Seems like for the last three centuries, every 20th year there's some shitty disease, plague, pestilence... whatever you want to call it; that damn well starts wiping out society. To be frank, this is damn annoying. (and quite sad mind you)

So because of Covid-19, people have been buying (and hospitals have been going through) respirators, masks, and filters at a rapid pace. Shortages have become common; and eventually if this virus doesn't have a vaccine for it soon (eat your heart out antivaxxers) the average joe will run out of said filters and masks. Buying more has become near impossible, or extremely expensive due to the shortages, including shitty price gouging from less caring people.

With all that said, I've designed a 3M 6200 respirator filter FOR EMERGENCY USE for when one eventually runs out of filters, and cannot get more. (Big letters for the idiots whom dont understand I can't get ahold of any more 3M P100 filters.... and I cant afford 6 filters for over $150, I've got bills dammit!)

DISCLAIMER: These filters were designed to block bodily ejected DROPLETS. This design will not 100% stop Covid-19, Influenza, airborne chemicals, etc. These should only be used if you have NOTHING LEFT that is manufactured to NIOSH approved particulate filtering specs such as: N95, N99, N100, P100, etc. If you have any approved filters, use them first before deciding to use this filter design. You are responsible for your own health. More info can be found at:https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html

This filter design was based around usage of materials that can be found within the household. A few materials have been found to have a filtering effectiveness close to a surgical mask (Not including the fact that surgical masks aren't designed to 100% seal against the face.) It turns out vacuum bags, cotton blend shirts, and dish towels are pretty decent (In my opinion, make decisions for yourself though) at filtering out particles down to 1 micron. More info can be found here, among other sites:https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/

Cutting out a suitable material should be easy enough, and the filter design comes with a cutting guide to make replacement filters. Once used, they should be safely discarded and replaced when necessary.

The filter should be compatible with other 3M 6000 series reusable respirators.

Read the disclaimer before commenting on the design and getting pissy about risks. If you dont read it, and get a poopy frowny sad feelers and need to share that, you're an idiot and a disappointment.

UPDATE: I have gotten quite a few messages with a similar request; make it smaller if possible. To be honest, I prefer the larger air chamber behind the filter, as I could insert a DENSE cotton ball in. Air would still pass through fine, but with the added benefit of more filtration from the dense cotton as well. Nonetheless, I'll happily oblige if it means people can print more filters faster. With that in mind, I've designed a similar filter.

Minimalist Filter:

A new Minimalist Filter Body has been added.

* The Filter Body has been reduced 9mm in height.
* There's less knurling on the Filter Body, but they're .5mm deeper. (1mm overall depth)
* Inside corners have been rounded off.
* A .3mm chamfer has been added to the inside bottom of the Filter Body, allowing for an easier (still tight of course) fit for the 3M Filter Adapter.
* Three more cuts were added at the top of the Filter Body for an easier Filter Cap fit.

As a result from the Filter Body's size being reduced, it takes around 30 - 34 less minutes to print a set of two (If printing all parts at once on the build plate) filters. Material usage is also reduced by 4 - 5 grams. The original Filter Body took 26 - 27 grams for a pair, while the Minimalist Filter Body only needs 22 grams for a pair. (That's around a 15% decrease in material usage.)

The filter works as before, but with a reduced air chamber behind the filters disks; though I'm sure a smaller dense but breathable material can be used still, if one wishes to use said material. Be aware if using a dense material behind the main filter disks, it will be harder for air to pass through, especially if the user has respiratory issues.

Assembly

Before assembling the entire filter body, cut out filter disks using the included Filter Cutout Guide in the design. The guide is slightly oversized so the disks fit tight when the filter body is assembled. Flip the Filter Cap upside down and place 1 - 3 filter disks (Depends on thickness of the material and it's breathability) on the center. Press the Filter Body (Flip to it's correct side) onto the filter cap with the placed disks. The cap will be a very tight fit. Should it prove difficult, use a press or rubber mallet to assemble the Filter Body and Cap. Once the Filter Cap, Filter Disk(s), and Filter Body are together, align, then press the 3M Filter Adapter to the bottom of the Filter Body. If an airtight seal is a worry, apply a NON TOXIC adhesive to the OUTSIDE of the filter at the seams. Once two filters are created, do a quick test to make sure they fit to the mask, and check to make sure inhalation air flows through the filter into the respirator.