Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Trend's Airshield Rescues Charles Brock from the Ravages of Walnut Dust

The Trend Airshield to the Rescue.

No it doesn't work wood. It is not an exciting purchase, but it is what you must have and use, if you are sculpting wood.

Without a doubt this was the most timely arrival of all the tools I have collected and used in 35 years. I have experienced several rashes as of late. The itching got so bad that it forced me to go to a doctor, who said I had scabies (my wife hit the ceiling while my mother-in-law said she knew that I had bugs that must be affecting my brain too) and finally to a dermatologist for a second opinion who treated it with some high-powered med that made it begrudgingly go away.  It comes back every time I engulf myself in lots of walnut dust (which is often). I'm wondering, "What is it doing to my lungs?" Walnut is a known carcinogen! I'll live forever, I hope!

Enter the Trend Airshield! I was presenting Masterpiece Wood Finish to Kevin Jacobs and Associates, a group of woodworking reps who are almost all woodworkers. I was telling them about my rash in an aside, when Kevin said I needed to get the Trend Airshield. My first thought was, it can't be comfortable. Wrong! I can't lecture a class while wearing it was my next thought, Wrong Again! I won't wear it enough to get any value out of it! Wrong for the third time! I also thought the battery would last about 15 seconds but no problem! It lasts 8 hours. Sounds great!

It is a breeze to wear. In fact it is a cool breeze that makes it so darn comfortable to wear and use. As I work, cool fresh air gently blows down my face keeping the inside of the shield from fogging while I remain refreshed with filtered air. You can't beat it when compared to gagging on the taste of walnut and having some stalactite formations of walnut forming in my nose (you know the word I'm talking about ) from breathing in all the fine dust.

I wore the shield while sculpting an arm for my January class and they could hear me talk, and talk, and talk, while I was working. Lately I wear it even while turning and at the table saw ripping sled laminations too.

Another plus is that it arrived my first day back at work after having a cataract removed from my right eye. The doc said not to get anything in it, because it might become infected. I had lots of sculpting to do trying to get orders ready for Christmas customers and couldn't wait. The Trend Airshield was the answer.

Do it! You will be happy and your wife will too! No more brown stalactites. Yuck!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Looks like a space helmet. Zero G woodworking sounds tough.

Unknown said...

I am sure you can still buy handbook with all info you need on WoodPrix. Just google it.

Unknown said...

Charles, I have one, an older model. The only problem I have with it is that the plastic face shield attracts and get coated, on the outside, with wood dust all over and becomes a very distracting problem which causes me to never wear it. I have ended up just using a plain surgical mask like the dentist wear. Wish Trend would solve that problem, I would like to wear mine.

Don at w4baham@gmail.com
May 09, 2020