DIY Facemask

[Alan France]

For those infrequent shopping trips for the essentials. Here is research by Cambridge University on the materials to use for a DIY facemask. They shot a virus smaller than Covid-19 (2nd graph) at a variety of materials and the top 4 results are:

 

Surgical Mask 89%

Vacuum Cleaner Bag 86%

T Towel 73%

Cotton Blend 70%

 

As you will see from the article doubling up of material was tried and breathability tested.

 

Wife is now experimenting with one layer of T Towel plus one layer of 100% Cotton.

 

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/

 

Probably better than nothing.

 

[Kingster]

So, 3D print one of these...

https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/copper3d-organizing-global-campaign-to-3d-print-antimicrobial-masks-on-a-global-scale/

 

then use a vacuum bag as the material in the filter 👍

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

58 minutes ago, Alan France said:

For those infrequent shopping trips for the essentials. Here is research by Cambridge University on the materials to use for a DIY facemask. They shot a virus smaller than Covid-19 (2nd graph) at a variety of materials and the top 4 results are:

 

For those making Frequent panic buying trips, I'd suggest double bagging with rubble sacks, fastened tightly with a few hundred meters of gaffer tape 😉

[AdamR]

And a quick trip to the local pond / reservoir, not forgetting a few bricks tied to your ankles to really help ward off that virus.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Be very careful home printing "protective" masks, the typical use home printer materials and the process itself are not really suitable. The layering process creates vastly more areas to trap nasty stuff, and the common low temperature materials cannot be sterilised in any meaningful way.

 

For secondary devices like holders for the clear plastic face shields, it's a different situation, but for direct masks, you could, in the worst case do more harm than good....

[Captain Colonial]

Before I got banged up for 84 days yesterday, I was in a supermarket behind a man wearing a proper ventilation breather mask and rubber gloves (looked a b***).  I told him that it can get in through the eyes too so wearing a mask and gloves was not entirely foolproof.  I swear to you all that the next thing he did was to close his eyes and kept them closed, only opening them for split seconds to navigate. 🙄

[Kingster]

31 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

Be very careful home printing "protective" masks, the typical use home printer materials and the process itself are not really suitable. The layering process creates vastly more areas to trap nasty stuff, and the common low temperature materials cannot be sterilised in any meaningful way.

 

For secondary devices like holders for the clear plastic face shields, it's a different situation, but for direct masks, you could, in the worst case do more harm than good....

Good point!

[Jim RS]

The good old reserve - large brown paper bag over head and top of body, poke two holes out to see and cover with some see through material and totally Covid-19 safe. 

Added advantage is no one can see what you look like so can carry on hoarding like crazy🤠

[tex]

Saw a kid in our road walking past the other day with a 3ft cardboard box on his head with a huge smile cut out the front...  😄

[Jim RS]

1 hour ago, tex said:

Saw a kid in our road walking past the other day with a 3ft cardboard box on his head with a huge smile cut out the front...  😄

Heavy duty model🤪

[Alan France]

OK, final design. Two layers of 100% cotton. The layer of tea towel made it too rigid to fit properly around the nose.

 

[Blatman]

Covid 19 is suddenly airborne, is it?

[AdamR]

Latest tests I saw it can remain 'alive' airborne for 3 hours, yep.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

1 minute ago, Blatman said:

Covid 19 is suddenly airborne, is it?

 Nothing sudden about it. When combined with water droplets from your mouth or nose, it’s airborne, effectively.

[Blatman]

Where did you see those tests? Got a link?

 

From The Lancet:

Universal face mask use in the community has also been discouraged with the argument that face masks provide no effective protection against coronavirus infection.

 

And the use of face masks should be by people who are actually infected or suspect they are infected becuase this will catch the droplets responsible for passing the infection.

Perhaps it would also be rational to recommend that people in quarantine wear face masks if they need to leave home for any reason, to prevent potential asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission.

 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30134-X/fulltext