor after injuring his lungs using that stuff. Absolutely nasty, but good glue.

[WScott]

I am stupid about airborne hazzards as well

I just finished spraying in the shop with an unventilated make shift spray booth of cardboard and no 3M mask or canister respirator.

I did put the air filter machine on and ran it for an hour after I would be done.

Hey, it will just be a quick spray, I will be ok. I do the same stupidity woodworking.

Things that don't kill us immediately are deemed ok...smoking, excessive drinking, drugs, fumes, sunburns.

Cancer is a slow growing process often caused by repetitive irritations/ exposures that force changes to skin cells.

If it developed on the first exposure to something we would freak out and avoid the activity and ban it all together.

Thanks for the reminder, will try to be more careful, especially when my kids around

[Dumfist]

Dumfist, I hope you're playing because a buddy of mine just went to the doctor after injuring his lungs using that stuff. Absolutely nasty, but good glue.

Mostly playing. Perhaps in bad taste considering the apparent seriousness of this thread.

I honestly don't mind the smell, but I know if I'm going to be exposed to it for a while to ventilate the area.

Then again, I also like the smell of gasoline. I've never used or abused inhalants, either, I'm just talking about my nose not being offended.

[needles]

i have been working with various chemicals, for cleaning and stripping finishes off leather etc for years, uptill today i have used disposable masks, when i could be bothered.... friday last i spent the second day that week using high vapour chemicals in a very well ventilated room, on friday night through saturday it effected me unlike before, raging head ache felt sick, a little short breath, dizzy irratable, etc etc....... it has now worn off, but has got to be down to not using effective protection.

i have today now ordered a proper dust and acid/chemical vapour filtrating mask.....

time will tell if any problems present themselves can only just hope it doesn't, but my fault if it does........

next week onwards, any chemicals including glue, its put on the mask......

[Northmount]

Ordinary disposable paper masks don't do any good for volatile chemicals. And the leakage around the "seal" at the nose severely reduces their effectiveness for dust. For dust, at least get the type with an exhale valve.

Get a proper respirator type mask with cartridges labeled for organic vapors, or just dust if you are sanding or such. Note that the cartridges for organics must be kept in a sealed container when not in use, else the activated charcoal will be used up next time you want to use it. As soon as you start to smell the vapors through your mask, it is time to change cartridges.

For exhaust fans, look at where the motor is in relation to the stream of flammable vapors your are disposing of. If the motor is in open "fresh" air, any type of motor is suitable. If the motor is in the exhaust stream, or in the spray booth, make sure it doesn't have any arcing contacts like most motors with a starting winding. Or use an explosion proof motor if it does. Shaded pole induction motors don't have a starting winding, and no internal arcing contacts. Most bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans are shaded pole motors.

Tom