Sewing simple cotton masks

[jennypenny]

I'm making more masks. I like the way the person in this video folds the top over near the nose.

I'm still working on improving the masks I'm making for everyone so I really appreciate everyone continuing to share pics and tips!

[jacob]

As an alternative to DIY masks or hunting down overpriced N95 unicorns, P100 respirator cartridges are becoming available again at almost regular prices. I found a pack of two MSA P100 filters on eBay for $22+free shipping. A corresponding half mask would be the MSA Advantage 200 which available on amazon for <$25. (I already owned an older version.) 3M makes a similar system (filters are pink) but I haven't looked for the availability of those.

This solution protects you way better than DIY cloth or even N95 (P100 ~ 99.97%). Also the mask offers a very good/perfect seal. (It's easy to test yourself.) However, this solution does not filter outgoing air which escapes through a valve in the front---it does reduce any coughs to the speed of less than breathing though---so it doesn't protect others as well as N95s. Your voice will also be rather more muffled than with the other solutions.

[Lucky C]

P100 mask + loose cloth or bandana over the exhale valve = excellent protection for you + trying to protect others at least as much as they are trying to protect you

[Sclass]

MSA is a good mask. From what I can tell they are not widely counterfeited like 3M.

I did a similar thing last month and cobbled a Honeywell North 5500 mask I found for $25 on eBay with some P100 cartridges $8 on grizzly.com. I needed a size small for my wife.

3M stuff is hard to find. Be careful of counterfeits. eBay and Amazon are full of suspect cartridges. Tests on YouTube of 3M 6200 mask knockoffs showed leaky valves. Complete crap and potentially dangerous.

I 3d printed these exhaust valve filters to make my 3m mask altruistic. I designed a similar one for the Honeywell. Keeps other people safe (and happy). Nobody cares about this detail in LA but apparently it is an issue in the Bay Area.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4311836

edit - here are my exhaust filters. I got the one for the 3M on Thingiverse. The one of the right for Honeywell I just laid out in Tinkercad after seeing how the 3M one worked. I made these after watching this bay area newscast (ABC) that said the exhaust valves do not protect others and in SF this mask is not considered a proper face covering and is subject to a fine. Down in Socal people aren't so nerdy I guess. Most people stop me to admire the quality of the P100 and say they wish they'd bought one before the pandemic. I see a lot of people wearing the N95 with the valve in the front around my town. Usually people wearing P100 look like people who do autobody or asbestos abatement.

So I made these caps and filters because I felt kind of like a douche for wearing a 99.7% protective filter that provided zero protection for others. I mean, it is kind of a conundrum because if you're wearing a P100, you're extremely cautious, you have the best seal and filter available and you're probably not sick in the first place.

[jacob]

@sclass - Cool filters. Just based on the looks, I think DW has the same 3M mask from back when we tore down the basement. It just be what I needed to convince myself to spend $500 on a new 3D printer contraption even though I've managed to live without one for 44 years So far I've made "special parts" out of wood using my scroll saw (getting pretty good IMHO) but the inherent limitations of wood demands a certain minimum dimensionality. Wouldn't work for this problem.

I suppose the cotton/makeup pad is of a good density to prevent the mask from "lifting" off the skin (like a diver emptying his mask when underwater) when exhaling? I'm surprised it wasn't filti based.

Around here masks have around a 75% adoption rate (despite the mandate, IOW it's not enforced), so I'm leaning more towards being annoyed with people for not wearing one (or wearing it on their chin) than feeling like a jerk for not filtering my own quarantined breath. The altruistic feature would be nice but at this point I consider it a bonus ("you're welcome"). Point being since altruism is not practiced or enforced by enough people where I live, it makes more sense to go with a "protect myself first" strategy for my rare excursions into the wild. (My moral set point is very much determined by my surroundings and my surroundings have decided that being haphazard with other people's health is somewhat okay.)

[Sclass]

It just be what I needed to convince myself to spend $500 on a new 3D printer contraption even though I've managed to live without one for 44 years So far I've made "special parts" out of wood using my scroll saw (getting pretty good IMHO) but the inherent limitations of wood demands a certain minimum dimensionality.

$500 is a lot of money. I got one of these for $200 and I’m very happy with it. Big following, a lot of bang for the buck, and very easy to use. With a few hours of YouTube I was making parts. My thought was if I wanted a bigger workspace or exotic filaments I’d be able to trade up. But I haven’t felt the need. Just finished my first $20 spool of PLA after a year. Like I’ve said in other threads, the price is so low I cannot see not getting one if you have the room.

I was a little worried about 3d modeling but like I said for this filter I just downloaded somebody else’s free design. There are tons of free things available online to get started on. I’m still a noob at laying out my own parts in Tinkercad.

Flash sale. No pressure. This is exactly the deal I took last year. I believe I paid $220 for a printer and a spool of filament with shipping. My 1kg spool has lasted a surprisingly long time.

https://www.creality3d.shop/collections ... e=omnisend

[jennypenny]

A friend of mine in Florida said she has started using mesh for the lining of her masks so they aren't too hot but can still hold a real filter. I asked about the mesh chafing anywhere on the face but she said it works fine. I think I'm going to try it. I do wonder if you end up with lines that look like a basketball net on your face after wearing it a while.

I may start by making some thin bias strips with leftover fabric and making my own 'net' for the backing. Anything to make the masks cooler ... it's going to be in the 90s here for a while.

[horsewoman]

@jp my favourite mask is two layers of chiffon over one layer of thin cotton. It is very cool and my glasses don't fog up that much.
So if the mesh leaves marks maybe putting the filter between two layers of chiffon might work?

[jennypenny]

That would feel better than mesh. I'll see if I have anything around I can cut up and experiment on ... I'm not really a chiffon girl lol. I'll ask DD if she has anything I can use.

I'm also trying to figure out if it's worth trying to make the part of the tie that goes around the neck into one of those DIY cooling scarves.

[horsewoman]

I'm not really a chiffon girl lol.

Me neither in normal day wear, but as a harpist it is kind of mandatory to have a few gowns on the ready.

"As a harpist you need a lot of pluck,
A long black nightie
And a truck"

I transformed one of my "nighties" into a cheeky short dress, that gave me quite a large chunk of chiffon to work with :)

[jennypenny]

LOL, I get it (see this post, DD doesn't play harp, she's a flutist and played during the interludes).

I actually found an old negligee that will work. Just need to make sure DH doesn't see me cutting it up.

[Sclass]

Cotton chiffon is apparently a good combination.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl ... so-crucial

The researchers found that a sheet of tightly woven cotton — of 600 threads per inch — plus two sheets of chiffon, made from polyester and spandex, seemed to make the most effective combination, filtering out 80–99% of the particles, depending on their size.

The flow visualization studies out of Florida recently showed that almost anything in front of the mouth reduces the amount of droplet transfer. The situation in SoCal has gotten really out of control in the last two weeks. I wonder how things could have been if people not wearing masks put on a bandana or T shirt mask. Basically the news is full of stories about people going to bars and BBQs without masks over Memorial Day and coming home with Covid 19. Just sad.

https://youtu.be/RkB0k81oNiI

[jacob]

@Sclass - Someone made an exhalation filter for the MSA Adv 200 mask too: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4407787

I did not pull the trigger on the 3D printer---it's still "on sale" BTW, they removed the countdown---but instead covered up the exhalation valve with a piece of tightly woven cotton fabric using an ~8" zip tie much like a band on a barrel to hold it tight. I went "one click" at a time on the zip tie fitting and refitting until I had a tight fit. It also worked on the 3M mask despite the "rounded square corner" form.

Dunno how to spec the cotton, but it definitely makes it harder to breathe out than in through the filters, so I presume between that and the valve, it stops a lot. Definitely more than the cloth masks which prob has much of the air going out through the sides.

Add: There's room between the stretched out fabric and the valve vent, so extra fabric could be put in there.
Add2: Yes, it can. Fitted a pad of cotton batten in there. It's now a mini-mask for the mask.
Add3: Doing it this way makes breathing out substantially harder than breathing in. The exhalation valve is sized for having no resistance sans the valve and is therefore much smaller than the total inhalation area which is sized for the filters. It's still viable though as long as there's a tight fit to the face.

[Alphaville]

"As a harpist you need a lot of pluck,
A long black nightie
And a truck"

[Sclass]

--but instead covered up the exhalation valve with a piece of tightly woven cotton fabric using an ~8" zip tie much like a band on a barrel to hold it tight. I went "one click" at a time on the zip tie fitting and refitting until I had a tight fit. It also worked on the 3M mask despite the "rounded square corner" form.

Well, you cannot beat that on cost! The MSA is a really nice mask. Perhaps you can print the thingiverse file at the library? (Assuming it’s open).

I tried using Filti on my exhale valve first off and I almost suffocated. I ended up using a loose non woven polyester fabric I found in the trash. It was the wrapper for a kitchen appliance to keep it from chafing on the box. Very breathable and not terribly effective as a filter. But it looks like a filter and it keeps other people happy. I noticed when I mowed my lawn it got saturated in condensation (spit) to the point I couldn’t breathe. I pulled it out temporarily to keep mowing. When I think about it the size of that filter would have to be many times as large to use a n95 like filter.

The good news about the 3d printers is the longer you wait the cheaper and better they get. Two years ago I was looking at a printer for $500. Then a year later I found the creality ender 3 for $200 which made better prints. I cannot say for sure it has saved me a lot of money, but I have fixed a great deal of things around the house with parts downloaded from thingiverse or made up in Tinkercad. I think I’ll start a separate journal for this because I’ve actually had the opportunity to receive parts from other 3d printing people and it is an interesting medium to “share” stuff without physically sending it.

[jennypenny]

I'm officially obsessed.

I've settled on a modified Olson style (added two darts on the sides for a tighter fit) with elastic and a pocket for a filter. I have 5 different sizes from my 6' 5" DH with a Duck Dynasty beard down to my young nieces. I'm finishing up new masks for Sis and my in-laws and then I'll start making back-to-school masks for all the kids (ages 3-21). I'll have some fun with those. If this lasts into autumn I'll make some fun halloween masks (too bad halloween will probably be cancelled this year).

[jacob]

https://www.amazon.com/Washable-Reusabl ... 08679BG3J/ ... just came across these which looks like a homemade filter (same strength as a cloth mask) for a commercial mask.

[Sclass]

Some updates. My wife complained that her cloth mask (olsen type) was suffocating. So I decided to sew the Orange Dot Quilting pattern. Known as the Diva Cup around here. The original olsen design hugged to close to the face and she said it touched her mouth. It reminded me of the darts @horsewoman was using in her mask pattern to expand the mask away from the face. More on that later.

Here is the diva cup. It fits better than the small size olsen I sewed. Also it has a bigger area for breathing. I made two. One using the batting that doesn't cover the chin as in the original pattern, and one with the batting (Filti in my case) as the entire inner layer of the mask. This way the Filti covers the chin too. I wasn't too sure why this design used a smaller filter that just cut off under the mouth. It was easy to make with one layer of fabric on the outside and one layer of Filti on the inside. I'm trying to understand dart placement and sizing and I realized the way this pattern is folded up actually makes four dart like constructions to expand out the muzzle. I'm kind of intrigued by the whole pattern making art because it is a bit beyond where I am now. Like the roll of a blazer's sleeves at the shoulder - how do you design that?

Anyhow, here is the new mask. Seals better. Easier breathing. I need to dig up some mesh to make the outer layer. The Walmart shopping bag is a little restrictive combined with the Filti.





So I made an attempt at adding darts to my olsen pattern. This is really the next level of sewing for me. I'm okay at fastening two sheets of fabric together with thread but actually pattern making where a 3D object must be made out of 2D panels of fabric is beyond my skill. I kind of get the theory, that is you add fabric in some areas and shrink the boundaries of the panels to get the forms to "pop" up when the panels are sewn together. I just don't have a ton of experience doing this. Not sure if it is a science with a bunch of rules like direction of the darts, pleats, seams and matching the linear dimensions of the neighboring panels which makes sense, or just an art that one gets a feel for.

My feeling is there is a mathematical element. Kind of like drawing a map of the earth on a flat map by making it look like a peeled orange. I bet there are software tools out there that do just this for pattern makers.

I drew some panels and tried to strategize what I wanted to happen. I needed the mask to blow up like a bubble around the mouth and not touch the mouth as requested by the wearer. This was my conceptual sketch. Basically add some fabric so the snout expands forward.



So here is the old pattern and my thinking was to add some material to the front and the other panel would match up by symmetry.


Here is the result in modeled up in scrap fabric. My wife said it breathed better but the sides of the snout still rubbed on her mouth.



So I needed to do something to the cheeks to get them to bow out more. I figured more fabric in the center and less perimeter dimension will make it expand out.

The solution I came up with was add some more fabric to my pattern in the center and decrease the perimeter of the panel by cutting some length out. In other words some darts. You can actually see the paper pop up when the darts are folded. I think I'm on the right track. The pattern is oddly looking like @horsewoman's dart pattern on a prior post above.



Here it is modeled up in scrap. It kind of works but now the mask is too small for my wife's face. I took in too much material and it got too small. Something tells me this is a rookie mistake.



This is stretching my ability. I'm kind of at the boundary of what I can do and what I cannot do. Fun. Learning. Slow. More later as I have a little more success to report on. Maybe time to watch a few YouTube videos on placing darts.

Edit - I just checked out a library book “The Theory of Garment Pattern Making” by W.H. Hulme. Looks difficult to understand.

[horsewoman]

@sclass I can't help you with figuring out darts with maths, I'm afraid
Even in tailor school you are not taught how to construct a pattern, this is master level stuff. But we did alter existing patterns, which taught me a lot. With the masks I took a larger pattern for men (to large for my face) and made a mock-up. I put this on my face and pinned the darts (the places where too much fabric was).
After taking the mask off I marked the pins with a sharpie, cut the darts out and transferred it to paper. This is the pattern for mock-up 2, which should show you where you need to adjust.

[Sclass]

@horsewoman. Thanks. I was hoping this was easy.

Thanks for the tip about altering the pattern. I spent yesterday doing that with the Olsen pattern and I was able to make some changes on the paper and see the resulting changes in shape. My wife got pretty sick of me using her face as a tailoring dummy. It reminds me of learning a musical instrument by picking at it for hours.

I lightly read the chapters on making shoulder and back patterns in the Hulme book and I don’t understand it. I’m just starting to understand why this was always out of reach.

I’m attracted to this because it looks difficult. The mix of art and science in making a bunch of flat sheets turn into a 3D shape using curved seams has always intrigued me. There is something dissatisfying about always needing a pattern.

The basic Olsen mask can be visualized as kind of a two dart pattern. The two halves come together with one curve that makes the nose pop out. What is needed is another curved seam running perpendicular to the first one across the face horizontally. I’m starting to understand now why your altered pattern has the horizontal dart down near the jawline. I recall @jp said the Olsen benefitted from two extra darts in a prior post.

In my mind I’m thinking of covering a form using a sheet of modeling clay then cutting snips in it with shears and laying it on the table to see the shape as it is laid flat. This seems to be what designers do with sheets of cloth, forms and pins. This is something a computer could do.

Ahhh. There is software for this. I found these videos.

https://youtu.be/aRRK5JWaeow

https://youtu.be/OcXlSD6oOhQ