This sawdust myth needs to be debunked! 

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Well, I am a doctor. As a physician woodworker, I agree with everything you're saying, James. Obviously, if there is a specific allergy to a wood's dust, it must be avoided. Otherwise, just as with other parts of life, we should do as much as we reasonably can to reduce our risks and then carry on. Unless someone is living 24 hours a day in the shop with machinery chewing up wood constantly, a reasonable dust collection system with the best isolation/hood at the source feasible will be fine. Wearing a N95 mask (or for fumes, a respirator) is even better. Thank you! P.S. Use a HEPA rated air filter(s) adequate to the shop’s volume too.

Just to add a little detail to the discussion, you mentioned that a clogged mask won't result in breathing in more particulate matter. it will just get harder to breath. That is true if you have a perfect seal between yourself and the mask. If you don't have a perfect seal from a poorly fitting mask or a beard, then the reduced airflow through the clogged mask will result in increased airflow around the mask, which means breathing in the particulate matter. All the more reason to use a good mask! Thanks for the important reminder.

I would like to thank you for the time and effort you put into your many well-researched and well-spoken shop safety videos. I am 81 now, and have spent about 50 years using shop equipment, sanding, varnishing, boat building, house renovating...and on and on. It would have been 60 years, but submarine duty called during my 20's. My first table saw was a 1948 Craftsman that routinely heaved boards in kickbacks through my shop wall. I've had about 10 others since, ranging from a Unisaw with a power feeder to my current DeWalt (that I truly love). I hate to admit that thanks to you and several other RU-vidrs, I have finally put the guard back on for good, am using a push stick, am wearing a P100 face mask and keep upgrading my dust collection...I have never been seriously injured other than getting wacked a few times by the drill press and the unguarded old Milwaukee angle grinder , but honestly that has nothing to do with common sense...just luck. Anyway, I figure I will have at least another 10 to 15 years of shop time...and it would be nice to enjoy it with 10 fingers and my face intact. So now, I'm slowing down and thinking about every move around my tools before I stab myself again with a chisel or a screwdriver. Keep up the good work. The finger you save might be mine!

“Common sense and balance” James, you are the dust mask for RU-vid. Thanks for the fresh air.

Fun history fact: a good part of why the toothbrush mustache was popular between early WWI and the lead up to WWII is because soldiers in the war got accustomed to trimming their facial hair to not interfere with a gas mask. When it's wood dust, you're fine with an imperfect seal, but those lads had much nastier stuff to deal with.

Very interesting. I would like to add… My Uncle passed away in 2021 at just age 60 from Terminal Lung Cancer. He was a lifelong Joiner / Carpenter and worked a lot with Oak and MDF, (both carcinogenic). He developed a tumour in his nose first that was attributed to wood dust exposure. It went behind his eye and then spread to his lungs I’m glad you raised awareness to this topic, it’s so often overlooked. As a hobby woodworker myself, I was put off Woodworking for about 2 years after what happened to my Uncle. It’s a terrifying thing to see happen to someone. Please don’t ever skimp or downplay the importance of protection and prevention, or tell yourself it’s only just a few cuts so I won’t bother with a mask. Prevention is key

I find that the best way to have absolutely NO DUST is to just be lazy and not use my shop. 😂

The ratings aren't "at or above" 0.3 microns, but rather that they are rated *for* 0.3 microns, which is roughly the hardest particle size to filter out. Above that, the particle size makes them easier to filter out like a sieve, while below that the particles are small enough that their random motion actually plays a significant role in filtering them out just by them depositing on to the surface of the filter material (within the filter itself). 0.3 microns is just the peak where these two methods don't really overlap

I was a veterinary toxicologic pathologist until I retired a few years ago; I did lots of cancer studies in rats and mice and wrote hundreds of reports. Your advice is bang-on. It's our habits that will kill us or save us--very few things will get you with short occasional exposures, plutonium, fentanyl, and king cobras excepted. I have also installed an air filtration system which I think helps in the shop. I'm going to check out the mask you suggested as the cartridge-style respirator is a bit of a pain, as you said. My biggest shortcoming is forgetting to put it on!

Limbs, Lungs, Lenses & Lobes. When in your workshop, take care of the 4L’s. Your Lenses & Limbs can be an instant, permanent injury. Lungs & Lobes (one’s ears) happens gradually and you find out too late you’ve neglected protecting them. My Dad used to always say “you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube”. The same holds true for basic preventative safety if overlooked. Thanks for all the outstanding content. I learn so much from your monologues and it’s always practical and pragmatic.

Just let me add that any time you've been running a tablesaw, jointer, planer, or sander keep wearing a mask until you leave the shop. Otherwise you'll be breathing in fine dust that continues to float in the air for hours unless you have one of those whole room filters running the entire time you're working.

“Price you pay for looking this good” had me snorting laughing. Great vid as ever 😂

When I worked at the refinery, people in the field were either clean shaven or had tidy goatees. Because if a situation arose where you *needed* a respirator, there was NO margin for error.

This is correct. As far as I am aware, the class system of carcinogens is in regards to how SURE we are the substance can cause cancer, not how cancerous it is. That's why cigarettes and red meat can be in the same category, while being incredibly different in terms of lethality.

I met someone whose multigenerational family business was a redwood lumber business. Many of the men in his family business all cam down with rare esophageal cancer. He decided to not continue in the family business and became an aerial photographer.

Almost everything you just said is just plain common sense... and it's exactly the video a lot of people need to watch. In fact, your whole channel is like that. Thanks for always making sense.

I don't smell sawdust when I wear my P100 mask. It's very comfortable and I wear it all the time in the shop. It's not the brand you've got, but that looks pretty comfy, too.

I wear a mask, ears protection and a plastic shield in front of my face. I find the plastic shield to be quickly covered with dust after a very short time like an hour or so. So, I feel that the plastic shield acts as a barrier to dust too for my lungs and my eyes! I am now used to wearing the setup. When it becomes uncomfortable it is time for a break as in my case it is a hobby not worth risking my lungs for!

I have a basement woodworking shop. After a couple of years of casual woodworking with some lackadaisical effort to collect dust when cutting, I developed a persistent cough and it lasted another 2-3 years. Then about 6 months after making a decision to always use a P100 dust mask during and after cuts in the basement, as well as hooking up a basic dust collector system that I actually use, that cough completely went away. My lungs have never felt better. I attribute that persistent cough to dust exposure in the shop and why I now advocate for wearing a respirator with as much discipline as you can muster.

As someone who developed a life-threating allergy in my 40's (anaphylactic shock causing unconsciousness in minutes) I've started wearing a respirator full-time when doing anything in the shop. Some of the exotic woods can cause you to become sensitized to their dust/oils and turn into a severe allergy, which can be very scary and possibly deadly (the last time I went into anaphylaxis, I collapsed where I was standing, smacked my chin off a cabinet, bit my tongue and bruised my ribs from the fall. I was black and blue for weeks. Luckily I didn't fall into anything that could kill me.

Certain woods are apparently a lot worse for you than others, like cedar for instance. Also on the note of not sealing with a beard, one point is always left out. It can seal, it's just really not pleasant how it's done. Was on a job where we had to wear respirators, one guy didn't want to shave, so they fit tested him but put Vaseline on the mask first so it would still seal. It was gross for him needing to clean up after.

My high school woodshop teacher in the 80s, who taught from the 70s through the mid 2000s, died of lung cancer. He lived in the country, never smoked or drank or partied at all, ate healthy, got good exercise (he was an avid walker and small stream fisherman) went to church every Sunday (literally)... The picture of healthy clean living. But he didn't grow up knowing that wood dust could be dangerous, so he never wore any kind of PPE vs shop sawdust. I miss him. Please wear a dust mask or respirator!

OK, I’m an MD with extensive experience in pulmonary problems .It is important that you watch those little particles. You have little hairs lining all of your bronchial tree called Cilia.They continuously beat toward the upper airway with a slow back motion and a rapid forward motion to keep secretions and everything caught in them moving toward your trachea so you’re able to expel them. They are very efficient, but they are also very sensitive to irritation, especially caused by smoking cigarettes. If you were continuously in an environment with fine particles, it’s probably best for you to protect these little things. They prevent the accumulation and consolidation of particles in the lower airway which blocks oxygen flow and decreases oxygenation of the blood. If you’re a woodworker and you like to smoke go ahead,you won’t live as long, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t do it. It’s up to you..

I find a separate goggles and dusk mask means that the goggles noticeably block my peripheral vision and fog up badly in the summer, so I bit the bullet and bought an expensive full face eye protection and dust mask unit, and it also has rubber-not elastic straps-that do not wear out easily. “Buy once, cry once.”

Love your suggestions. Oh by the way, love your suttle dry humor!!

I wish that all RU-vidrs made content as thoughtful, informative, and nuanced as yours. Keep it up!

I’m so glad that your videos turned me onto the Trend dust masks a couple years ago. I can tell a big difference even when I’ve upgraded to a much better shop vac and cyclone separator set up than what it used to use. You’re the man!

Hi 👋, the amount of colleagues, where I have worked many years ago, where are dust mask while cutting material, and they finish cutting, they take the mask off, they’ve particulates are still in the atmosphere, Even cleaning up brushing up at the end of the day, making sure that everything is nice, neat tidy and dust free, you come in the next morning and wipe your hands over the bench or a metal worksurface and you’ll see the particles laying on the benches and things, One of the best things I ever purchased was 3M’s air fed mask, not only protects your lungs but it’s got air protection and obviously I’ve screen in front for face protection. Yes they are very expensive but very well worth it., Stay safe, young people out there , I’m in my 70s and lucky as such. I do not have any health issues regarding what I’ve breathed in over the years., Nearly 50 years of a specialist joiner, cabinet maker, candlestick maker oh sorry didn’t make candlesticks😂,

When I used to scuba dive, I used a silicon grease on my beard for a tight seal. If it works with water at 4 times atmospheric pressure, it would probably work for a dust respirator too. Just a thought.

HI @Stumpy Nubs Just stumbled across your channel thanks to the RU-vid algorithm, great video on dust mask protection. Can I also say how refreshing it is to see a US wood worker using tools with gards and proper dust collection. The number I see using tables saw with neither chainsaws without proper PPE amazes me. Well Done for setting the example to follow.

As a practicing MD for almost 40 years, allow me to say that I loved your presentation. Far too many woodworkers are not aware of the potentially severe hazards from manufactured wood products, including exposure to formaldehyde based adhesives and heavy metals including arsenic. Just to clear up the carcinogen classification issue, there is clear association between exposure to wood working dusts and the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The risk seems to be much more closely related to dusts from soft woods than dusts from hard woods and there are concerns that the cancer risk may be higher if the wood being turned into dust is old or decaying, implying a possible additional risk from fugus or bacteria. You are absolutely correct in your recommendations for mask usage, at least in my opinion👍👍

I agree Jim; the Trend Stealth is the best mask I have ever had the displeasure of wearing. I have used many from the old Martindale fiber fiters, which left you spitting cotton wool for an hour afterwards, to the latest 3M ones. Its very compact with no lumpy cartridges to block your close in view. Easy to clean and remove the filters, which have a long life for the casual user at home. There are plain old dust cartriges and also vapor and chemical ones too. It seals well I never have my glasses fog up. A tip I use for easing breathing through the mask for when I might have a cold or I'm a little bunged up. A small piece of tissue with a drop of mint oil or similar decongestant oil placed inside the mask in the fold where it seals will help keep the nose clear. Just dont go too heavy or you'll think you have had an cold steel rod placed up your nose.

My shop stays sawdust free, cause I do all the cutting and sanding outside😅

As usual, a really informed discussion. Here is an add-on that will definitely help: in several of my shops I have put an exhaust fan on one wall, and a supply fan on the other. This is in addition to whatever dust collection system one might have, despite claiming 2 micron capability on those collectors. When you change out the air, in addition to your dust collection, you are going to get rid of it all. Of course, as said, use a mask too for the short range distance dust.

Thank you for reenforcing this critical safety issue for the shop.

You can have a dust free shop if you have industrial fans making up 2 walls in your shop one as an intake for outside air and the other as an exhaust, you'll basically be in a wind tunnel but there won't be dust.

A dirty filter may mean a higher percentage of each breath is bypassing the filter through the poor seal.

The question is what does "fine dust" mean? Particulate less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter is the most important. Mechanical processes generally create little very fine dust of thios type. The finest dusts require chemical or thermal processes to create. So, smoke is much more dangerous than woodworking for most processes -- welders take note. Your point of mask sealing is 100 percent on point, and a bit of transferable knowledge that can be applied to all masking applications. If it doesn't seal, it doesn't work.

This is simply a top notch woodworking channel, and I'd say it's the best. SO MUCH sound advice, helpful tips, and tons of common sense- something that went out the window years and years ago. Always a joy to watch, and learn, even at my age (66). God bless. Greetings from France.

I only take my mask off to smoke a Marlboro Red

Important safety topic. I think also making sure windows are open when possible to change out the air in the workshop is also important (unless its to windy). I prefer cheaper masks which I change more often, as we should consider what happens to the mask when we take it off. Dust will settle on the inside of the mask which you will then breath in the next time you take use it. So making sure you take it off when the dust cloud has settled and store it away from areas which will pollute the inside of the mask is important. Other professions use disposable masks and gloves for a reason. We should not go crazy in woodworking when working with natural woods, but I prefer to dispose of masks when I have used any bonded or treated materials to avoid dust inside the mask before the next use.

I have often wondered about many of these questions you answered James. Thank you for putting out in a very simple and easy way to understand.

I also run a fan facing the cutting area to blow most of the fine dust away, whilst also having a dust filter and whatever dust collection im using in the specific tool, and i open my door when weather permits. (Whilst wearing a mask as well)

Would LOVE to see a video going over the full face powered system. I keep a beard and have been thinking about investing in such a tool since recently starting back in construction. Some of the most miserably dusty places I’ve worked are new construction and renovations (which often have other contaminants such as mold, fumes, pesticides, etc). I currently use a respirator for most projects, especially prolonged, dusty work. I do keep a fairly long and thick beard which reduces its effectiveness, though it still helps a whole lot! A respirator typically makes the bridge of my nose very sore by the end of a day, and breathing through one is always more difficult then without, even with fresh cartridges, hence my great interest in a full face, positive pressure, powered filtration system. Loved the video, which is spectacular as always!!

I developed a profound sensitivity to redwood dust primarily due to the difficulty of dust collection at the lathe. Would suggest lathe work be done outdoors when possible.

“The corner wheat field”? Good one. Thank you again, James, for your sane and well-reasoned safety presentations. I bought a very similar mask to the one you like, and wear it for most cuts - for ALL multiple cuts. At the scroll saw too - this makes less dust, or at least it doesn’t spray it around like my table saw, but the mask helps. BTW, I still like your beard.

Yep. I also added a ceiling mounted dust filtration system. That has really made a huge improvement in my small workshop.

Perfect background info while sweeping out the shop. 👍

You should follow this with a piece on breathing solvents. After 14 year as a woodworker and using solvents in finishing, exposure to solvents can give me a headache. Never got a headache from sawdust.

I'm sure this was already planned but appreciated to have the topic of masks and beards addressed!

You are spot on regarding MDF, I needed to raise a bunch of cabinet door panels out of 3/4 MDF with an ogee profile, I had to use 2 vacuums and shop extraction on my router table just to get a handle on the dust. Shop extraction on the fence, one vacuum under the table and the second vacuum over the top of the bit. Even with all that effort I had to wear a respirator just to breath, that is nasty stuff.

I use the Trend Stealth dust mask. My daughters call it my Darth Vader mask. The sound it makes as I breathe does sound kinda like Darth Vader. It has the N-100 filters in it. I know I should wear it more. I'll try to do so. It should be noted that in an event like Covid, these masks would not be legal to use on an airplane. They filter the air coming into your lungs but not what is going out.

I had this dust bunny who would hop through the shop now and then, so I fed it, and now were good buddies!😅

Hey! I have an old CPAP machine. If I am making a lot of cuts (not a full time woodworker) or using strong chemicals like stains, I put that out of my "shop" and use my usual nasal pillow non-mask. All the air I breathe comes from that other room, or at least outside the work area. : )

Your advice is gold. I appreciate that you offer a bunch of good education without wasted fluff. Thanks

As an asbestos assessor I must say, great mask chat 👍🏽 I use one of my old half face respirators in the workshop. I like them for their soft silicone seal and very easy to replace & cheap filters.

My method of dust control is better suited to hobbyists. Put each dust producing tools on a platform with locking wheels and roll them outside as needed. In addition get a large shop type fan and blow away whatever dust you produce. A mask as mentioned can also be used. Hearing protection as well as safety shoes for those handling beams and slabs. Take care.

James, to validate your concerns, here is a real world example. Last spring I was milling and constructing an aromatic cedar blanket chest from kiln dried rough lumber. After working with it I noticed an extremely fine pink dust on my saw tables which wasn't captured by my DC system or shop vac. I did wear my Trend Airshield Pro Helmet to reduce inhaling. However, I still discovered that EVERY surface in my 1200 sq. ft. shop was uniformly covered in the pink dust only visible if you wiped you fingers on a surface. I use an Oneida Air designed full DC system with HEPA cartridge and magnahelic gauge monitor. And I used workstation shop vac hoods in addition to my Air Shield. That pink dust is still everywhere and since it is an oil/resin wood it is also a sensitizer for allergies. Can't imagine what cocobola would have done in the shop.

Very well presented, good advice for everyone working in a dusty environment.

Yes James, your beard is magnificent!

Yeah but how much time should we wait for the fine particles of sawdust to settle?

I love my Stealth mask (I have the hardshell type) and it works very well. Thanks for the help on knowing when to replace.

My shop is entirely outside, and most of my tools put out curls instead of dust, so I don't really worry about it! Great video!

Positive pressure loose fitting face shields with belt mounted fan/filters units are the way to go. They've become more popular in welding and metalworking, they need to be normalized everywhere else. With more popularity the prices should come down out of the nosebleed territory. If it's more comfortable to wear, it's more likely to be worn. Battery and fan technology is easily advanced enough to make these accessible to hobbyists, we just need some demand to get some models between the uber-elite and the chinesium that's available today.

I have a beard a little longer than yours. There is very little in way personal dust protection for wood workers with beards. Trend Air shield pro is the most economical way to go (still expensive). It took me forever to find a good deal (still expensive).

Excellent video as always. This is a great addition/ update to other dust mask videos you have done. Keep up the great work.

Good tip about the composite materials. I do all of my saw and sanding work outdoors so dust not so much of a problem with a light breeze though some saw cuts throw dust rather than vacuum. The router throws a lot of fine dust and does not have a vacuum.

My late Father died of lung cancer at the age of 65. He wood worked without a dust mask and the exotic hardwood dust was a principal contributor to his cancer and early death.

I do believe that everyone should use a dust mask. 65 years ago, nobody wore masks, including me. Now I have a fatal lung disease (IPF) 2nd to breathing in wood dust when I was helping my grandfather with his projects.

Great balance in your presentation and good humor about the beards

Great info, as always, thanks! And thanks to Trend for sponsoring.

I built my shop 2 years ago. Sawdust..I make my fair share. Half my shop is car and metal related...that dust n dirt is way worse snd everywhere. I do have furnace filters on a box fan...amazing how quickly the filters get dirty. And nobody filters spray coatings...

Poor fitting masks those of us who have magnificent beards is a price we willingly pay to improve the human condition. James, your selfless sacrifice will not go unnoticed.

Glad you discussed the facial hair when getting a face mask fitted. My face mask accepts filters for either chemicals (certain chemicals) or dust. There is a metal forger that wears a full face mask connected via an air hose to a separate air pump and filter worn on the small of the back. This is said to minimize the amount of fumes getting past the broken seal around the face due to the positive air pressure. Thanks for sharing.

Well said James - I’m glad a bigger platform like yours has posted this. I made a very similar video a month ago but sadly it didn’t perform/get the outreach I was hoping for. Safety is an important thing to consider and thank you for highlighting it, subscribed.

Wait, steak, whiskey, sex & smoking is BAD for ya? Well, hell, don't none of us live forever anyway....

I gauge this issue by listening to long-time RU-vid woodworkers, comparing their early videos to the latest ones. You can often "hear" the dust problem without trying very hard.

after trying several masks, I now prefer the respirator you showed here. Its seals well and is comfortable enough to wear it for 2-3 hrs at a stretch if needed. I would like to try the airshield pro type helmet but may be sometime in future. I am just a hobbyist and dont work more than few hrs in a week.

Good video. As a longtime woodworker and home improvement contractor I wear N95 masks for cutting all pt and hardwood lumber, pvc and all sheet goods especially mdf.

After working as a finish carpenter for a decade or so, I started developing sensitivity to sawdust. I ended up switching careers.

I worked in the semiconductor industry for about twenty years, and that means cleanrooms. When I left that industry, I took up woodworking - without any respirators. Go figure! PM 2.5 are the finest particles, and they raise your blood pressure significantly - even at rest. And it stays elevated well after you leave the contaminated area. Hardwood trees absorbed atomic fallout from the 1950s and 1960s. Softwood trees were harvested long ago.

Another thing you can do is get a box fan and attach a furnace filter to it to help reduce the flying dust in the air, it's not as good as the commercial units but if you can't afford a proper one, this is a cheaper solution for a temporary use until you can get a better shop filter system. A shop vac with a cyclone is the way to go if you have a tiny say basement shop, I've found that real estate is a real issue in my basement shop. Always wear a mask, especially if you're using power tools, hand tools aren't quite as bad, especially a hand plane but you should still take some precautions. Thank you James, always on point with your safety videos :)

I've got a Pullman a1000 air cleaner for my garage when I'm doing woodworking, grinding, paint etc, it's expensive and loud but it's amazing at what it does, a pre filter and hepa filter is enough to avoid throwing around fine particles!

but the smell fresh cut is one of my favorite smells

In moderation reduces the risk but it doesn’t eliminate it. Even a small amount of ANY carcinogens can trigger cancer. But it’s a risk/reward/investment etc balance.

I was in a woodworking shop turning a piece of wood when the instructor came over and asked me to stop for a moment. "Look around" he said, I had cleared the room, people were being affected by something coming off the piece I was turning. Strangely it wasn't affecting me as close as I was to the job and I didn't have a mask on at that time. 🤔 I never did find out what was causing this or what type of timber I had been using. Great video 👍

Great video as usual. While i have a dust collector, and attach a shope vac to all the smaller tools, I also wear a dust mask especially when I'm really generating lots of dust...at least i try to. bottom line is i really am not good at reaching for it as much as i should. With that in mind i first invested in a cheap box fan to wihcih i rigged up 4 merv 13 furnace filters. My dust collector cloth bag is in the trash and replaced by a Hepa pleated filter and for my birthday, i bought an air cleaner that will filter the air 8 times per hour.

For the first time in the years I've been watching your videos, I must respectfully disagree with you on this one, and it's the first time I suspect like hearing loss, damage to your lungs and respiratory system is cumulative. Even if you're making one or two cuts, do you not still don your eye and hearing protection? Why doesn't the same logic apply to respiratory protection? Once properly fitted and adjusted, a mask takes little time to don. I say, just do it. Besides, how many times has just one cut led to another couple-three? Am I saying you're wrong? Again no, just another point of view. To each his own, we all accept some level of risk in the things we do and some have a higher risk tolerance than others. But once one develops the habit of donning eye, hearing, and lung protction, even for one cut, it will seem odd indeed not to use all three. James, thank you for all you do for the woodworking community.

Our next door neighbour developed lung cancer from woodworking with MDF. I get terrible sinus problems when cutting pine wood, that's why I do most of my woodworking (at least the machine tool part) outside on a sunny day.

Great tips as always James thanks for sharing. I’ve ordered that mask on your recommendation and like it a lot

I wear a 3m quick release "QR" respirator style with the pink 2097 or 2091 cartridges. It works fantastic and the ability to quickly release it to get a drink or talk, is perfect.

Great safety video! Thanks.

Perfect Stumpy. Thank you.

Great video, and well said - as always. I'm guessing it's also beneficial some sort of air filter. I'm thinking like the home made ones or even just a fan with a furnace filter - which I have heard is about as good as anything you can buy.

Thank you James for covering this important topic. There are lots of options to prevent excessive inhalation of fine wood particles. I’ve used Stealth masks for years. For me, they’re comfortable and effective. They’re also reasonably priced, particularly when you consider the money you’ve invested in your tools.

My Grandfather was a professional woodworker for all of his life. I have only seen him wear a mask when he was laquering his windows, doors and so on. He also rarely used hearing protection (that simply wasn't a big thing back then), only in the last maybe 10 or 20 years of his work life. As he got older, his hearing got bad but he never had lung cancer. As a hobbyist woodworker, I'm more worried about my hearing than about the wood dust. I'll wear a mask, if my machine is throwing around a lot of dust and it is bothering me.

Recently got the small disposable Air+ mask with a tiny rechargable ventilator providing fresh air and prevents wet and damp within the mask. It works so well, finally I really get to wear a protection, becase it is not cumbersome

You can also seal the mask with petroleum jelly. It helps keep the dust from getting under the seal when you have facial hair.

thanks James