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Hi There, I make work that is sgraffito carved, most of which I try to do when the piece is leather hard but sometimes it's a little drier than I'd like. I am very concerned about silicosis. In the last couple of years, I have been wearing my respirator when I carve. It's a msr mask with p100 filters. Recently I met another sgraffito artist who suggested that unless I am replacing those cartridges VERY regularly (she suggested weekly or more) then it traps dust and does more harm than good. So she has switched to a regular dust mask that she replaces daily. I can't imagine that is true but wondering about peoples thoughts. I replace my cartridges about every 6 months and am never using them for heavy dust scenarios and the filters always look completely new when I replace them. Also looking for tips to improve my carving workstation to minimize dust. Currently I use a dropcloth which is laundered daily, and a pillow, encased in a plastic bag, then a pillowcase which is laundered semi-regularly, and a scrap of towel for the part that is touching the pot (also laundered daily). The dustiest part is when I shake the dust/trimmings from the towel to the drop-cloth. What would you suggest for a less dusty setup? How concerned should I be about silicosis? Is it possible to get lungs checked for damage already done? Anyone have any experience with respiratory issues? Thanks

I have two kilns hooked to a vent. I am firing sometimes both kilns 4 days a week. I believe the hoses are both connected correctly (I use a damper), but would certainly not mind tips on ways to check. I am not sure now because the studio has a kiln odor and I sometimes have some smoke coming out when the wax burns off. I usually dip glaze and fire immediately. Could this be my problem. I just changed out some of the vent hoses as they eroded, so I am hoping that will help. I have been experiencing shortness of breath and coughing (especially when running) for a few years now but just assumed it was from previous years of bad studio practices. I thought that the vent and good cleaning schedule would take care of any issues I have, but it is not. Since I am doing production, I fire a mostly full kiln loads of copper glazed- green - pots and of course, bisque. Could this be sulfuric acid? I do see a good amount of rusting on equipment, but I am also near the coast and it gets very humid here. I would like to make my work environment as safe as possible. I also wear a P100 respirator in the studio but would love to be able to work unencumbered by the mask. Any help you can give me would be great!

Greetings! This is my first post, and it's an exciting one! I have a problem with my 3M Respirator. It's kinda big and my glasses have to sit up a bit for it to fit properly on my face. And the straps are terrible for my head posture-- I notice a lot of neck tension over time. Are there certain respirators that women artists have found particularly comfortable? I have the basic mask from Home Depot. It appears they've upgraded the model, so I don't see exactly what I own, but I'm hoping people have one that they love. Anything to make wood firing more joyous! Obliged, Amy

We all know that we need to wear dust masks or respirators when working with any ceramic dust. I have unlined bifocals. Every time I put a dust mask on my face, my breath condenses on my glasses or the mask just pushes the glasses up enough so that I can't see through the part I need to look through. I hate masks as much as I hate gloves, but I realize the necessity of the masks. Does anyone have any advice about how I may see and breathe at the same time while leaving my hands free to work? There must be something simple that I'm just missing because I get so annoyed.