I have the air filters also. They certainly helped to collect the fine dust. Figure your cubic air space. You need to a filter that can filter that 10 times an hour.
My filter uses a double filtration system. First is a flat filter then a bag. get as small as you can in filtration. I have a .5 micron

Space is an issue so I can't build a downdraft sanding table since I wouldn't have a place to put it.

i saw an article in american woodworker magazine where a plain old air filter for a home central air conditioner was mounted to a box fan. It was hung from the ceiling and supposedly worked quite well although the filter needed to changed often.

I know the new lung vs. a few thousand dollar in investment but right now I simply do not have money to invest in a system since nearly all of my income goes into rent. The issue is having to dust the shop everyday though, because as soon as I clean something in a shop within 2 days the surface is covered in a thick layer of dust. I've been looking into a dust mask. I have used 3M's N95 dust mask but unfortunately it doesn't last very long. I need something that lasts more than a day.

Sand outside. That's free.

Filippo

Yep. Or don't sand. I'm on my way to practically eliminating sanding from my building process, replacing it with blades, scrapers, rasps and files that tend to produce less of the fine particles that stay in the air for a long time. Sandpaper is one of the most versatile tools around, but there are less dusty (and often faster) alternatives for most things it's used on.

Even if I had a dust collector, I'd avoid using it as much as possible just because I don't like loud machine noise. Not to mention the space it would take, when I'm already so cramped that the only way I accomplish anything is by clever planning and very flexible muscles.

I do wear N95 masks when making dust indoors, but they last a long time if it's not a suffocating cloud of fine particles.

For shell cutting, I keep everything wet so the dust never goes into the air in the first place. Unfortunately, that doesn't work so well with wood

the bar is so high and people judge your work based on how it looks rather than how it sounds, since most of it are myths anyways. Somehow shiny things gets people to want it.

20 minutes with a piece of sandpaper and you can be covered in dust. I've never had that happen with a sharp scraper!
How much of the fine dust does a scraper or a dovetail saw produce?

It's very difficult to eliminate sandpaper and to obtain a very flat surface for a full on gloss finish. I simply can't get the surface good enough without applying a huge amount of finish coats. I can get it good (with scrapers) but not to modern day expectations. If you go for the more organic finish liked by Violin makers, then things are relatively easy.

Down draft tables and air filters are 2 different things.
The "BAD" dust is the real fine under 1 micron . A down draft may get the 5 micron but the real fine stuff you need the air cleaner. A box fan and air filter is about as good as tying a rag around your face. People , Real equipment is not cheap and when it comes down to it , your health is worth the investment. If you think scrapers won't produce the fines ,. well think again . I agree that sanding will create more but when you work wood , you will create dust.
Dust collection should be in every shop. It isn't just about the dirt it is about your health.
Cheap may cost you more than you know.

Sand outside. That's free.

Filippo