Head Porters: Eye health question

[falcongeorge]

What I have used for 20 some years is a 5 gal shop vac sucking on the opposite end of port I am working on. It even helps when doing an intake manifold even though you have several openings which I guess you could plug/tape to seal. I normally do not use a mask of any kind. I only use a mask when I am working on something else where I can't use the vacuum. The fan sounds good, too.

I wear contacts, and do some porting, but not even close to full-time, averaged out over my lifetime, I might do 1-2 sets of heads a year, almost always iron. I haven't had any issues so far, but the vacuum idea sounds good. I usually shine a light up from the opposite end of the port, so I will have to find another way to get enough light in there, but I am going to try this out. An ounce of prevention...
And I almost NEVER leave my contacts in while I sleep, the only exception might be if I am sleeping on a plane or train. Even then, I really feel the difference if I don't take them out, not good.

[BadSS]

Been wearing contacts for 40 years. Like you I usually get around 40 days use out of a pair and never take them out - these are high water content as most extended were contacts are. The higher the water content, the more oxygen is able to pass through - I can't wear the lower water content contacts at all. Those that can and do wear the lower water content lenses might not have as much an issue as I and apparently you do.

What I have found is when I'm porting I tend to not blink as much. This means there's even more chance for them to dry out and more time for dust to get around the eye protection and be absorbed by the contacts. I don't port all the time, so when I take out the contacts to change when I haven't ported anything, the lenses are a little less pliable than new, which is typical. However, after porting they're a lot more "stiff" when I take them out - sometimes it takes me a couple tries to get them out. So, I'm sure the micro dust or possibly the fumes from the penetrating oil after dipping the burr in it has permeated into the contact material (taking up space that the water should).

I tried the sealed goggles and it helped the "porting" contact condition, which for me is like a mild burning sensation, but I can't function in the goggles. Luckily for me, I'm usually not porting more than a couple days at a time and always change mine when I'm through. I actually will put off porting something until it's toward the end of life for my contact - since I HAVE to change them afterwards.

If I ported for a living, I'd have to take them out and use a pair of prescription eye protection or get some daily wear and change them every day.

Hope that helps, EKG

[falcongeorge]

Been wearing contacts for 40 years. Like you I usually get around 40 days use out of a pair and never take them out - these are high water content as most extended were contacts are. The higher the water content, the more oxygen is able to pass through - I can't wear the lower water content contacts at all. Those that can and do wear the lower water content lenses might not have as much an issue as I and apparently you do.

What I have found is when I'm porting I tend to not blink as much. This means there's even more chance for them to dry out and more time for dust to get around the eye protection and be absorbed by the contacts. I don't port all the time, so when I take out the contacts to change when I haven't ported anything, the lenses are a little less pliable than new, which is typical. However, after porting they're a lot more "stiff" when I take them out - sometimes it takes me a couple tries to get them out. So, I'm sure the micro dust or possibly the fumes from the penetrating oil after dipping the burr in it has permeated into the contact material (taking up space that the water should).

I tried the sealed goggles and it helped the "porting" contact condition, which for me is like a mild burning sensation, but I can't function in the goggles. Luckily for me, I'm usually not porting more than a couple days at a time and always change mine when I'm through. I actually will put off porting something until it's toward the end of life for my contact - since I HAVE to change them afterwards.

If I ported for a living, I'd have to take them out and use a pair of prescription eye protection or get some daily wear and change them every day.

Hope that helps, EKG

I use the high water content ones too. I just don't feel its healthy wearing them overnight, regardless of what the makers say.

[dannobee]

Interesting thread. When I first started many years ago, I'd port a couple of sets of iron heads a month. Went to the eye doctor for the red and tired eyes like everyone else here. He took a close look at my contacts and said, "It looks like...rust...what have you been doing?" I always wore safety glasses and a full face shield. After than I switched to sealed goggles with anti-fog and a cartridge style regulator. If that stuff gets into your eyes, you're breathing it, too. Since I'm much older now, I've upgraded to bifocal inserts in sealed goggles.

[hoodeng]

I don't know if it's just me but Boelube seems to keep the dust down a bit.

[Joe-71]

When I built my porting booth, I enclosed it on three sides and top, with deep catch area and 6" hole for dust collector hose at the bottom. The dust collector has a bag to catch the metal chips and dust for garbage disposal. I always run the dust collector when doing any porting, and especially when cartridge roll, and iron head work. The dust collector pulls enough vacuum that dust rarely gets to my face, and metal chips are not a problem if I don't get too close when inspecting a cut. I have lights above the top with a clear plexiglass ceiling to the booth, and a rotating light below the work to aim at the ports. Goggles and mask, ear muffs as well as apron to protect, and now I also use the 9mm thick rubber gloves that can be bought at Harbor Freight. They save a lot of metal chip removal and oily residue from my hands, and if you take them off carefully will last a couple of days with hard use. Been using a porting booth with dust collector now for over 30 years with excellent success. Keeps the dust away from the Flow Bench area and the rest of the shop. Joe-71

[Chris_Hamilton]

I had a freak accident weld grinding with a die grinder and weld grinding cut-off wheel (I'm a body guy). Had safety glasses on but sparks at one point were directed to my chest which is when I felt something for just a brief moment in my eye. Blinked a few times and didn't feel anything. That was on a Friday. By Sunday night I was in agony. I could see upon close examination of my eye a black dot just outside my iris. So got an emergency appointment at the eye doctor. He pulled a long sliver from my eye, which by that time had been there almost 3 days. Sliver was about 7mm long IIRC.

Had to get my eye scraped four times and was in a lot of pain for almost 3 weeks, even though I had "Safety Glasses" on when grinding. I now use a face shield whenever I'm grinding or doing anything which requires eye protection. Not worth the risk. And if you wear a shield remember to keep the bottom of the shield tight against your chest/neck when you are looking down and grinding. I've had sparks or material hit my chest and fly up underneath if there is a gap there.

[steve cowan]

This is what I use for porting heads,i can wear my 1x glasses as well for close up work,$60 off fleabay

20200808_135819.jpg

[benno318]

call me crazy but i just cant wear goggles or glasses when porting. i fog them up so quickly and i used to find just as many specks got in my eyes anyway. so i just remove any chips that get in my eyes as soon as i can. i have a mirror in my office and with a torch, that mirror and a fresh business card with sharp corners, i dont have any problems getting bits out.

[Mike Laws]

What I have used for 20 some years is a 5 gal shop vac sucking on the opposite end of port I am working on. It even helps when doing an intake manifold even though you have several openings which I guess you could plug/tape to seal. I normally do not use a mask of any kind. I only use a mask when I am working on something else where I can't use the vacuum. The fan sounds good, too.

This! Ported cast iron for 15+ years, aluminum afterward and found that residue from the cartridge rolls was as bad as other dust. Plumb the exhaust side of wet-vac out of the porting room and things get very clean...

[SpeierRacingHeads]

This was my post. I haven't wore eye protection or a mask in 10 years. No issues.

IMO the mask was making me sick and the goggles weren't letting my eyes breath.

[earlymopar]

Speaking from personal long-time experience and many unsuccessful procedures to correct things, what you've describe is "to a T" dry-eye syndrome. There are several causes for most of us but they of course vary by individual. Normally humans blink at a rate of 25 times per minute. When we're focused on a task (computer use, driving, head-porting, etc. etc.) we blink about 5 times per minute. That is a big contributor. Some of us also do not blink completely in that our eye lids don't make a complete sweep of the eye. That means the tear fluid isn't lubricating the eye as well. Some of us also have tear fluid that is low in the natural oil that does most of the lubricating. I have all 3 of these issues so I take lubricating drops, gel and medicines like restasis to help things out. Air movement is a large contributor as well.

[steve cowan]

I have great respect for guys that port for a living and or do a lot of heds ,intakes etc at home.
Like any job it is about gearing up for the task at hand.a proper porting station with good vacuum is obviously the way to go but for me personally I don't have the room so I port outside as I don't want dust etc in my garage.i will be the first to say the mask sux but for me it's about compromises as I don't port for a living.i work high rise construction and dust is a big issue for us now with silicosus a hot topic with the government wanting to issue a $3000 on the spot fine for not wearing a test fitted P2 mask for task specific jobs.
I recently watched my uncle die painfully from asbestosis as well which hits home as well,we work all our lives for that ??
Does not sound right to me.

[KnightEngines]

I wear basic safety glasses & ear muffs, I have a fan behind me to blow dust away from me.
I also have a magnifying mirror, small torch & spear tips for removing chips from eyes.
Sealed goggles fog up, I tried paintball goggles with ventilation but they were too bulky.

[JoePorting]

I tried everything and ended up giving up porting about 8 years ago because of the eye issue and because of chest pains. I found with the eye issue that I would rinse my eyes out everyday or more at the kitchen sink with the bubble water running on my eyes. Seemed to work good. I think the aluminum dust is so fine that you can't see it but you can feel it in your eyes and lungs, and it seems to get around any type of respirator. I think I tried just about all of them, including the air supplied type used for auto painters. The main issue I was having after around 8 hours after porting was chest pains. At first they started as light chest pains that I didn't think of much, but over the years they became more and more severe to the point I thought I was having a heart attach. I had to quit porting at that point. I think it was a severe allergy to aluminum dust, but I'm still not sure. Feel normal after I quit porting. Thank god for CNC machines.