i wear a cartridge filter mask when turning and wear a n95 when in the barn. a month ago started with fevers and now my lungs are inflamed. until the inflamation resolved i must be on oxigen. i have a dozen different Chistmas gifts half finished and want so bad to get back in the shop. i might get sprung from the hospital tommorrow. i can drill a hole in the cartidge filer mask for the oxygen line.
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turning while on oxygen
- Thread starter Perry Hilbert
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Ask your Dr. or care team about safety precautions.
As you know the big caution with oxygen is flammability.
Sparks from a grinder ?
I once got a small fire from shavings caught it a lamp. No flame just smoke and red.
Be safe
As you know the big caution with oxygen is flammability.
Sparks from a grinder ?
I once got a small fire from shavings caught it a lamp. No flame just smoke and red.
Be safe
Talk to your doctor. I really don't know about the O2 in the dust mask/cartridge.
robo hippy
robo hippy
Do you know for certain the cause of the problem? Are you absolutely sure it's not something related to those half finished projects? I would be less concerned about wearing the oxygen in the shop, than getting more particulate matter into your already compromised respiratory system. And most concerned about the underlying problem and it's relation to woodworking.
Normally, I'm inclined to go as far as possible in living a full and satisfying life, but in this situation having a long talk with your doctor is definitely in order, and following her recommendations exactly seems like a necessity. If you do this right, you'll be able to make things for next Christmas.
Normally, I'm inclined to go as far as possible in living a full and satisfying life, but in this situation having a long talk with your doctor is definitely in order, and following her recommendations exactly seems like a necessity. If you do this right, you'll be able to make things for next Christmas.
i already has interstitial lung disease but that had impoved substantial over the past three years. tests showed this past episode was triggered by a fungal infection thought to have come from having our living room carpet removed. dr says should by ok as long as i am not around petroleum distallates or flames. he added that he expects the oxygen need to be only 4 or 5 weeks.
Good to hear.
I once knew a woman with cognitive impairment who was on oxygen by nasal prongs and somehow got someone to give her a cigarette and a match or lighter. She lit the cigarette with her oxygen in place and ended up with some nasty first degree burns on her upper lip and nose.
Theoretically, oxygen would make a flame burn more intensely, like blowing on a campfire or fire in the fireplace, but it should not cause an explosion. A spark, by extension, would also 'glow' more intensely, but not cause an explosion. So, setting something on fire in the shop would be the concern. As long as the flame or spark is not in your face or mask, in the 'cloud' of oxygen from prongs or mask, you should be OK. If a used rag or pile of sawdust catches on fire, with extra oxygen in the area it would burn more intensely, which could create a rapidly progressive situation that could be very hazardous to you and the shop and the house, etc.
As you know, many finishes and solvents contain petroleum distillates.
I once knew a woman with cognitive impairment who was on oxygen by nasal prongs and somehow got someone to give her a cigarette and a match or lighter. She lit the cigarette with her oxygen in place and ended up with some nasty first degree burns on her upper lip and nose.
Theoretically, oxygen would make a flame burn more intensely, like blowing on a campfire or fire in the fireplace, but it should not cause an explosion. A spark, by extension, would also 'glow' more intensely, but not cause an explosion. So, setting something on fire in the shop would be the concern. As long as the flame or spark is not in your face or mask, in the 'cloud' of oxygen from prongs or mask, you should be OK. If a used rag or pile of sawdust catches on fire, with extra oxygen in the area it would burn more intensely, which could create a rapidly progressive situation that could be very hazardous to you and the shop and the house, etc.
As you know, many finishes and solvents contain petroleum distillates.
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when they told me about the restriction on petroleum distallates i immediately asked about alcohol based products. both health experts just gave a blank look. i took that as a no even though they didnt seem to know there is such a thing.
I suspect they were thinking, "Why would you waste 20 year old Scotch on a bowl?"
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Just to kinda add to that what Oxygen can do with a "spark" (I.E. red hot metal) - if you can get a spark started on a piece of steel and provide it a controlled steady flow of pure oxygen, you can cut that steel for as long as you can supply steady flow of oxygen. (Welding class- an instructor demonstrated that with a hand grinder and an Oxy-Acetylene torch with the Acetylene shut off, just to prove you don't need fire to cut metal...Definitely not a recommended demonstration, however!)
Well, got covid and ended up with even worse lung problems. However, showed doctor my respirator with the oxygen plumbed into it, photo of dust collections etc and the fact that air supply will be from out side the shop and he said it looks good to go. No petrol products or other explosive products. So it looks like beeswax or water based finishes. When I finally got out of hospital in early February I could barely walk around the house on 14 liters of 02, but now walking 2 miles a day and and biking seven miles a day, my oxygen needs are cut by half. Hopefully get that reduced in half again in another 2 months.
Perry, very good to hear you are over the hump (so to speak) and are rapidly improving.
A thought occurred to me when you mentioned water based finishes. I use pure tung oil thinned with citrus oil solvent. No petroleum products in the citrus, but it does have a very strong orange scent. Don't know if that might be an option for you, but thought I'd mention it.
A thought occurred to me when you mentioned water based finishes. I use pure tung oil thinned with citrus oil solvent. No petroleum products in the citrus, but it does have a very strong orange scent. Don't know if that might be an option for you, but thought I'd mention it.
I'd exercise caution on the citrus not being a form of petroleum. It is officially called limonene, it is hydrocarbon (like gasoline) and is flammable.
Wow, Perry--That's REALLY impressive progress. And darn hard work. Way to go!
Hopefully your further recovery will be full and speedy.
Not quite on topic, but there was a story about an employee in a shop I used to work at who punched a hole in his dust mask for a cigarette. Definitely not compatible with an O2 feed.
Best wishes for your recovery and continued turning, Perry.
Best wishes for your recovery and continued turning, Perry.
I had a cousin of my mother who devised a cage like device to smoke over an open gs jet with no explosion. Unfortunately the device to light the cigarette was patented at that time and he could not sell his device. This was many years ago so now it could be done. Actually he started with an Asbestos lined pocket so he could hide the cigarette when the boss came by.