Sidebar: The Supplied Air Respirator

SUPPLIED AIR RESPIRATOR SYSTEM
The purchase of a Willson 6000 series supplied air respirator system moved me into a new era of comfort and safety in the shop. In its most general sense, the system pulls fresh air from an outside source and provides it to the user through a full-facepiece mask, much like a SCOT air pack or SCUBA gear.

The system consists of a Gast 1/3hp air pump, 50' of 3/8" supplied air hose, Willson 6000 series silicone full facemask with ratchet adjustment system, 3' of corrugated, flexible air hose for connection to the mask, and a webbed belt to which the hose clips to help keep it out of the way of the user, and to support its weight. The mask can also be used like a typical cartridge respirator if the supplied blanks are removed and cartridges installed in their place. The pump has a pressure release valve to prevent damage if the pump runs without the air hose attached at both ends, and a dust filter.

Additional (extra) equipment needed to help the system run at its most efficient and best are a length of intake extension hose, which allows the air intake to be located in a remote area outside the shop (while the compressor remains inside), and a remote-control switch designed for dust collection systems, which allows the compressor to be turned on and off at will from the boat, or any location inside the shop.

Operation is as simple as connecting the air supply hose and turning the pump on. It delivers a continual flow of fresh air (dependant on the intake location) to the user wearing the mask, and provides a fresh, cool flow that eliminated fogging in the facepiece as well.

To enhance the system, make it safer, and to allow for increased functionality, I added several accessories. First and foremost, I immediately saw the need for an air inlet extension. The standard inlet was mounted directly on the pump, which meant that for safe operation the pump would have to always be mounted outside, or somewhere there was a steady supply of uncontaminated air. To combat this problem, I installed a 25' length of air intake hose, which allowed me to run the inlet filter outside where there was plenty of fresh air. At this writing, I do not have my permanent setup figured out yet and simply run the inlet hose thorugh an open window when needed. I expect to eventually install it semi-permanently.

I mounted the pump on a nice plywood platform, complete with handles for ease of portability. A brief trial use of the system shortly after I purchased it showed a need for some sort of remote switching device, so that I could turn the pump on and off from the boat, or wherever I happened to be. To accomplish this, I purchased a Long Ranger remote control switch intended for use with dust collection systems. It's a simple infrared setup with a remote control; you simply plug the device (the pump, in this case) into the unit and plug the unit into the outlet.