Trend Airshield Pro

Paul Douglass

Member
Messages
4,984
Location
S E Washington State
Been having a real problem turning lately. Get to where I can't breath and wake up with my eyes all puffy. Last thing I turned is a piece of black walnut. I got physically sick, almost vomited from coughing. I tried a Resp-O-Rator and it helped but didn't help the puffy watery eyes. So I bit the bullet and ordered a Trend Airshield Pro. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I'm very happy with it so far although I just got it and have only been able to try it once. They are expensive, but so is a lung replacement, if you can get one. I think it is really going to make turning enjoyable again. The cheapest place I could find to get on was from Performance Tool Center. $298, no shipping or taxes.
 
Paul, I really have to blunt about this. I am speaking from direct experience, as a licensed practitioner and some regrettable personal issues.
If you or anyone are/is turning with out protecting your lungs...you may want to re-evaluate your education level. Any and all wood will cause airway irritation and inflammation over time. Fix it and stop short changing your family and life in general. I'm having surgery in the next few week to remove an adenoma in my right lung with severe inflammation in both lungs because I was stupid. I'll draw the line at saying I was stupid but if the shoe fits....
A hospital stay from what I did to myself will run $35,000. I have excellent insurance. If anyone out there doesn't...I don't want to pay for you. Buy protection, use it...and think of what you are going to miss...ask your family if they want you doing this hobby with or without a respirator. Stop being a hero, or in a hurry, or whatever excuse anyone may generate to justify hitting the shop without your lungs covered. If I made someone mad...good...you are welcome to take my place when I have surgery.
 
Paul, I really have to blunt about this. I am speaking from direct experience, as a licensed practitioner and some regrettable personal issues.

Jim, Just curious, are you saying that your health issue is directly related to your turning? Or that perhaps it contributed to?

I think your post is a pretty good wake up call, period...

Ok, so it looks like you can get accessory ear protection to go with the Airshield. Do regular ear muffs fit around/on it? I kind of like my worktunes when I'm in the garage.
 
Brent I think the only way you could do it is if you can have the thingy that goes over you head (normally) go around the back of your neck, or buy the muffs they sell and figure a way to attach you headphones to their set up. Probably not doable.

Jim, I hope I got over stupid soon enough. I wish you well on the surgery. Please keep us informed on your progress.
 
Last edited:
Jim, Just curious, are you saying that your health issue is directly related to your turning? Or that perhaps it contributed to?

I think your post is a pretty good wake up call, period...

Ok, so it looks like you can get accessory ear protection to go with the Airshield. Do regular ear muffs fit around/on it? I kind of like my worktunes when I'm in the garage.

Brent, here what is proven by medical research...wood dust (as quoted...take it to mean???) is irritating to airways and bronchial passages. My adenoma has an etiology of "don't know" and I mean that. As I was waking up, I ask my pulmonologist what caused this...he said..."just luck". But he gave me a series of pictures...my airways were Very!! inflamed. He said "I know you do a lot of woodwork, (I had given him a pen) lay off for a while, your lungs need a break"
To qualify this...Karl is well respected worldwide as a pulmunologist (lung Doctor)...it's not a matter of cost. I live in a crappy area of California and he has a ton of research capabilities here. It does not hurt my cause that we work together. To this end, I can and will pass on what I am told will improve my "cure rate" and lung health. People can do what they will with it, but it all comes from medical research, not from my garage or anger over my illness.
Paul...get the best money can buy. Live to a ripe old age with healthy lungs. I really don't want you to die of respiratory failure due to particulate inflammation. My stereo in the garage/shop is really loud...turn yours up.
Paul...PM sent
 
Last edited:
Well, I know I'm probably as guilty as a lot of guys on here of not using filter masks.

I'd think if I had something like the Trend airshield, I'd probably be more likely to use it.

It looks pretty easy to put on and off.

I guess I could always just use earbuds with the accessory hearing protection that you can get for it.

Do you guys with the trends just put them on and leave them on the whole time in the shop? Or do you find you put them on and off a bit...

Seriously considering getting one. I've been cutting some wood on the table saw and the DC hasn't really been convenient to use, so I've gone without it. I have noticed after that a larger than usual accumulation of 'stuff' in my nose... I assume that's not a good sign...
 
Well, I cant tell you why I never ended up with more serious respitory problems than I deal with now. I, like Paul, picked up an airshield pro based on need and recommendation of Vaughn and others. If I can buy 5 extra yrs to turn that means I have 5 more yrs than I would have to enjoy the things, and especially my family and the people I let into my life.

Jim, I'm really sorry to hear the problem is as serious as it isounds. I wish you the best of treatment and the speediest ever recovery! :thumb::thumb:

mj
 
...Do you guys with the trends just put them on and leave them on the whole time in the shop? Or do you find you put them on and off a bit...

When I'm working on the lathe, the Trend is typically on my head all the time I'm in the shop. If I'm not actually turning, I usually have it tilted up in the open position, but still blowing filtered air across my face. (I know it's not as effective as having it closed, but I suspect it's better than nothing.) If I'm working with tools other than the lathe, I may or may not put on my AO single-filter respirator, depending on how dusty the operation is.

Offhand, I can't think of any non-turners who wear a Trend as their main shop respirator, but I suspect there are some.
 
When I'm working on the lathe, the Trend is typically on my head all the time I'm in the shop. If I'm not actually turning, I usually have it tilted up in the open position, but still blowing filtered air across my face. (I know it's not as effective as having it closed, but I suspect it's better than nothing.) If I'm working with tools other than the lathe, I may or may not put on my AO single-filter respirator, depending on how dusty the operation is.

Offhand, I can't think of any non-turners who wear a Trend as their main shop respirator, but I suspect there are some.

Well, maybe I just need to get into better a mask wearing regimen. Don't really need the face protection.

I'm guessing for most of your turning, you are generating chips, not dust, so it's more for face protection, and then for dust protection.

I've gotten better about hearing protection, but have to admit I still need to work on protecting my lungs.
 
I've only had mine a couple days, I used it today the whole time I was turning and sanding. I hope I am smart enough to use it for other things like when I am using my table saw. Even with the dust collector hooked up, I still get a lot of sawdust thrown out by the blade.

I don't want to be like a Sawstop trumpeter type about this, I don't have a Sawstop, can't afford one, but if I could I would, but I figure I can live good without a couple fingers, so far I am only missing the tip of one, but I can't live without my lungs. The younger your are when you protect your lungs, the better.
 
Paul Douglass said:
I've only had mine a couple days, I used it today the whole time I was turning and sanding. I hope I am smart enough to use it for other things like when I am using my table saw. Even with the dust collector hooked up, I still get a lot of sawdust thrown out by the blade.

I don't want to be like a Sawstop trumpeter type about this, I don't have a Sawstop, can't afford one, but if I could I would, but I figure I can live good without a couple fingers, so far I am only missing the tip of one, but I can't live without my lungs. The younger your are when you protect your lungs, the better.

At the risk of ticking some of you off..

Please also consider quitting smoking if you ( collective, not You; paul) smoke.

One of the main reasons I'm moving to Virginia is because of my father's emphysema, COPD & now developing congestive heart failure.

Jim, I hope your surgery is successful & your recovery swift.
 
Jeepers---what you guys and gals will go through just to make me feel guilty. I do have an efficient DC which exhausts outside. It has 0.1 micron filter bags because I didn't know it was going to be in the "Outhouse" when I bought it. In fact the Outhouse had not even been thought of, let alone built, when I purchased the DC.

I wear a two band, N95 face mask most of the time---always when sanding. However, I feel top-heavy with ear protection, safety glasses and dust mask. Am I going to feel worse this way (top heavy and closed in that is) if I spend the $300? My billfold area will certainly feel lighter.

It seems like woodworking is based on "spend-spend-spend." Maybe it is an addiction like smoking or cocaine.

Enjoy,

Jim

I dismantled part of my DC yesterday to move my DP and thickness planer. The inside of the 6in. ducts and the 4in. flex drops were almost clean. There was a little dust in the small groove where the duct pipe fits into the Els, wyes, etc. I removed a couple pieces of pipe, a couple els and a wye. If I colleced all of the dust I would have had less than a teaspoon full---and that was mainly in the grooves where the air flow had packed it nice and hard.

All of the above was to substantiate the fact that the DC does move the dust through the system. Of course not all gets into the system---there are small particles on the floor in front of the lathe for instance.

Anyway my home made logic says, "Hey most of the dust is getting out of here. It does not hurt if you don't wear the mask all of the time." That's where the guilt part comes in.

I will shut-up now. Good night and Enjoy,

Jim
 
Regarding this Airshield I have 2 questions:

Can you wear prescription glasses under it?

And why does it have a battery? Is it filtering air and blowing it at you? as opposed to you just sucking in the air through a filter?

I wear mine over safety glasses easily. Even safety goggles will fit, I believe, although they'd be kind of redundant. The battery powers a little fan that blows the filtered air across your face. (Great cool breeze in the summer...prevents fogging, too.) The face shield also has a wetsuit-like material around the edge that seals the mask to your face. It's not an air-tight seal, but the fan creates positive pressure to keep the dusty air from getting into the mask.
 
I wear my glasses under it with no problem. When I got through turning yesterday (about an hours worth), my neck was a little sore, but it is fine this morning. I think the sore neck thing will go away the more I use the helmet and my neck muscles get in shape. I also noticed that after a little while my eyes felt a little dry from the air flowing down over them. I'd turn it off once in a while and blink a few times and it would take care of it.
 
I love mine. Even with the long hair and beard it works great. (it does not need a vacuum seal since it is positive pressure)

My neck will get sore a bit if I do a long stint at the lathe. The only other issue I have is that the mask does not tilt up high enough for me.
 
Top