Should we use filters and masks when sharpening?

[Query]

I've been trying to teach myself to use basic hand (and sometimes power) tools based on videos, and poorly remembered 1970's era high school shop classes. There are a lot of videos out there of people using abrasive hand and power tools, in which no protective eye masks (or only eyeglasses) or filters are used.

But I just saw something that said that small diamond dust particles are very toxic. Which got me thinking.

When I sharpen ice skate blades, I use abrasive hand tools like Pro-Filer or Berghman sharpeners.

Pro-Filer figure skate sharpeners use one coarse diamond-dust based cylindrical grinding stone and one fine cylindrical grinding stone of unknown composition.

Berghman sharpeners (made around 1929-1950??) have what I think is a natural grindstone - though I have sometimes substituted one of the hockey Pro-Filer stones, because the Berghman stones are very coarse and crumbly.

I also use a 5000 grit flat stone of unknown composition.

Should I be using eye masks (I sometimes only use eyeglasses, or nothing) or dust masks? If dust masks are needed, what do they need to cover? Just the mouth, nose, or eyes and ears too?

Or is that overkill? Do these hand tools even produce enough abrasive dust to worry about?

What would be a good modern authoritative resource on reasonably safe hand and power tool usage for idiots?

[Bill_S]

You use water as a sharpening lubricant, right? That should be sufficient to trap most all the dust from a hand sharpening. Oil too, and that's what I used when I hand sharpened. You could see the solids trapped in a dark slurry on the blade after a few passes. That got wiped off.

I really don't think that there's much to worry about when hand sharpening. It's such a slow process that not much solid waste is produced. They would be in incrementally small quantities.

Powered skate sharpeners, on the other hand, will definitely put a cloud of dust into the air. I have a vacuum dust-removal system attached to the dust hood of mine, but there's still some that escapes the collection system and wafts around. I've taken to always wearing an N95 mask when sharpening skates with my Wissota. Here's a shot of of my mask at the ready on the sharpener. BTW, the largest amount of dust happens when dressing the wheel. It goes everywhere, even with dust collection running!



Sorry, but I am not aware of any books on this subject, although there might be some.

[Query]

Thanks, Bill_S!

I never thought of the water as a safety matter. I was just trying to avoid scratches.

On a separate note, I'd love to build a painted-fabric-over-wood-frame kayak, and wood paddles. Is it a good idea to wear filter masks and eye goggles for even infrequent woodworking using hand tools and hand held power tools? E.g., sandpaper, circular sanders, draw knives, planes, power drills, hand and jig saws? (I've decided circular saws are above my safety/skill level.) Would an N95 or KN95 mask be enough, or should I get a professional grade shop filter mask? Should I get an organic solvent filter mask and eye goggles for working with marine paints and glues? Or are those overkill? Bear in mind that I am inexperienced, and could make mistakes.

Do I remember that you have taught shop classes, including, I assume wood shop classes? If so, what precautions do you make students take?

[Bill_S]

I've taught classes at the university level, but not any shop or woodworking classes. I did work as an engineer, including a lot of shop work, for about 10 years after I got my degree.

I have written a number of stories for woodworking magazines though.

Eye protection: If you wear glasses, I wouldn't worry about it with most hand tools unless there's impact (hammering, etc.) involved. As soon as you step into power tools, you should wear eye protection. Even a pair of prescription eyeglasses provides an order of magnitude more protection than not using anything.

Hearing protection: Power tools mostly. Hand tools generally don't make excessive noise, but I can see where a long day of driving nails with a hammer could get to you. Or blacksmithing 

Respirators and breathing filters: If you are using a power sander and it's not connected to an effective dust containment system, you should wear a filtering mask of some sort. N95 would work well. Dust from a power sander is very fine and will loft into the air easily. You can tell that you are breathing it. Because it is fine, it will penetrate deeply into the lungs - not the best for long term lung health.

If you are brush painting using solvent-based (non-aqueous) paints, use a respirator unless you are outdoors with good circulation. I have a 3M respirator that I use for indoor painting and finishing, and it's comfortable to wear. With its activated charcoal filer plus particle filtration, it's very effective. If you are using a paint sprayer even with water-based paints, use a respirator. Sprayers fog the air and you don't want to breath it no matter how benign the substance is.

Here are two of the breathing filters that I use...



The left mask is a 3M #8577 P95. It filters oil particles as well as having the same dust filtration as an N95. The exhaust valve on the front helps keep glasses from fogging and makes breathing easier. Because it traps oil particles, it will serve for modest brush-on oil-based finishing needs.

The one on the right is my 3M respirator that has replaceable carbon filters plus particle filters. I use this for serious painting with my sprayer or for large brushed work with solvent or oil finishes in the shop. Breathing effort is easy, and glasses won't easily fog.

[Query]

Thanks for the very useful information.

I guess it makes sense to wear filters when using marine glues too. Toxic or not (e.g., West Systems Epoxy claims very low toxicity), it can't be good to have a coating of non-biodegradable adhesive inside my lungs.

Come to think of it, maybe eyeglasses aren't good enough protection around waterproof glues and paints, given my inexperience. So I will try out the anti-fog materials I played with for ice skating, on safety goggles.

Do you happen to have a list handy of what you have written for woodworking magazines?

[Bill_S]

Do you happen to have a list handy of what you have written for woodworking magazines?

Here you go...

2016   Woodcraft Magazine, October/November 2016, Two stories published - Awesome Audio, pg. 53, (built loudspeakers, wrote story, created a portion of studio photos included in the story, and provided detailed graphics for the illustrators) and  Biscuit Joiner Workstation, pg. 50, (designed and wrote procedure for making a jig to facilitate working with a biscuit joiner power tool)

2019   Woodcraft Magazine, October/November 2019, Circle-Cutting Jig, pg. 52, (story about making an adjustable circle cutting jig for a band saw)

2020   Woodcraft Magazine, December/January 2020, Circle Sanding Jig, pg. 58, (story about making an adjustable jig for sanding the periphery of disks. The jig attaches to a spindle sander and sands disk edges perfectly round.)

2020   Woodcraft Magazine, August/September 2020, Yankee ingenuity, pg. 60, (short story about the Yankee screwdriver, and modern accessories that continue its relevance)

2020   Woodcraft Magazine, June/July 2020, Tips & Tricks section, Small parts hold-down, pg. 26, (short story about making a simple hold down device for use with a cross-cut sled on a table saw)

Here's an opening page from one of the stories. The spindle sander shown had very effective dust collection attached to it and the magazine's studio workshop was well-ventilated, so I didn't wear a mask. It was loud though, as you can tell.

[Query]

Thanks!

It doesn't look like I can read Woodcraft issues for free online.

That's consistent with what I found when I went looking for introductory woodworking classes - Woodcraft classes are expensive. I'd love to retake my high school shop classes. I didn't fully appreciate them at the time.

I found a few of the articles, in whole or part by Googling:

  "Bill Schneider" site:woodcraft.com

Very cool!

[nicklaszlo]

I doubt you will find a reliable source for safety sharpening figure skating blades.  You can probably find information for the operation of griders in machine shops, but that will be for people who use them all day, which is a different safety situation.

If you are using a blade sharpening machine, you should have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket nearby.  I would recommend a mask covering your nose and mouth, work gloves, ear plugs, and a face shield.  In my opinion, eye protection is the most important thing for using a sharpening machine, and a face shield is probably the best option for that.

Sharpeners I have watched do not use any safety equipment.

[Query]

...If you are using a blade sharpening machine, you should have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket nearby...

Why?

Are you worried about the sparks, or do power tools sometimes burn up?

And what do you expect to burn?

A bicycle mechanic, who sometimes works on eBikes, told me that lithium ion batteries, if the outer shell develops a hole, as they sometimes do where the roads are salted, which causes rust (or which corrodes aluminum, he claims, even faster than steel), spontaneously catch fire and burn very hot - he has special extinguishing containers, as he claims most mechanics do. (In fact, that's one of the reasons why it is impractical to recycle lithium on batteries.) Is that what you are worried about?

[Kaitsu]

Don´t forget to wear bulletproof vest and helmet. If wheel breaks while its spinning with full speed, its like a grenade which can easily cut your stomach or brains.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/Ever-had-a-cutting-grinding-wheel-explode-on-you-/5-2118303/

[Query]

Don´t forget to wear bulletproof vest and helmet. If wheel breaks while its spinning with full speed, its like a grenade which can easily cut your stomach or brains.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/Ever-had-a-cutting-grinding-wheel-explode-on-you-/5-2118303/

I sharpen with hand tools, not power tools. The power tools I am talking about using for other purposes - small hand held drills, sanders and jig saws that only draw 250-500 watts of power, and probably don't justify a bullet proof vest and helmet.

I assume the type of issues talked about in your link occur at higher power levels.

One of the people in your link advises using gloves, s did Nicklaszlo. I have seen many warnings not to use gloves around power tools that spin, because gloves get caught too easily in them, and draw the hand into the tool. But I have seen people use gloves with chain saws.

I looked up battery fires and explosions. They are apparently becoming somewhat common, for lithium ion batteries - like those used in the most modern rechargeable tools (and electric cars and bikes) The problem is, a fire extinguisher probably wouldn't permanently put the fire out - as soon as the hole in the battery case is exposed to air again, they would catch fire again, and possibly explode, and they sometimes also burn or explode while recharging. That said, lithium ion fires and explosions aren't all that common..