Dust is actually a real health hazard. There are two things you can worry
about: the condition of your shop and the condition of your lungs. In
reality the shop doesn't matter that much other than kicking up settled dust
will likely deposit more in your lungs.
Catching the dust at the source is the best and I use a 4" DC hose connected
to a cardboard box positioned near the spinning workpiece. My DC has a 1
micron bag and anybody who really knows about dust hazards will tell you
that is not ideal. The nasty stuff for your lungs is in the 0.3 micron
range. That size will get inhaled, will not be trapped by your nose and will
not be exhaled like the much finer stuff. The 0.3 micron stuff tends to
lodge in the crevices of your lung tissue and stays there. This is bad.
While sanding is seen as a major source of dust since it is obviously
streaming off the workpiece, dust is also produced when cutting dry wood.
Spalted wood provides another problem - the fungi spores that are part of
the spalting process. Some of these can be very nasty and cause very serious
problems. I think I read where a famous Australian turner no longer turns
spalted wood because of the hazard.

So if you are real smart you will collect the dust with a good DC with the
best filter/bag you can get and you will also wear a respirator that
provides good dust protection. A HEPA filter is the best. If you have a long
way to go in your life you will pay even more attention to these measures.
billh

"Sniperborg" wrote in message
...

Hi
I was just wondering which route i should go down first for dust when
finishing. Either a full face mask with built in respirator or dust
extractor such as the camvac dust extractor.
I'm turning for a hobby and have a sealey sm900 lathe and a wet and dry
axminster grinder so far. I use paper masks and a broom for the shed
floor.
Your thoughts please
Mark


--
Sniperborg