Sanding the body down

Hey guys - just wanted to know who has used the over-the-face air filter masks and how well they work. I just picked up a unit that has 2 side canisters but the manual doesn't say anything about how long the filters last under heavy sanding? I do have a 5 in orbital that uses hole punched sanding discs with bag - it gets it's first use soon- (and plenty of hands-on sanding to be sure).

Chris

I don't like the cheep paper doctor look filters. They leak and you WILL feel the result in your lungs rather quickly. The canisters don't stop filtering when they are used up they just plug up and restrict airflow. When you can't breath they are done. I used 2 or 3 sets each of dust and vapor for my entire car. Put the respirator into a plastic bag when you don't have it on you face and it will last the duration. Mine took 8 months and about 500 hours. Just make sure you use the correct canister for the job. Dust type for dust and the correct chemical filter for fiberglass work (mixing resin) and paint .

Long sleeve shirt, doctor gloves, and full coverage eye protection. I would put a old t shirt on my head kinda like a Egyptian farrow look if you know what I mean. It will keep the fiberglass dust out of your hair and off your face.

DO NOT RUB YOUR EYES, put a bucket of clean water in garage when sanding so you can quickly wash your hands between sanding sessions. Do this first before you take off goggles.

Happy sanding, your gonna save thousands of dollars!

Those dust extract bags that hang off the back of orbital sanders are pretty useless.
I spent some time and rigged up a concertina plastic hose , that connected into an old cylinder vaccuum cleaner. Worked very well.

Howard, Charlie - thanks for the advice, duly noted.

Chris