Making N-95 type masks (sharing pattern to leather workers)

[motocouture]

@mikesc thank you again for the detailed posts, during what is an immensely challenging time. Humbled by the fact that you’re suspending your day-to-day business operations to support others. Old saying from a college I survived - doctrina vim promovet...

@toxo It’s a free world; if someone’s extensive and well-researched efforts don’t meet your needs, no one is forcing you to read or use it. 

[toxo]

On most forums we're kinda treading on eggshells because you can't please all the people all the time but this is ridiculous. But mikesc you know how much I admire and respect your work ethic, your knowledge and your altruism and after reading some of this, that extends to your wife also, in fact more so and I hope with all my heart she doesn't come to regret what she's doing. That's perhaps the wrong way to say it because I suspect that even if she catches the damn thing she won't regret doing it.

The fact still remains that if you want to reach the masses you have to talk in a way that the masses can understand. Tesco don't sell a cleaning agent by listing the ingredients.

If I've touched a nerve I'm sorry. You know it wasn't meant to offend, that's just not me. I just hope you were tired when you responded but you're far too valuable to this site to leave and if me being here is going to offend you then I'll leave.

Edited March 31, 2020 by toxo

[chuck123wapati]

3 hours ago, toxo said:

On most forums we're kinda treading on eggshells because you can't please all the people all the time but this is ridiculous. But mikesc you know how much I admire and respect your work ethic, your knowledge and your altruism and after reading some of this, that extends to your wife also, in fact more so and I hope with all my heart she doesn't come to regret what she's doing. That's perhaps the wrong way to say it because I suspect that even if she catches the damn thing she won't regret doing it.

The fact still remains that if you want to reach the masses you have to talk in a way that the masses can understand. Tesco don't sell a cleaning agent by listing the ingredients.

If I've touched a nerve I'm sorry. You know it wasn't meant to offend, that's just not me. I just hope you were tired when you responded but you're far too valuable to this site to leave and if me being here is going to offend you then I'll leave.

 

11 hours ago, mikesc said:

 

toxo..

It ( the pattern ) was linked to in my first post in this thread..a tiny effort on your part and you'd have found it.

If you were all bio chemists what I have posted, would have been posted, in far more complex language / terminology..I have simplified it ( the overall subject ) as much as I can into "layman's terms" and, as a result, of that , and the fact that I'm posting whilst making masks, dealing with the fact that my wife who is in daily contact with covid 19 patients knowing that she might die due to this contact, and is coming home knowing that she might infect us and that I or our son might die from that infection..Means that I'm aware of many errors introduced into my posts due to this stress and lack of time ( such as describing N-95 type, the type known here as FFP2 masks, in terms used for surgical masks, the folded paper type* )..But the words were short enough, simple enough, unless you wanted all the thinking to be done for you..apparently you did...or you thought that I should magically determine each readers level of vocabulary and write to each person personally...especially you..

( my Mum, no longer alive..would have said to you.."Oi..what did your last slave die of sunshine ?" )

I'm also aware that because I've been reading about this in at least 3 languages , even before the Covid 19 crisis hit in China..and I am living in a country , France where all descriptions are written "reversed" in comparison with English, and all chemical names and formula are also likewise "reversed ", and all descriptions of equipment and masks and medical procedures bears no relation at all to the same descriptions in English ..and as I already said in a previous post ..brand names ( the names on the bottles in your country, which I left 30 years ago) , that you want me to research for you , to save you looking at the backs of the bottles for the chemicals they have in them..are not the same brands, not the same bottles, how the hell would I know what the bottles that you have available are called..I can't..I don't..

So you'll have to do that bit for yourself.

Also I'm aware ( acutely aware in fact ) that I may be, or may have been ( due to tiredness and stress etc ), making translation errors, procedural errors or even factual errors..and so I keep coming back to my posts and editing and re-editing them when I think I have not been clear enough or simple enough or correcting such mistakes as I become aware of..I'm trying as hard as I can via all the channels that I can to alert our health authorities here to the fact that the masks that they have and that they have distributed and have ordered and are manufacturing and are distributing to my wife and her colleagues are leaving them ( and their families ) all vulnerable to infection..I'm doing this knowing that If I get it..I'm ( due to pre existing medical conditions which I have mentioned, ) à due for a pine box..with all the disruption and emotional trauma that would bring to my family..plus I'd like to keep living a bit longer.

And you are whining that it isn't in simple enough words for you..

Others have contacted me privately to say thanks for making the effort and taking the time to post..and to make masks..I didn't post to get praise, they know this ..But I thank them all the same..They know who they are..Thanks too Bert and Arven and sheilajeanne..Please forgive the errors..I was doing my best, in very difficult circumstances..You toxo are the first to bitch ( publicly or privately ) that it is too complex for you..and that I should make it all in simpler language...this despite the fact that I personally helped you with a design of your dog and advice about your laser, both of which took my time..and time is all any of us have ( not the first time that I've posted that "truism" here )..

 

I've never posted here to show off my work..My very first post was to ask for help..and Eric so very kindly helped me privately with a link to the engineers manual for my Juki..I have enjoyed reading so many posts by so many people here..I have always tried to help when I could , as you personally know.

But..you think that my help is too complicated..even when I'm posting trying to help save lives, yours and others..

Well sunshine..You have shown me the error of my ways..

Time is all I have..it is all any of us have..and you have shown me that I have been wasting it posting publicly..

I may not have as much time left as I thought..certainly not to waste it on you..again..

So..this will be the last post from me here on this site on this or any other subject.

The rest of you..stay safe : ) ..make masks..treat them..

I wasn't meaning an ill intentions either, we are all under a lot of stress now as none of us know what really is happening. Here the population has been told by the cdc and local first responders not to buy masks , they don't help, all the while we hear they are needed for the medical field. I see some countries saying they are told the virus is air borne while we are told its not. Fact here is, although we aren't told this in so many words, if you get sick enough you will get a test , if positive you and anyone in your house will be quarantined in home until you either recover of get worse, once you have full blown symptoms then maybe taken to the hospital if they have a ventilator and at that point you wont see your family again unless you live through it. I just wish the media and our governments would be more honest. I wish you and your family all the best and pray we all make it through this. 

Edited March 31, 2020 by chuck123wapati

[Bert51]

I love mikesc post, even though I had to re-read a couple sections to get my thick head around them, but I now understand more about this Virus then I did before. So to me this post was the best I have read since it all started.

If you are like me and some of the words I did not understand I used Google, but as I said before I am now more informed then I was and to that I say Thank You mikesc.

Bert.

[BattleAx]

Thank You 

[Bob Blea]

Thank you @mikesc for posting this.  It's great information with a lot of detail, and thank you for the work you are doing making masks.

[Grumpymann]

If interested...  something better than cotton masks.