[AT] Sandblasting safety

[charlie hill]

No it's not about the lawyers John.  Sand contains silica.  Blasting with it 
fractures the sand and releases "free silica" into the air.  It is nasty 
stuff, worse than asbestos.   It collects in your lungs, can't get out and 
20 years or so later you come down with silicosis.

The best thing to do is use a regular sand blasting hood with air supplied 
but by the time you buy a Bullard hood, cape, air conditioner venturi, 
carbon filter and the rest of the stuff you'll have a grand tied up.  I know 
that's not what you had in mind.

Use at a minimum a half face filter (covers mouth and nose)  Use filter 
carterages that are color coded with a purple band and you'll be ok.  They 
should also work for most pesticides.   Get some good coveralls to wear, 
blow yourself down with compressed air when you are finished.  Keep the 
respirator on until you have blown down, swept up and washed down the blast 
area.  Make sure no one without a respirator is any where in the area while 
you are blasting and don't pick up your kids or let them handle your 
clothes.

If you don't do any of the above you'll never know you've hurt yourself for 
at least 15 years.  Then you won't be able to breath.

Spray the inside of the shield on your hood with Lemon Pledge.  That might 
stop the fogging up from being so bad.  Smells good too.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Hall" <jthall at worldnet.att.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:15 PM
Subject: [AT] Sandblasting safety


> Bought a sandblaster a while back. I noticed the instructions say not to 
> use sand. I am assuming the lawyers are dictating this. Without holding 
> any of you liable, what type of respirator should I use so I can "safely" 
> use sandblasting sand? For the record I only plan to blast to clean up 
> tractor parts, not to do it 40 hours a week to make a living. Maybe for 
> 2-4 hours at a time on a Saturday.
>
> Also, When it is cool outside, mid 50's or lower, I have a problem with 
> the hood fogging up on the inside when I wear a particle mask. Would a 
> paint respirator solve this?
>
> John Hall
>
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