[TheForge] Another stupid mask idea -- no metal content

[Walter]

April 1st .....Nice one Bruce

I did break down and shaved my beard.

What we should all think about is wearing some sort of mask in public 
spaces (even un-occupied) will probably not protect us but it may stop 
the spread to surfaces or others.  They now say a large number of 
nursing home residents  are testing positive without any symptoms.  So 
anybody could have it.

Walt

OH


On 4/1/2020 9:35 AM, Bruce . wrote:
> Yeah, I'm still sounding off against you guys.  Social isolation sucks.
> I'm only about 50% introverted.
>
> It's pretty obvious that those of us with beards are pretty much out of
> luck if we want a face mask to seal tightly to our faces.  Myself, I'm
> mainly concerned with droplets sneezed or coughed in my direction, so for
> now I'm not taking any added measures to preclude inhaling bare virus
> particles.
>
> I'm aware that some advocate using petroleum jelly on their beard to aid a
> mask seal, but others testify that that is ineffective.  So I was just
> wondering what *might* be effective.  Here's my thought process:
>
> Suppose you were to take a caulking gun and apply a non-setting "caulk" to
> where the mask would seat on your face.  The "caulk" would envelop the
> hairs down to the skin, and the mask would sit on the caulk.  Voila', a
> seal.
>
> What then to use as caulk?  I'm thinking something that *does not set
> hard.  *Glazier's putty or plumber's putty might work, but I wouldn't want
> to be the guinea pig for prolonged skin exposure to those.  Silly Putty
> seemed attractive, as I know from my childhood that it easily peels from
> the skin and hair.
>
> Then I remembered my mustache wax.  I use a homemade mustache wax composed
> of beeswax, lanolin and petroleum jelly.  I use this almost daily on my
> mustache to hold it (largely) off my lip and to make it hydrophobic.  I've
> already tested skin contact for
> *years.  *
>
> It can be messy, but it does melt under the heat of a hair dryer, and
> excess can be absorbed from the mustache (or beard) with paper towels.  I
> apply it thinly as mustache wax, but it could be applied as a "caulk bead"
> fairly easily.
>
> I don't plan to test this out soon, but might do so if motivated by
> circumstances.
>
> Thoughts?  Comments?
>
> Bruce
> NJ