.GAS MASKS, Respirators or Rebreathers

[PhotonSalad]

US based GM sources:

http://www.ironwolfent.com/

http://www.nitro-pak.com

http://www.interamer.net (large orders)

http://www.majorsurplusnsurvival.com

[Catwoman69y2k]

US based GM sources:

http://www.ironwolfent.com/

http://www.nitro-pak.com

http://www.interamer.net (large orders)

http://www.majorsurplusnsurvival.com

So far, ironwolf has the best value out of all you provided. Thanks a lot for those. I am going to continue looking for an even cheaper bargain (yes, I am a cheapskate)

-Kat

[dudeman]

If you're a cheapskate, then definately try Ebay. The Israeli civilian and the French masks are very common there, and so are very cheap! As compared to the cost of getting them from a security/armament store, they will be $15 vs $100. If you need lots of them, just buy more in a mass order. It is very unlikely that the surplus market will suffer a shortage of these kinds of masks in the near future!

[twisto]

Does anyone know what I should use to PAINT my gasmask? I have a Russian GP-5 in grey, and was thinking about some more exotic colours. Maybe red? Purple?

I just don't know if I can use regular paints like acrylic, or maybe liquid latex. What will stick/adhere to the gasmask?

Thanks for reading,

~twisto

[dudeman]

I'm not so sure that painting is a good idea. Paint leaves an inflexible layer that will crack and chip off at the slightest wrinkle of your mask. I feel that there are a couple of ways to go about this:
1) Dye - probably need to prepare the surface of the rubber to increase the dye's effect
2) Coating - something like liquid latex that can be cured? Or perhaps cut the mask along the seams, glue panels of rubber on the flat mask form, and then reglue with internal reinforcement?

Dye would be far and away the cheapest way to go, but I am unsure how effective it will be. Still, I would be interested in your experiment though!

[twisto]

I'm not sure if its at the experiment phase yet, more like the daydreaming one. I thought liquid latex would be the most realistic... Just wondering if anyone else has done it already as I'm not sure I want to be the guinee pig.

I guess another option would be to cut it around the face and glue it to an open faced hood... But that isn't exactly what I'm looking for.

[Glaftex]

Before trying to modify a gas mask you should check that the gas mask is made of a compatible material to the latex and the glue you intend to use.

I didn't like the fact that the gas mask that I had, did not fully enclose my head and neck, so I made a heavy latex hood and glued the gas mask to it. Luckily I left the straps on the mask although I had intended to cut them off. However, I found that the gas mask was too heavy for the hood and its weight tended to pull the hood down over the face - only a couple of cm, but enough to pull the eye and nostril holes of the hood away from where they needed to be to function properly.
Although the gas mask did more or less stick to the hood which I made out of .45mm latex, the hydrocarbon solvent based glue did not bond perfectly with the rubber of the gas mask. I think that a water or ammonia based latex glue would not have bonded at all with the gas mask.

In retrospect it would have been better simply to wear the gas mask over the hood.

Glaftex

[new2rubr]

Does anyone know what I should use to PAINT my gasmask? I have a Russian GP-5 in grey, and was thinking about some more exotic colours. Maybe red? Purple?

I just don't know if I can use regular paints like acrylic, or maybe liquid latex. What will stick/adhere to the gasmask?

Thanks for reading,

~twisto

Hello twisto i am a custom auto painter & i think i can help first do not use any type of paint on the mask it will not work liquid latex if sprayed might work i tryed brushing but it lifts it is not clean well. I think if you can get a colour of latex you like and glue a pattern on the mask would be the way to go painting dying & ink i have tryed & it does not work. I hope this helps

Dave :ca:

[jota3cl]

Hi folks,

I have just purchased a Russian Gasmask from Blackstyle, the type that has a half rubber hood attached rather than straps. I think the mask is great, because of:

1) the half rubber hood,
2) the port-hole eye pieces,
3) the price (only 17 Euros).

However, the smell of the rubber hood (and the rubber tube I bought to go with the mask) are (to me) particularly unpleasant. I love the smell of all the rubber clothing I have, but the mask and tube smell quite different, sort of industrial.

So, does any one have any ideas about how I can reduce or mask (no pun intended ) this smell? I have tried washing the mask and hose in soapy water (as I do my other rubber gear), but it has made no difference.

All suggestions gratefully received. :nz:

[Wired]

Hi jota3cl,

I think I know the one you mean. I had one too, gone to pastures new now but it did have an unusually strong industrial rubber smell to it.

I guess the new mask will smell quite strongly as its likely been stored in a sealed bag for most of its "shelf life".

After a few weeks exposure to fresh air the smell will probably diminish a little but you could always try polishing it with the milky blue polish generally available from most latex retailers.

This polish has a nice perfume which although not annoyingly strong smelling maybe will reduce the industrial smell of your mask.