Masks

18 April 2020, 10:47 PM

RealPlayer

Masks

Shouldn’t this be a great opportunity for people who sew? (As do some people here.) I know it’s hard to get N95 or medical masks. I‘be been using the same mask for weeks and would like to get some new ones.

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19 April 2020, 04:29 AM

Or opportunity to learn?

19 April 2020, 08:00 AM

wtg

We had a thread about masks, including how to make a no sew version with a bandana, a bit of folding, and a couple of rubber bands:

http://well-temperedforum.grou...923971497#8923971497

And we had this Mask of the Day thread, too:

http://well-temperedforum.grou...0004433/m/1403902497

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19 April 2020, 08:06 AM

dolmansaxlil

I have sewn some for family and friends who are front-line (25 maybe?). I am not interested in making money off of people who are looking for masks, so I’m not charging for them. Some other local folks are and I’m ... well I don’t know how I feel. The reason I’m not making more than I am is that they do take time and effort (maybe 45 minutes each and a quarter yard of fabric) and neither is an unlimited resource. If I charged, it might be more feasible, but I would feel like I was taking advantage of people in a time of crisis.

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19 April 2020, 10:22 AM

pianojuggler

I found some sage green fabric in the basement, all cotton, enough to make ten masks. So I’ve been making ten masks.

I just watched a news clip that says that two layers of cotton traps only 18% of virus-size particles. (These tests are all in laboratory conditions.)

I’m on the last step of making these masks. I’ll finish them.

Maybe I’ll come up with a design that allows for a piece of HEPA filter to be inserted in between the two layers of fabric.

The news clip also said that fuzzy materials like terry cloth trap more. I have a bunch of flannel. I could use that.

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

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All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

19 April 2020, 11:04 AM

CHAS

Ordered masks from a nice website.
Got a notice that they have been shipped-
from China.

19 April 2020, 11:08 AM

ShiroKuro

We bought cotton masks on Amazon, but I would really like to have some that have a pocket for a filter. I've read that doing that and using either a coffee filter or a paper towel makes them much more effective.

I can't sew though, so I'll have to see what I can find online.

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19 April 2020, 11:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by CHAS:
Ordered masks from a nice website.
Got a notice that they have been shipped-
from China.

Waiting on mine too...and gloves. Not happy.

19 April 2020, 12:12 PM

Nina

China has been the largest supplier of PPE to the United States for years, well before COVID-19.

19 April 2020, 01:22 PM

BeeLady

We have a mutual aid FB page for our city.

The hospital posted that they got way more homemade masks than they could use.

So they were having a mobile pick up for nonprofits and the homeless shelter.

You must take the one bag they offer, of 100 masks to cut down on handling. They have had many takers.

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19 April 2020, 04:21 PM

pianojuggler

Trust me, these are much more sage green than they look in the pictures. They look like something out of M*A*S*H or an army surplus store.

Not sure how long it took me to make ten. Maybe four or five hours start to finish.

Front:

Back:

I tried just folding over each side to make the pocket for the cord. I'm going back to using a separate piece to hem each side. At the pleats I was sewing through 9 layers of fabric. I thought it would be faster and easier. Nope.

My first mask took an entire afternoon. The last one I made one-at-a-time was a little under an hour. Good thing I don't work piece rate. I'd have to sell these for at least $10 a piece just to make minimum wage in Washington State.

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

19 April 2020, 05:30 PM

Piano*Dad

As a health care worker, my wife had a few old N95s lying around. We just reuse them.

19 April 2020, 05:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pianojuggler:
Trust me, these are much more sage green than they look in the pictures. They look like something out of M*A*S*H or an army surplus store.

Not sure how long it took me to make ten. Maybe four or five hours start to finish.

Front

I tried just folding over each side to make the pocket for the cord. I'm going back to using a separate piece to hem each side. At the pleats I was sewing through 9 layers of fabric. I thought it would be faster and easier. Nope..

Everything but on the model!

19 April 2020, 06:50 PM

jon-nyc

Rachel made a handful, she and the boy are using them. I have a couple boxes of procedure masks, which I'm reusing after putting them in a UV-C sanitizer. Keep in mind I had masks before it was cool.

Rachel also ordered a set of 10 from Etsy. They shipped a while ago but they're coming from Belarus.

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19 April 2020, 07:48 PM

pianojuggler

quote:
Originally posted by LL:

Everything but on the model!

Well, then... how many of you have a matching mask and foppish hat?

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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.