Thread by @rightlegpegged

I just went to Home Depot to buy a MERV 13 HVAC filter for a homemade mask per the #ColoradoMaskProject instructions. I wore a bandana b/c, well, my mask isn't made yet.
Roughly 1/2 of the ppl in there (including lots of employees) had their face uncovered.
cc @GovofCO

Warning: if you go looking for a MERV 13 filter you'll be out of luck at HD. That's b/c they use their own (non-ASHRAE) standard: FPR.
So what to do?
According to what I found online, FPR10 filters (the highest they sell) is equivalent to MERV 13.
Instructions should include this

So I bought the largest FPR10 filter they had, with the assumption that we're going to need to make these for a while.

The instructions call for pipe cleaners to create a form-fit around your nose. Home Depot doesn't sell them & I didn't have any. They do have these however, which I'm hoping will serve the same purpose.
#MaskHacks

The pattern I'm using is from coloradomaskproject.com. I chose it because it's not just a piece of fabric; it has a pocket for a removable filter.
PDF download here:
assets.website-files.com/5e8687e109a984…

You're going to want a box cutter or some other long blade to separate the filter fabric from the cardboard frame. It sticks to the adhesive on the inside to hold it in place, so this step is proving to be more of a pain than I anticipated.
#ColoradoMaskProject

That is not fun. This took 45 minutes and I wound up just cutting off the sides of the filter to release the fabric b/c there's so much adhesive on the long edges. Another reason to get a big filter: count on sacrificing some of it.
The hassle is worth it.
#coloradomaskproject

Separating the chicken wire backing from the fabric is also a bit of a pain, but once you do you're left with that sweet sweet MERV13/FPR10 filter goodness.

If you want to understand why MERV13/FPR10 is important, check out this chart.
You need this level to filter viruses.
#ColoradoMaskProject

Ready to sew (finally).
#coloradomaskproject

1/4" hems on both short sides.
I'm using the same red thread for both masks b/c I only have one bobbin and I'm lazy.
#ColoradoMaskProject

Taking shape.
#coloradomaskproject

I've never sewn pleats before, so these came out kind of ragged.
Maybe I'll just say it was part of a punk aesthetic I was going for...
#coloradomaskproject

Now these pipe cleaner replacements get sewn into the top flap for a nose clamp thing. I think these will hold up better in the washing machine than a pipe cleaner anyways.
#Matchymatch
#coloradomaskproject

Tada!
Now the goal is to use these as infrequently as possible, b/c what we all need to be doing is staying home as much as possible.
#coloradomaskproject
#DoingMyPartCO

I added a personal touch on the inside.
I've got a stack of these name tags that my mother used to sew into my clothes before I went to summer camp.
#coloradomaskproject