Gas Mask question for my classroom......

[Ruskiegunlover]

I just finished teaching my 5 freshman classes about WWI. I had a thought for next year.....I want to find and buy maybe 5 or 6 gas masks, that I could use in class with my kids. I am thinking it would be neat to hand them out to volunteer kids, and actually have a practice mask drill during class. As in, to really show them the panic of a gas attack, having to drop what they are doing find their mask, and immediatly put it on. Say start class by getting volunteers, explaining that at some point during the 1.5 hour class, we'd have a practice mask drill and those who volunteered would have to drop everything, find their mask, and put it on. Maybe time them.....Get a few to experience this. Problem is....what masks are safe? I know some have esbestos in the filters....Easy solution is just not install any filters, because really its just putting on the mask that gives the effect.

Any cheap but safe modern masks that I could use for this? Also, I would want to be able to wipe off the inside of the mask with alcohol wipes to sterilize it after each use, so other classes could use them.....

I don't think this would get me in trouble.....Before I did it I would run it by my principal.....

But SAFE masks? I don't need to expose kids to anything dangerous....But I also am poor, and cannot afford brand new, 100 buck masks.....

[skorpion]

Belgian gas mask for $8.00.
http://centerfiresystems.com/gasmask-bel.aspx

Centerfire used to sell the Finnish masks in a 3-pack with carriers and accessories; those were nice.

[Ruskiegunlover]

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c...aspx?a=1145875

Any possible issues with these? Are the filter elements safe on the belgiam ones?

[raxar]

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c...aspx?a=1145875

Any possible issues with these? Are the filter elements safe on the belgiam ones?

I would be concerned that using alcohol wipes would dry out the rubber and cause it to rip.

also WW1 allied gasmasks were interesting in that you had to piss in them to make them work, so you could always just have the kids do that.

[deth502]

I would be concerned that using alcohol wipes would dry out the rubber and cause it to rip.

also WW1 allied gasmasks were interesting in that you had to piss in them to make them work, so you could always just have the kids do that.

would make for an interesting class.

[silentkilla]

in my field of work we sometimes have to use resporators and a certain gas mask and thats what we use is a alcohol pad and i asked the same question about the wipes and it has no affect on the rubber they use now days but have no idea on the rubber they used back then. but i can find out for sure and get back to you on your situation.

[Schuetzenman]

The French had a mask call the Duck Bill or something like that.

It used a chemical that required them to piss on the mask to activate the chemicals to filter out the gas. US masks use Activated Charcoal to do the filter of the bad crap. Never heard of Asbestose in a gas mask filter before. That is usually used as insulation on something hot like steam pipes from boilers. It was used on naval vessels for insulation and on boilers of buildings.

The WWI Brit and US had the canister worn on the waist and a long hose coming up the the mask.


These masks were rubberized canvas and examples still around would be fragile IMO. As you mentioned a modern one would give the flavor of the lesson. For that matter a quality Repirator Filter mask could also give the same effect and they wouldn't be "Gas Masks", only chemical filter masks. As mentioned there are cheap foreign surplus masks. Israeli masks are or were fairly cheap. Don't know current prices.

[Gustaf B]

also WW1 allied gasmasks were interesting in that you had to piss in them to make them work, so you could always just have the kids do that.

This is a myth that was given air time by a TV show called "Mail Call" There were no gas masks that required urine to work.

[Gustaf B]

The French had a mask call the Duck Bill or something like that.

It used a chemical that required them to piss on the mask to activate the chemicals to filter out the gas.

This is the French M2 mask. R. Lee Ermy on "Mail Call" reported that they had to be urinated on to make them work, this is pure myth. The M2 mask ws moistened with chemicals that were carried by the soldiers to neutralize the gas they would encounter, in the case of chlorine gas they used sodium carbonate, and to protect against phosgene gas they used sodium thiosulphate.
Hollywood often rewrites history to make it more entertaining, and this reminds me of an advertizement with an actor who played a doctor on TV, his quote was, I may not be a real doctor, but I played one on TV. In the case of "Mail Call" the quote would be, "I may not be a real historian, but I played one on TV.