Powered air mask

[sploo]

Did i not read something about the JSP Powercap not being rated as effective against wood dust

As in the HSE Standards certification thing.
Admittedly read it on one of those freaky geeky forums, you know the type, place is full of weirdo's. See if I can find it.....
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/jsp-powercap.120422/
I've the Trend one, and admittedly hardly use it, though do for routing where you can't avoid clouds of dust. Bought it from pretty much that and for using the lathe. Mind you I smoke like a chimney, so its a bit like shutting the stable door type irony

IRC when I last looked (it was a while ago) the rating on the JSP wasn't as good as the Trend Airshield Pro. I've used the Airshield for many years and whilst it's heavy and occasionally cumbersome I do think it is (or at least, was) the best powered respirator for the money.

I bought a 3M Versaflo system from another forum member a couple of weeks ago but haven't had chance to use it in anger yet. It has a higher rating again (vs the Trend) and is lighter on the head due to the battery and filter being waist mounted. It is a multiple of the price of the Trend (new) though.

 

[TRITON]

IRC when I last looked (it was a while ago) the rating on the JSP wasn't as good as the Trend Airshield Pro. I've used the Airshield for many years and whilst it's heavy and occasionally cumbersome I do think it is (or at least, was) the best powered respirator for the money.

I bought a 3M Versaflo system from another forum member a couple of weeks ago but haven't had chance to use it in anger yet. It has a higher rating again (vs the Trend) and is lighter on the head due to the battery and filter being waist mounted. It is a multiple of the price of the Trend (new) though.

The Versaflo would be the ideal, but I cant afford it and i guess many here cant justify such a price either.
Agree with the placing of the filters/air intake. Last time i used the mask for turning, id more dust on my head than on the floor The worst possible place it could be.

 

[Democritus]

Looked at the Sundstrom SR 540 EX. The headset is £244.43 . The motor unit is £694.19 (SR fan unit), or £1,172.18 ( SR 500 EX fan unit).
Thus it’s all yours for £938.62 (if you opt for the non EX fan unit) or £1416.61 if you go for the full EX models. There are more expensive models eg. SR 580 , if you want to upgrade from the 540.
These units are designed to give protection in extreme working conditions.
For what most woodturners need, I think the likes of the JSP and Trend products are more than adequate. But if you’ve got the dosh....
Personally, I wouldn’t buy a second hand unit of any type of respiratory protection unit. Spore forming bacteria are almost impossible to get rid of unless you have access to an autoclave
It all comes down to how you assess risks.
D

 

[Sideways]

Is it safe getting second hand ones? (genuine question mate)

For me, used is the way to go. Powered systems will almost certainly have been run with a P3 grade filter on the inlet and as they are positive pressure, your breath never goes backwards into the fan unit. You should clean the headset of course unless it is literally 2nd hand but never used.

The high end industrial PAPR systems cost several hundreds new. Used you stand a chance of getting a "new other" or used only a couple of times system around the £300 mark. Or you take the time and risk and assemble a full set by buying them piece by piece: headset, belt unit, filters, battery, charger ...
I've bought a couple of Sundstrom SR500 + 540 systems and a Versaflo this way. They were so little used that all I did with the used components was wipe them down with isopropyl alcohol.

The Versaflo is superb. Very high industrial build quality. The headsets are well balanced and robust while being lighter than headtops with the fan filter and battery built in. The visor is seriously impact resistant. This is the one that Alec Steele the blacksmith uses when he's grinding.

The SR540 is in another league altogether for comfort. It is much lighter still and comfortable enough to wear for hours. The polycarb visor is more like the thickness you'll find on a typical workshop face shield so it is good for turning, grinding. and similar uses. It's a godsend when you're upgrading your loft insulation ! You'll see Ashley Harwood wearing this in a lot of her turning videos when she's not actually teaching.

As well as the comfort of the head top, the second big advantage of the Sundstrom is that it uses the same round screw on / clip on filters as the rest of Sundstrom's full and half face masks. For me this means I can stack an active carbon organics filter + P3 dust and a pre filters and use it for spraying solvent paints (not 2 pack). Sooo much more comfortable than wearing a half mask

 

[Jonm]

during lockdown I witnessed both trend airshields and jsp power caps being worn in Lidl.

very sensible, prior to vaccines being available, I know a couple in their late sixties who caught Covid, blamed it on a visit to Lidl in Coventry. Fortunately they recovered ok.

 

[Keith 66]

My first job in 1980 was at Thames marine a boat factory & industrial grp moulders, there were three blokes who trimmed all the mouldings. They were given the then new Racal Airstream helmet respirators, they swore by them & i was impressed.
In 84 i bought one & iirc it cost £208, I wore it for the next 15 years a lot, doing GRP repairs involving heavy grinding, wood machining, much of it iroko & other nasty species, it was used for sanding epoxy & fairing boats, at times i lived in it.
Out of all the scores of guys in the boat trade i knew i was the only one with his own powered respirator.
I bought a new one in 98 as the old one was worn out. The Airstream was taken over by 3m & marketed as their own.
Ten years ago i bought three from a dry lining firm that was having a clear out, all filthy but cheap. I stripped them all down & bought a pile of parts, Cleaning & building two good ones out of the lot with spares.
All seals & face bits were replaced.
If you should come across one of these Airstream units they are excellent & most spares & filters are still available.