Anti-Fogging Treatments for New Masks. (a comparison of techniques)

[RayfromTX]

I apologize if this is off the topic os testing the masks but this is my datapoint.

Flame it and use baby shampoo mixed with two parts water. Very lightly apply it when you get on the boat or get to the beach. Only rinse by lightly wetting it and dumping it out. If you rinse too much or have to mask clear too many times it will start to have a problem.

Conclusion. The flame can completely remove the manufacturing residue on its own and a surfactant is required to prevent fogging. It doesn't take much but some is required so if it gets washed away fogging will return were surfactant residue no longer is present.

I have seen toothpaste treatment that was ineffective which is probably because the method relies on complete perfection which may not occur due to bad toothpaste or bad technique. The flame makes the removal obvious because you can see it burn away. The flame is not effective at the very edges which I find of no consequence.

 

[lowviz]

A couple of recent posts by interested members led me to re-evaluate the final test. Breaking one mask is bad enough, but we really need to break two for any claim towards reproducibility. I now plan to drop the 1" hardened steel ball from 18, 25, and 50". Exceeds Z87standards as one could expect the earlier drops may compromise the lens for the 50" required test.

No matter. The objective is to see if flaming the lens is highly detrimental. Thus, the three drops.

Cutting the last guide tube now. Here is the difference between theory and practice. It all needs to be done for real and done correctly. Your patience is most appreciated...

 

[johndiver999]

Heaven help the OTHER children.. You know the ones in your kid's class when the annual science fair project comes due.

 

[lowviz]

@johndiver999 Ha!!

Nope, as much as I would have loved a science freak kid it was not to be. One went into itinerant welding and one went into big business. Same story for both, gave them a personality test ( Free Online Personality Test) and dealt with what I was faced with raising. Oh well.

Anyway, IRL beat me up these last few days. Expect a full report tomorrow. Endless thanks for all your patience...

Edit:
Looking for a science fair suggestion? There is no competition in the Zoology division as animal experimentation is massively regulated. Bacteria aren't.

Suggestion:
Get your hardware store to cut a bunch of panes of glass to the same size, your choice. Glue them (hot melt glue) together on three sides, top open, no leaks on the three sides, room between the glass to add sand.

Sand. Add just enough home heating oil to coat the sand. Water. No life without water. Divide your sand, water, oil mix into as many lots as you have test cells.

Add something to each to test the efficiency of YOUR remediation. (make sure you use dirt too) Also, contact an oil remediation company for a sample of their bugs. If one of them supplies some bugs be sure to list them in the write-up.

A start: NJDEP New Jersey Division of Watershed Management - Basic Information

 

[lowviz]

Busy night. Just like cooking (mise en place), absolutely everything has to be ready and at-hand before you begin.

As you all know from the OP, this is participatory. I was recently asked why I was testing mask(s) beyond their rating.
These masks are marked both 'tempered' and 'CE'. The intent is to determine if flaming compromises the strength of the glass. This question arose because flamed lenses show uneven stress patterns when viewed through polarized light while the un-flamed lenses show an extremely uniform stress pattern.

So one of the masks had both its reference lens (flamed) and its untreated lens tested to published CE standards (given above). Pretty impressive! Anyway, both lenses passed and I see no reason to ruin a perfectly good mask by testing beyond stated standards.

Observation (only one mask tested):
Flaming a lens does not weaken the lens below its CE rating.

More to do, I just got some elemental iodine crystals. They preferentially dissolve in oil and color it. Maybe I can visualize the oil film.

I'll wrap this up in the next two days with pics...

 

[Couv]

Julia Child

Just like cooking (mise en place)

.......and.......
Don Herbert would be proud.

because flamed lenses show uneven stress patterns when viewed through polarized light while the un-flamed lenses show an extremely uniform stress pattern.

I'm really enjoying this thread and looking forward to the next installment. Perhaps a little something in the way of Jearl Walker to even things out a bit.

 

[lowviz]

...//... Julia Child ...//...

OMG! She was the best. Especially when she went off on a jag. Nobody captured that better than the original SNL:
Seriously, if anyone only gets one of her cookbooks, get 'The Way to Cook'. Read the intro before you buy, she nailed it. One of my few 'go-to' cookbooks.

...//... Don Herbert would be proud. ...//...
Perhaps a little something in the way of Jearl Walker to even things out a bit. ...//...

I'm not in that league, but both inspired me. What a blast from the past!

Who is doing that now?

So sad to see the recent studies that show women drop out of science at 15.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement and timely tests! You deserve a peek at the CE ball drop rig before the final report:

Loose fitting guide tube:


And the rig:


The mask wasn't precisely leveled for this pic, serious nuisance to do so...


@Johnoly: Your contribution is in no way forgotten. You will get the 'wrap-up'.

 

[aviator8]

Was there a final conclusion?

 

[Marie13]

@lowviz

You still alive?

 

[SleepySlipper]

Must be off to Mexico City with slightly tested dive masks, and the final results!