Can you wear a respirator with a beard?

[Jesse Cloud]

Hi all. The old lungs don't snap back so quickly these days after using routers, miter saws, and other tools that seem to evade my dust control system. The disposable masks don't seem to do the job either. I was thinking about getting a respirator, but I have a beard. Anyone out there with a beard use one effectively?

Thanks in advance,
Jess

[Donald B]

Unless you can get a good seal between your face and the mask it doesn't work. The air will take the path of least resistance, through your beard, nevertheless, you will filter some of the big particles in your beard.

donald

[Rick Gibson]

About the only way they will work effectively with a beard is to smear the beard with something like vaseline that will provide a good seal. That's what we had to do in the nuclear power plants to get a seal around the face. There are full face masks that use pressurized clean air such as the triton respirator. There is a review here.
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/rev...respirator.htm

They aren't cheap but they will work with a beard.

[Cecil Arnold]

Jessie, for what you want, you might look at the Trend air shield. It uses forced, filtered air and would give you some degree of protection. To answer your question though, no, you can't have a beard and get protection from a respirator. Somewhere there is a Fed. Court ruling about firefighters that stated that they couldn't have beards because of the problem with getting a seal with their SCBA equipment. For woodworking, however, I think the Trend would fit your needs.

[tod evans]

jesse, i`ve never found a mask that works well with a beard, a positive pressure hood will be your best option if you can stand wearing one....02 tod

[Mark Rios]

Donald's exactly right Jesse.a full face, air-fed shield "might" work better for you, depending on where the seal is located under your chin but, for the most part, beards and respirators just don't mix. Sorry.

BTW Donald, the TOS says that we need to use real and full first and last names here. You can PM Jackie Outten and have her fix it for you. (Just trying to help Ken out since he hard such a time over in that DC thread ) Welcome to the Creek Donald.

[Steve Clardy]

Seen a system just the other day for beards.
Its been around for some time.
I don't have one, but looks like it would be the ticket for old beardies like me and others.
It has a mouth piece, nose clips, and wraps around your face, with the filters behind your head.
The only problem I would have with it, is the nose pinchers

[Jeremy Chisholm]

That system (tubes, nose pincher) is in the latest Hartville tool catalog that arrived on my doorstep yesterday. No idea how it works, doesn't look comfortable though... my2c

[Mark Rios]

Seen a system just the other day for beards.
Its been around for some time.
I don't have one, but looks like it would be the ticket for old beardies like me and others.
It has a mouth piece, nose clips, and wraps around your face, with the filters behind your head.
The only problem I would have with it, is the nose pinchers

I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification Steve.

I may just have to grow a beard now so I can try it.

[Bill Grumbine]

Jesse, I have been wearing a positive pressure air helmet of one sort or another for years now, since about 1993. I have a full beard, and as has already been mentioned, beards only filter out larger chips. My wife hates it when I run out the door of the shop to town with a beard full of shavings!

I ran into the same problem when I started spraying finishes, so I bought a Breathe Easy from 3M. Neither is very cheap, although I was able to get the Breathe Easy used from Airware America. It sure beats hacking and coughing though!

Bill

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

That's a lot of bother what with wearing a bubble over your head hauling a air hose around and trying to play in the shop at the same time.

Why not up grade the final stage of your Filter system??

[Jamie Buxton]

I wear a respirator with a beard. I understand the argument that it can't possibly seal well, but my experience is different. With the respirator and a simple particle filter, I can't smell the sawdust. With the respirator and an organic vapor filter, I can't smell finishes. Yet when I take the respirator off, I can clearly smell the sawdust or the solvent. My nose may not be the best test device, but clearly the respirator is doing some good.

My respirator of choice is a 3M 6000 series. It comes in three sizes, so you get to pick the one which fits your face best.

[Howard Acheson]

Seen a system just the other day for beards.
Its been around for some time.
I don't have one, but looks like it would be the ticket for old beardies like me and others.
It has a mouth piece, nose clips, and wraps around your face, with the filters behind your head.
The only problem I would have with it, is the nose pinchers

I didn't know that was still around. The maker has been unsucessfully trying to get NIOSH approval for years. It is not considered an effective, foolproof system.

If dust is a serious health problem for an individual who has a beard, the choices are to shave the beard, get a forced fresh air type respirator or stay out of the shop.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I can't smell the sawdust. [...] I can't smell finishes. Yet when I take the respirator off, I can clearly smell the sawdust or the solvent. My nose may not be the best test device, but clearly the respirator is doing some good.

I believe that smell is the best test for fit and seal.
We used to use Banana oil fpor seal testing and fitting masks as the smell is strong and the molecule small.

[Steve Clardy]

I didn't know that was still around. The maker has be unsucessfully trying to get NIOSH approval for years. It is not considered an effective, foolproof system.

If dust is a serious health problem for an individual who has a beard, the choices are to shave the beard, get a forced fresh air type respirator or stay out of the shop.

Well. I'm not shaving, not planning on buying a zipper suit with a hose trailing behind me, and I am staying in the shop.
I have no health issues with dust.