Official Luthiers Forum!

I apologize for getting snippy in my last post but the issue isn't clogging. Who cares if they do anyway. If so, change the filters or throw them away and use your respirator. James identified the real concern but I won't be wearing both a respirator and the nasal filters any time soon.

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

I was under the impression that wood dust was generally pretty big and fluffy, more a nasal/upper respiratory irritant than a major lung concern. In Ervin Somogyi's book, he talks about a study he did on particles in his shop, and says the wood dust averaged around 85 microns, with the smallest being 16... so even the ultra-breathable nasal filters should get almost all of it. But there were also smaller particles of abrasives floating around, so I'll probably stick with my mask for heavy sandpaper use such as I do on the heel.

And I certainly wouldn't trust nasal filters for shell cutting or other more dangerous dusts. But for stuff like hand saws, dremel router for inlays, and planing and scraping plates, they should hopefully be enough.

Question for Pat, or anyone else who's tried the WK super defense... how do they smell? A few of the reviews on amazon say they have a chemical foam smell, and in that case I'd worry that whatever chemical was making it was doing more damage to my lungs than the wood dust... so I may try the ultra breathable type instead, but then worry about breathing the finer particles and being no better than going entirely unprotected

The WK Super Defense filters do indeed seem to be made of a thin foam. I did not, however, notice any smell from them.

Pat

_________________
There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

I wore the Super Defense filters for a few hours today, doing real messy routing. They are very comfortable.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Sounds like what Homer Simpson does..

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I have heard of a specific lung disease from chronically breathing mahogany dust, so I think there are certainly situations where lung depositing particles are generated. Another specific disease for breathing redwood dust. Another for breathing spores that grow in maple bark.