Hard hats with visors

[Bibbyman]

I looked into getting some kind of integrated helmet/earmuff/communication system for Mary and me.  A lot of times being able to get someone's attention is an important safety consideration.  When Mary is wearing her hat with muffs,  it's really hard for her to hear.  I sometime have to walk up and pull one edge lose on an earmuff to talk to her.

Unfortunately,  what I found was too expensive.  It required a base station that cost about $2000 and then about $300 per headset.  The little sender/receiver unit was about the size of a cigarette pack like those you see people on TV have clipped to their belt.  Figured it would get destroyed in short order.  

BTY,  I use soft earplugs.  Our new 3ph electric mill is much quieter than the mills we had with engines.  It's almost weird being able to hear the blade actually cutting wood over the sound of everything else.

[SawBilly]

Noble,
I am finally back in my chair....that was funny. I do that to my Dad all the time.

He has some hearing aids and we tried the muffs, he did'nt wear them long the aids started squiel, squil...yelling real loud in his ears. I use soft plugs, glasses and gloves all the time.

[Scott_R]

I've always had some trouble hearing some sounds.  Now I am getting to where I don't see too good and my wife says I don't smell too good either.

Noble

Soap and water will help with that last problem. Scott

[dewwood]

Bibbyman,

I saw the earmuffs with the two way radio in them in the Husky catalog with the helmets etc.  I don't know what the cost is but it sounded like they were mobile to mobile units which do not require a base.  

If you have a Husky dealer nearby check it out.

It would be nice when you are sawing to be able to communicate with each other.

Let me know what you find.

Dewey

[Bro. Noble]

Scott,

Hey, thanks for the tip--------can't wait till Sat. night,  I'm gonna try it.

Noble

[Bibbyman]

Here we see 4-year old Brook, our little Husqvarna helmet model, asleep on the job.  She was watching Grandma' Mary saw out some 1x6x16' fencing lumber today.


We've got an edger but still edge long and heavy stuff on the mill.  Note,  we saw down to a small cant and then use it as backing to place our flitches again.Well,  I guess I cropped the picture a little too close to see the end of the cant.

[OneWithWood]

Bibbyman,
Do you think you will get much interference in a headset from the electric motor?  Is the motor shielded?

[Bibbyman]

Hummmmmmmm..... Don't know.  Just have to try.

[richnewill]

I'm impressed by the wisdom of most of you.  You're telling the guy that posed the question excellent information, all accurate by my estimation.  As was mentioned, it is the law (in Michigan for sure, probably most of the country) that a hardhat is worn in a sawmill.  The rule, spelled out in Part 52. Sawmills states in rule 5211 (c) and (d) An employer shall do all of the following:  (c) Provide head protection which shall be worn by all employees outside the office, including those in the dry storage area... By head protection, it refers to Part 33. Personal Protective Equipment.  In there, it explains what is considered a qualified hardhat.  Anyway, Rule (d) goes on to say: Provide and an employee shall use eye protection... which refers again to Part 33.  In simple terms, you must wear a hardhat and safety glasses or a suitable alternative such as a face screen.  The employer should specify the required gear in a written Personal Protective Equipment Assessment.  It must be supplied by the employer unless you work out some agreement to buy it yourself.  Then you must buy what is specified.  As many said, experience proves the stuff works.  Take the word of some wisened professionals when they tell you to wear it.  The screen is superior to the clear face shield for sawmill work, I'm certain.  Hope I didn't bore you all too badly with the technical stuff.    Rich

[Ron Scott]

The new hard hats, with ear muffs, screen face shields and even neck shields if needed get to be a habit after you use one. Wish they were available for use sooner. I always had trouble with the greasy ear plugs.  

[Bibbyman]

dewwood,

I did some checking on the Husqvarna helmets with communication headsets.  Found that they were PowerCom model that fit into the Husky helmet.  



The PowerCom headset cost about $500 a pop.  I could not find anything quite like it for $19.99.  :

[DonT]

I realize I am about 15 posts behind on this thread but thought i would offer my two cents worth anyway.In regards to Bibbymans original question about plastic face shields fogging,our fire lids are equipped with a plastic face shield, to prevent fogging I apply liquid soap to the shield.pour the soap on a rag and rub in a circular motion until clear.This seems to work for us.It also works very well on hockey helmet faceshields.As for communicating on the job would the units they have for snowmobile helmets and motorcycles work?I don't think they are that expensive.   DonT

[Bibbyman]

DonT,  

Some of the questions were not mine.  But I've looked on the internet at the gizmos they use on motorcycles and they all appear to be connected by wire - not truly mobile.  Maybe I've missed some.

[DonT]

The communication systems I was thinking of mount on the side of the helmet.Some of the guys I run with use them to communicate as we are travelling.I am not sure if these are designed solely for snowmobiling or not.I have also looked at a set of headphones that attach to a fire helmet, to allow the operator to communicate with other personnel on the fire ground.i would imagine these would be rather pricey,as most fire rescue equipment is usually overpriced.  Sorry Bibbyman i thought it was you that had asked about fogging face shields.My mistake I guess.    DonT

[Bibbyman]

No Problemo!  DonT.  

Got any leads on where to look on the internet for headphone sets that you're talking about?  Some just get FM radio reception, etc.  I've yet to find any with two way communications that I thought I could afford.

[Brian_Bailey]

Bibbyman,  

Go to www.hjc-chatterbox.com. Enter stardard version. Click on products. Under rider to rider click on HJC - FRS.  We use these on our motorcycles. They work really good. The girl isn't part of the pkg. though. She came with my unit .

[Bibbyman]

Thank Brian,

After I got over thinking that that girl's mother should not have let her go out of the house dressed like that, I noted the system is just speakers and microphone - not earmuffs for hearing protection. Guess a body could drill some holes in some earmuffs and mount the speaker in them.  ???

Cheaper but still not $19.95.

[Brian_Bailey]

Bibbyman,

 I think you'll have a hard time finding anything worth a hoot @ $19.95.  The speakers for the chatterbox are quite small and would fit into regular earmuffs without much trouble. My wife and I ride our own bikes and it's really great to talk back and forth as we scoot down the road. Although, sometimes I just plain ignore her yakking at me as we pass a sawmill or logging operation and I start wandering all over the road rubbernecking the site.

[Bibbyman]

Well,  you'd just think with all the advancement in electronics and the prices just keep falling, someone would make and market something like this at a commodity price.  

We didn't pay too much more than that for our new 32" stereo TV at SAMs.  Could get a VHS/DVD player for about the same or less.  For the cost of two sets, could get a basic desktop computer system.  This outfit can't be much more complicated than a pocket radio.  Maybe I should try Toy-R-Us. ???  Probably would come as part of a SWAT team outfit.

UPDATE:


Tech Link Aviator 500 Duplex Walkie-Talkies  $19.99

Toy-R-us Headset

Now if we were just 5-8 year olds!  ;D

[Brian_Bailey]

Bibbyman,  

I quess you'll just have to try em out, at least the price won't break the bank if they don't work. But, I wouldn't be a bit surprized if Mary and you spend a lot of time hollering back an forth, " What Was That, Say Again?".

[ADfields]

I have used VOX Motorola talkabouts with headsets in my towing business on recovery jobs for years and thay are great.   You would need to get the headset and remove the headband and mount it to your earmuffs by cuting a hole and JB Welding it in place.   The first time I did it it took a 1/2 hour to do but now onley about 5 minuts + drying time.   The onley trouble we had was the VOX would key it up and keep it keyed around runing motors and the guy thats keyed cant tell it.   So we made a rule that if your around a motor you use TTT (touch to talk, use the button) and if you have over 5 on the systom at a time it's to much chater in your ear.   Thay cant be beat for 2 people working on the same pece of equipment!   I looked all over for some that were made up this way but never found some with a hat on them.   You could do a pair for $175 or so new hats and all.  

Talkabouts link.
http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=235416&prmenbr=126&twoway_cgrfnbr=8&zipcode=&prsdesc=TALKABOUT®%20T5420%20NiCd%20Double%20Pack

Headset
http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=547&prmenbr=126&accessories_cgrfnbr=30&zipcode=&phoneID=&search_string=33,21347&type=All

Andy

[ADfields]

You could use this under the muff and not mod a thing.

http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=303&prmenbr=126&accessories_cgrfnbr=30&zipcode=&phoneID=&search_string=32&type=235415

Andy