I was wondering what your guys use for protection when sanding to keep the dust damage to minimum. I have a very confined area to work in. I use a shop vac next to my work but I don't think it does a very good job. I have not worked on any woods in the toxic category yet but I may have some Yew soon. I also wondered about my dog sniffing around in the dust?

What kind of face, lung protection do you recommend?

I wear a good mask is all. My next tool purchase is a ceiling mounted air cleaner from Grizzly. I keep my shop fairly clean..........not organized...just clean! I would keep the dog away from it.

A good snug fitting respirator and safety glasses..I have 2 respirators one with filters for dust and one with filters for spray finish.. I always use the respirators even when hand sanding with my big fan behind me and doors open. I also have a dust collector

I build wood bows only, but I use hand tools when possible, which don't produce excessive dust (scrapers, drawknives, hatches, knives, etc.).  When making dust, be it with rasps/files, sandpaper, saws, etc., I use a combination of any or all of the following:

1) Work outside on nice days

2) Wear a dust mask/respirator

3) Use a ceiling mounted air filtration system

4) Use localized dust collection connected to ports on my tools (via dust collector, vacuum, etc.)  

5) Use a box fan with a good pleated filter on the back as an ambient dust collector.  (This one is really effective and cheap!  Just be sure to use a good filter that you're not blowing dust to kingdom come).

6) Wear a face mask, not glasses/goggles.  The latter will often fog up on me when wearing a respirator/dust mask, plus they don't protect nearly as well as a full mask.  I picked two up at Harbor Freight for $8.00.  What a difference it has made, particularly in my knife making!

Hope that helps  

Respirator and have a grizzly air cleaner unit in the ceiling. Have a shop vac connected to all my power tools. I have found with the respirator if I breath through my nose my glasses fog up but if I breath through my mouth they don't.

I was around IPE wood once and it gave me a bad reaction, I was messed up for 4 months.

Thank you...

Here's another fly in the ointment. I have a goatee and wear glasses. What respirator would you suggest?

NPR 95 is what I wear with replaceable cartridges.

I usually wear wrap around type safety glasses anyway, but as soon as you start making particles small enough to float around, wear a respirator. It needs to seal to your face and you need to be able to breath comfortably. I have a goatee too and it's not really an issue.