3M 8511 Dust Mask Video

3M 8511 Dust Mask Video Transcript

This is the 3M 8511 Particulate Respirator or dust mask. It comes in a box of 10. This is the box you'll get when you place your order. You open the box and inside you've got the directions, which come in many different languages, the polybag which keeps the masks clean until you're ready to use them… pull out the mask… ok!

The 8511 has elastic straps. These are nicer than a rubber band in that they don't get caught in your hair or something like that. They're secured to the mask with staples. The mask has an exhalation valve, which we'll cover in a moment, and the metal, aluminum adjustable nose bridge. Inside the mask, you've got soft, white material, and that's the exhalation valve right there in the middle. This is the part that's going to contact your face, and it's important for a good seal that you don't have any facial hair. If you have a beard or a couple days growth of beard -- something like that -- the mask isn't going to seal. The things that you want to come through the filter are going to come around and not be filtered out.

The exhalation valve is something I would always look for in a mask…

What's really cool about an exhalation valve is that air comes in through the filter and out through the valve. This is going to give you a constant flow of air, so the mask isn't going to get a bunch of build-up of moisture and heat. The other thing it'll do is keep the mask breathing easy. With other masks, once you get a little bit of moisture in the breathing material, it becomes a little bit harder to breathe through. And lastly, if you're wearing glasses -- especially safety glasses -- the heat and moisture will start to rise and will fog up your glasses.

The 3M 8511 really is my favorite mask if I'm going to be going out and doing some work. It's going to be good for sanding, grinding, sawing, sweeping, insulating with fiberglass. Not good for asbestos or lead or something like that, but very good general purpose mask, and I suggest this one highly. So let's see how we put it on.

Ok, so I'm going to take the mask and put it in my right hand. I have the straps around the back like this. I'm going to take my glasses off for this, too. Anyway, you the mask like this, put it on your face, grab the upper strap, put it up to the crown of your head, take the second strap, take it around to the back of your neck. Adjust the mask until it feels comfortable and press in on the metal nosepiece. Not too hard… until it feels comfortable. There you go! You're ready to work. That's the 3M 8511!
Follow this link to buy the 3M 8511 Particulate Respirator