Reply by AndyDuframe

I’ve found that products in the simple “dust mask” category can vary quite a bit in quality. Like you’ve already discovered, the cheapest masks are almost worthless for doing any kind of woodworking, since they don’t conform to your face at all. However, if you go up in price by a few dollars, there are some other masks (not respirators) that do a much nicer job of that. Look for the thicker masks, most of which also include a small valve to release air.

As far as some jobs not requiring a mask, my shop tends to stir up dust no matter what I’m doing—which means I put on a mask anytime I need to spend more than 5 minutes in there.

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