Eyeglass worn with mask fog getter ridder of-er

[whateg0]

My son and I were discussing the fact that so many people have problems of glasses fogging up when wearing a mask. My GF insists it's because people don't know how to wear a mask, but that's another argument. That was after she accused me of making up problems so we could solve them. Anyway, yesterday, my son modeled and 3D printed the proof of concept. Today, he's already made a couple of modifications to make it work a little better and improve the aesthetics.

Dave

[liveaboard]

I use industrial dust + mist mask I had a box of when the trouble started. The kind with a metal strip to form over the bridge of the nose.
I found that careful shaping of the strip to match the face prevents exhaled breath from shooting up and fogging my glasses.

So I think you're on the right track.

The industrial mask fit the face much better than the pseudo-surgical masks now popular, but after an hour in that thing I've had enough.

[atunguyd]

My son and I were discussing the fact that so many people have problems of glasses fogging up when wearing a mask. My GF insists it's because people don't know how to wear a mask, but that's another argument. That was after she accused me of making up problems so we could solve them. Anyway, yesterday, my son modeled and 3D printed the proof of concept. Today, he's already made a couple of modifications to make it work a little better and improve the aesthetics.

Dave

How does it work? Keen to see it in action. I hate going out the horse simply because my glasses fog up all the time.

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

[whateg0]

It works pretty well. Thing is, the better a mask fits, the worse the issue might be. On the other hand, a mask that doesn't conform to the nose can only be helped so much.

I don't have much of an issue with my glasses fogging most of the time, but if I have to carry a box from one end of the plant to the other at work, by the time I get back, I'm breathing a little heavier and that's when I really have issues. So, the tighter it fits, the more likely air will be expelled around the nose when it does get expelled. Anyway, this gives the air an easy path out. My son has been streamlining the design today. He's currently printing one on the Mars to see how much it smells when it's inside the mask with you.

[John Evans]

And if the air does NOT go through the mask it does NOT catch the droplets/virus etc. Around here masks with exhaust valves are not considered legal where masks are required.

[warmstrong1955]

NIOSH N95's, like a 3M 8210, which I used to buy cases of, have a little strip of aluminum attached to the top front, so you can shape the mask more tightly against your nose. Not as good of a seal, as a reusable respirator, most of which are made out of soft silicone rubber, but it certainly improves the fit substantially by adding some contour.

A little strip of aluminum, and some Gorilla glue, would be worth a test.

When I was buying those masks, in case quantities (160 masks), they were about .45 - .50 cents a piece, and it wasn't that long ago.

[whateg0]

John, you are absolutely correct. However, the air escaping around the mask is also not filtered, so this does at least force that air out a direction other than toward the glasses and down the neck. If the presence of a designed exit for air is not permitted, then these definitely are not for you!

My masks have the little aluminum strip and they fit my nose well. It is that tight seal around the perimeter that forces pressure to build inside the mask when breathing heavily. When that happens, because of the way masks are held to the face, the area around the nose is the first to lift away from the face. I've seen others suggest duct taping the mask to the face around the nose. While that probably works well, I can't imagine it being very comfortable. And when something is uncomfortable, people are more apt to forego use altogether than deal with the discomfort.

Dave

[warmstrong1955]

In many of the mines I worked, we only allowed disposable masks for a limited number of tasks. Reason being, they sealed quite poorly. We used reuable half masks.
After so many lawsuits, at mines around the country, from black lung to mesothelioma, caused by leaky (poor fitting) masks, many mines started testing fits of reusable respirators.

Rule was, to go underground, you had to be fitted to a particular mask.
First off, facial hair, which did not fit inside the mask, had to go. I used to keep a box of disposable razors, just for the new guys. (cheap ones)
Then, when the 'victim' got his mask on and adjusted, we would release banana oil (isoamyl acetate) mainly where the mask fit to his face. We used organic cartridges on the mask, that would filter out the smell of the banana oil.
If he could smell it, it was a bad fit around the face, and we would try again, with a different size, and/or manufacturer of the mask. The shape of masks are quite similar between manufacturers and models, but surprising how little differences in shape & construction, will make one seal, and another not.
If we were feeling particularly mean that day, we would test their mask with mercaptan. What are friends for right?

[John Evans]

Whateg0 : If you let out unfiltered air for all the good the mask does might as well not wear one !! The point of everyone at least wearing some form of face covering is to prevent escape of droplets that may be carrying the COVID virus thus protecting others. You need a N95 or better to protect yourself. If everyone would have started wearing face coverings of some form back in March we would be in better shape than we are now Re Covid. But no the special snowflakes could not be bothered with a little inconvenience/discomfort !! The lack of leadership at the state and federal level has not helped ,the Governor of this state is a prime example ,bout as much leadership as a wet noodle ! LOL

[whateg0]

John, I'm not going to debate the efficacy of masks with anybody here. This isn't the place. If you want to discuss that, we can do so in the Junk Drawer. Once it became a political topic, all logic went out the window. I'll just say that when you exhale more than the mask can pass through itself, the excess has to go somewhere. It usually goes out the top of the mask under the glasses, but this gives it another outlet. You are correct that it's unfiltered, but at least here, any air that does go out unfiltered goes rearward toward the neck so it's had to change direction and then is traveling along the neck where most droplets should be able to cling to the skin instead of becoming airborne. No testing to confirm that it works that way, but it should. Much like the dust drops out of the airstream in a dust collector because it slows as it drags along the inside of the cyclone, this should keep the droplets from spreading significantly. So, it's better than nothing, and many people claim to not wear a mask because of this particular issue. If it allows somebody to wear a mask that wouldn't otherwise wear one, isn't that a win?

Dave

[SteveM]

As the TV lawyers would say:
"If your glasses are fogging up while you are wearing a mask, you may be entitled to condensation".

[Inspector]

This is my favourite disposable mask, generally good for about a week of work in all but the dustiest use. I used it in public but taped over the valve to protect others the back pressure isn't strong enough to break the seal although I never tried to run any marathons with it. It isn't cheap and I expect hard to get now.

Pete