Sanding down a large or small piece of wood is one of the most relaxing things you may ever experience, some find the routine so comforting that they look forward the most to this part of woodworking. There are several dangers to sanding that you may not know about, like sanding too much, sanding against the grain, or the much more dangerous risk of sanding without a mask.
You should always wear a dust mask or respirator when woodworking and especially when using a tool that causes wood dust to go everywhere. Wood dust at its most benign might sensitize you to future allergies and at its worse cause neurological symptoms, bleeding, and death. Even sporadic exposure the dust can cause cancer in the long run.
Getting a mask that keeps wood dust out of your lungs is quite easy though, seeing as the dust created from sanding wood is actually quite small. This means you can use masks with dust filters, respiratory masks, and other easy to find masks that are available at your local hardware store.
What kind of mask do you need for sanding?
There are many masks available at any given time, and we are all quickly learning that there are many that do not do what we think they do. Fortunately, the dust created by sanding wood is not the smallest particle that masks are created to filter out, which means most masks meant for workshops will work perfectly well.
Here are some of the masks and respirators that will work when you start sanding down the next piece of masterwork that you’ll be creating.
- KN95, FFP1 or FFP2 Normal: These are easily some of the most popular masks currently on the world market, but apart from their virus controlling powers, these masks are more commonly used in workshops. Their filtration power means that no dust can enter your airways, without stopping you from breathing comfortably after a few hours of hard work.
- Valved Masks: Similar to normal FFP1, FFP2 or KN95 masks these masks are perfectly capable of stopping dust from wood sanding from entering your lungs. However, when the valve is attached it’s meant to facilitate longer usage while still being effective. Valved masks can stop things from going in but will not stop particles from escaping the mask.
- Cloth Masks: The recent burst in requirements for masks has seen the rapid rise of effective cloth masks in the Western world, cloth masks are perfect for those that love working with wood. Cloth masks can effectively filter out the dust from wood, while allowing you to simply wash the mask daily.
- Respirators: For more constant work, respirators will keep all dust and other particles away from your lungs, working with filter systems that should be replaced. When working in large wood shops, where constant cutting and sanding of materials are taking place. Meant for constant use a respirator will keep all dangerous materials, gasses, and shavings from contaminating you lungs.
What is the difference between a respirator and dust mask?
There are many differences between masks and respirators, several of them being in the work environment they are used, the strength of the filtration, and the longevity of the products. Masks are only temporary solutions while respirators are meant for much longer periods.
Masks are disposable, rather uncomfortable to wear and will become less effective over even short periods of time. Even the most expensive cloth masks need to be cleaned daily, to prevent the build-up of materials and contaminants from eventually breaking through the layers. Normal masks are all made to be disposable as well, being one use items that eventually fills the bin.
Respirators are much more expensive than masks and for good reason, the cheapest respirator is meant to be used for years on end. With filters that can be easily replaced as needed, some filters are made to be used for several days in normal environments, which makes them much more preferred when working in industries with a lot of dust.
However, when moving on to more expensive respirators, the filtration power becomes a lot more pronounced. Top level respirators will enclose your entire face with a backpack that works on pumping fresh filtered air straight to you. Making them effective from stopping even the hardiest of viruses from attacking you.
Are masks with filters easier to breathe in?
The cheapest masks for woodworking won’t have any filters on them, simply providing several layers of cloth to filter out the worst dust. Masks with filters on them will be slightly more expensive and the types will vary greatly.
Masks with filters are much easier to breathe in, providing an easy escape for the air that you breathe out while blocking any dust from entering through the valve on the filter. These masks are highly valued in workshops around the world and will helps to make masks slightly more comfortable to wear while working.
These masks are popular with workshops that may have many people that come and visit, and they are perfectly fine for use in these environments. Having a proper filtered mask is the best way to make sure you can continue working on your next big project.
How many times can you use a dust mask?
This is a hotly debated topic at times, especially when masks are being wasted, with some companies having to buy new packs of masks almost weekly. However, knowing how long a mask can be used is vital to keeping the filtration working properly.
All disposable dust masks have set limits on how long they are effective, ranging from 2 hours to just over 12 hours. The packaging for the mask will have a recommended use time and following this recommendation will save you from future regret.
Usually the time listed on the packaging of a mask is there to show how long the mask will be effective against a large amount of dust. Usually, masks become clogged or much less effective after hours of use, which is why replacing them should always be important.
What kind of wood dust is toxic(almost all with most causing irritation long term and others very bad)
There are old wives tales that only certain types of wood dust are dangerous to breathe, while others might only cause you to be slightly irritated for a while. However, this is not true, all dust from sanding is dangerous and a mask should be worn whenever working with fine particulates of any kind.
There are however some woods that should be treated lightly, as they are more toxic than others and can cause full respiratory arrest within only a few hours.
Beech
Popular for the ease of which the wood can be worked, Beech wood is probably one of the most hidden dangers out there.
Though the incidence rating for Beech wood is rare, owing to the wood being expensive and rather rare.
Cedar
A much more popular and easier to find wood, cedar wood of both varieties can cause several things to go wrong, either in the long term or within a few hours.
Known to cause both respiratory attacks and eye irritation, this wood should be treated with care as its toxicity is usually forgotten about when finished results are observed.
Greenheart
A less known wood, Greenheart, is one of those woods that can look fantastic when treated right. However, it is one of the most toxic woods when shaving is breathed in, causing respiratory, eye, and nausea problems when proper precautions are not taken.
This wood has been known to take down many unsuspecting crafters, most thinking that wearing a mask while woodworking is entirely an over-reaction.
Maple
While reports of respiratory attacks caused by Maple wood is rare, the danger that this wood poses should never be underestimated. A beautiful wood that can be treated to look simply amazing, Maple has been known to cause long term damage to those that have worked on it.
Rosewood
Probably one of the most amazing looking wood a crafter can work with, this sleeping toxic beauty should never be underestimated. Causing eye and skin irritation when turned into a dust the wood causes even more havoc once it enters your lungs.
Great care should always be taken when working with this wood, wearing a respirator that covers your eyes will save a lot of trouble down the line. Woodworkers all over the world know about the dangers of working with Rosewood.
Treated Wood
Often while working on wood you will have to sand it down after giving it a layer of oil or lacquer. These are probably more dangerous than the wood itself and will speedily cause you to get dangerously sick once breathing it in. Wearing a mask when working with treated wood is not just a suggestion.
These are just some of most toxic woods out there, while not every type of wood might cause immediate damage or irritation. There is a long-term cost, as breathing in too much dust will eventually cause a build-up, meaning permanent respiratory damage and increasing the chances of getting lung cancer greatly.
What are some common symptoms caused by not wearing masks?
There are several symptoms that appear when not wearing a mask while woodworking, all of which will be exacerbated with continued ignorance. Many times, the people that begin to experience symptoms of wood irritation are not aware of the damage that they have caused to themselves.
Knowing what the symptoms are early on will mean that you can accurately treat them or seek proper treatment long before it is too late.
- Constant coughing: Few people realize this, but coughing is one of the surest signs that there is something wrong. Usually caused at first because of a sickness, many people think the cough is a lasting symptom from something else. However, it is usually the first symptom of permanent respiratory damage through the lack of proper safety equipment.
- Eye Irritation: Most masks won’t protect your eyes but having full PPE will require you to wear a mask and goggles, or a full respirator that protects you whole face. Just accidentally scratching your eyes with food dust on your hands can cause painful and dangerous amounts of damage to your eyes.
- Dry Mouth: One of the weirdest symptoms caused by not wearing a mask is the lack of saliva in your mouth. This is because the wood dust that you are breathing in is actually sucking up all the moisture in your mouth and lungs.
- Sneezing: As with all irritants that can be breathed into the body, wood dust will cause a lot of irritation to your nose. One of the first signs that proper safety precautions were not being followed is constant sneezing.
- Runny Nose: Everything that enters you nose will irritate it, meaning you will quickly start having a runny nose if you are not wearing a mask. Having to constantly blow all the irritants out of it.
- Low Oxygen Levels: In the long term your lungs will stop working properly, meaning that you will physically be incapable of breathing properly. Many old woodworkers that did not follow proper safety precautions end up needing oxygen machines to breathe properly in their old age.
- Lung Cancer: The most dangerous part of not wearing a mask when it is important, constant irritation and breathing in dangerous chemicals and wood dust will cause your lungs to develop cancer. Usually this happens at such an old age that getting a lung transplant is no longer an option.
Many of the early symptoms of not wearing a mask can be mistaken for simply being a bit under the weather. However, as time passes these symptoms will increase and you will find them less likely to go away. Having permanent respiratory damage is one of the most unpleasant experiences to have.
Do I need to worry about wood dust for small projects?
While most woodworkers will gladly wear a mask when making something large and complex, many are woe to wearing a mask while working on something they find quick and easy to do. Which may seem understandable as smaller woodworking projects can only take a few minutes to complete and barely produce any dust at all.
Wearing a mask even while working on something small might be even more important than working on something large. Smaller projects are more likely to be worked on while close to your face and can have much smaller dust that will lodge deeper in your lungs that you think possible.
Many beginner woodworkers will happily work on smaller projects to help them learn the ropes, while not wearing any face protection. It is during this time that the most damage is done to their lungs, as they can usually source more toxic woods because their projects are smaller. Wearing a mask even when working on something only a couple of inches large is vital to living a much longer and easier life.
How it causes problems
It is not always the toxicity of the wood that causes the damage to our respiratory system, our lungs are probably some of the most amazing parts of our bodies. However, most people fail to realize just how sensitive they can be.
The inner lining of lungs consists of many smaller parts kept inside membranes, when lungs are filled with fluids or dust particulates these parts get damaged or clogged. This causes scratching, clogs, breaks, and other long-term scarring that will leave you unable to breathe when needed.
Wood is a hard substance that easily damages the inner lining of your lung, making already existing problems worse and causing many new problems.
Conclusion
The importance of wearing a mask while sanding wood should never be underestimated, having permanent lung damage is only a small decision away. If you have to save money rather buy cheaper sanding paper than scrimping out on the equipment you will have to use to protect yourself.
Personal protection protects the most important part while working on any type of project, yourself!
