Paint isocyanate protection
 

So, I know many of you guys are doing your own paint jobs in the garage. I've done a couple myself and am wondering what everyone is using for a respirator. I can't seem to find anything other than a fresh air system that is effective protection against the isocyanates in base/clear urethanes. I have just worn a half mask with good cartridges in the past. I always justified this by telling myself I only paint very rarely. So, what are you guys using? I'm contemplating throwing down $400 on a fresh air system. Should I?

Thanks.

We have an fresh air unit that firefighters use, can't remember if it's SCBA or what the Acronim is. We needed it as a standby unit when applying Methyl Bromide on our farm, but I think it was only used 1 time for around 5 minutes. It's like what the firefighters wear with clear face mask and air tank on your back. It could be connected to a hose for air source instead of tank.

Let me know if interested, we don't need it anymore.
David

Does it need a pump for the unit to work properly? If you have a model number, that would be great, I can research it and see if it will work for my application. thanks

just have good crossflow air movement and a regular approved paint mask and you will be good to go. also everyone has different iso tolerance. but you will never have issues if you have air movement thru the shop

That's what I've been doing, I was just starting to get concerned the more I read about isocyanates.

Heres a thread about supplied air with some pictures and good information.
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/show...s+supplied+air

Rob

I think Jake's right, proper ventilation is important. Maybe you could rent a booth to do the final coat, you'd get a much better job with proper air flow and lighting. Your respirator must fit correctly as well. Spray companies in California by law must send employees to a doctor to have the respirator fitted! There are several different respiratiors to fit different face shapes. The main thing is to use fresh activated charcoal filters.
David

I bought one of those $500 units about 8 years ago, it's more of PITA than anything, getting tangled in hoses is not fun, so I just use 3M or Gerson respirators

I use mine for everything, grinding, painting, welding, bead and sand blasting, even vaccuming the garage out. The more you use it the easier it gets, it was about $1000.

The last job I worked at I had to wear a lot of different respirators, I'll take the supplied air any day over a respirator.

The thing about a respirator is you need some training on how to get a decent fit and also trained on how to wear it in a working environment, theres more to this respirator business then buying one over the counter and wearing it.

They don't make a negative pressure respirator that will protect from silica sand and some paints.

Eighteen years off an on wearing respirators, no thanks, supplied air paper type hood, I love it.

When I work on this restoration I work clean.

when we did welding and grinding we would take hi and low volume air samples, then send it into chemistry, if you ever saw a printout of what you were breathing, its a real eye opener.

Rob

I bought a fresh air pump and hood to shoot some ISOs. I needed to tye wrap the hose to the hood to keep it from moving around. I have a 75 foot hose. Hang it way out there. But Im doing stuff in my garage with a half baked fan and plastic "booth". With a real booth a regular respirator would be fine. Unless yer happen to be one of the folks who are sensitive to ISOs, then it only takes one exposure. Dont forget about the eyes and ears, it attacks all the membranes. JR