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Re: Sandblasting Masks?

To: <macmillan@home.com>
Subject: Re: Sandblasting Masks?
From: "Tim Mullen" <Tim.Mullen@trw.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 08:36:16 -0700
Several people wrote some good info...

Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> 
> This has to do with product liability.  There is no telling what crap
> someone might blast off--lead in paint, and other heavy metal
> contaminants along with asbestos being possibilities.  

I suspect that this is the reason.  Even the masks with dust filters AND 
chemical filters seemed to have this warning.

> For "industrial blasting" you need a full hood with a NIOSH approved 
> respirator that uses pumped in fresh air to be safe, and the manufacturers 
> don't want to imply that there is any protection from these compounds by 
> using just a mask.

I really would like to have a fresh air system, but my wife thinks I already 
spend too much for tools...  Besides, I don't expect to have to do any sand 
blasting for a few more years.  Last time I did some was about 25 years ago
at my brothers - and we didn't have any masks...

> I think we will survive occasional open blasting with these masks, it
> takes a long period of exposure to get lead poisoning, but blast
> cabinets are safer if you do a lot of parts cleaning.  

I certainly hope I'll survive... 8-)   Some day (especially if I start 
restoring 
another car) I'll get myself a blasting cabinet.  Once I talk my wife into 
it... 
and I get the welder, and...  8-)

> You should bury your blast off debris to keep pets from licking it off 
> their feet. There most likely is lead in the paint used on some of our 
> old parts.

Burying it is not a bad idea.  But I guarantee that there was/is no more paint 
left of the A-arms, if there ever was any.  Just a LOT of rust.  It's on my 
son's '85 El Camino, and when we bought it, I check the frame and body 
very carefully for rust.  There was hardly any.  However, the suspension 
parts, and engine brackets are heavily rusted.  I know the previous owner 
used to drive the 'El on heavily salted roads in the winter, and I guess the 
stuff just packed into the engine /suspension components.  We already 
had to replace the brake lines because or pin hole leaks from rust...

Someday when the engine gets pulled to rebuild, we'll just replace the oil 
pan, and brackets, etc. with nice shinny chrome ones...

As my wife keeps saying, "we're restoring the car part by part"...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA

96 Ford Ranger  4x4 - My wife drives it
94 Miata R Package - My daily driver
93 Honda Accord - My daughter's car
85 El Camino - My son's car - I'll never buy another "old" car again...
72 Lotus Elan Sprint - I bought this one when it wasn't old...
67 Camaro - Don't have this one yet,  but it's my daughter's dream car...
                     Maybe I'll have to buy one more old car...


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