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Hi Bill, I'll give you my own thoughts on this issue. As far as I know there is no air compressor that is "approved" by NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) for breathing air, even though there are "approved" masks and hoses. However, there are "official" compressors for that purpose, together with associated air filtering and purification equipment to be used with them. If you wish to go this route, the costs can get real big, real fast. You can check out some of the available systems here. If you are thinking only in terms of your own, limited, personal use, a more practical alternative is possible, IMO. If you are going to be supplying a facemask (preferably a full one), a dedicated, tankless, non-lubricated compressor is workable. I have used a 1hp portable Campbell-Hausefeld (sp?) unit for such a purpose for a long time. I use it to feed a full facepiece respirator through about 50 feet of standard 3/8" air hose. You should count on needing about 4 cfm of air for a facepiece or 6 cfm for a hood. The compressor should be non-lubricated to not only avoid breathing (and tasting) oil vapor in the air but more importantly to avoid the possibility (however remote) of CO formation and asphyxiation. It should be a tankless unit to avoid the possibility of any bad bacteria developing in the closed, moist environment that storage tanks provide. You should also use care in the use of the hose; make sure it is always clean and preferably dedicate it to respirator use. This type of air supply is VERY dependent on proper location of the compressor unit to avoid anything unsafe from being sucked in the intake. It needs to be located a sufficient distance away from the spraying operation to avoid any possibility of recirculating overspray or fumes. You will likely find that any compressor similar to the CH one noted above will be extremely noisy and annoying. I do. However, for limited personal use, I think the benefits far outweigh the annoyance. Unless you already have the facepiece, you are not likely to find the above arrangement to be any cheaper than the commercially-available Hobby-Air system ($400-$600). I personally prefer the compressor route because I think the 3/8 hose is easier to drag around than the larger hose used with turbine type systems such as the Hobby-Air. I have never used the Hobby-Air but it does seem to provide quite good, relatively low cost protection for the occaisional painter. Caveat: I am not a medical or legal professional and cannot advise on either medical or legal matters. I am only explaining what common sense provisions I have used for a long time successfully in this area. Your own situation may be unique and you should consider the above as "food for thought" only.  Rod
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