What do you carvers do with all the sawdust? - Tiki Carving

M Monkeyman Tiki Socialite Vista, CA Joined: Mar 04, 2003 Posts: 2386	M Monkeyman Posted posted on Mon, May 9, 2005 9:28 AM This is a good question and the wrong answer can lead to some really serious health problems later. Whenever you are creating powdery fine sawdust without an really good dust collection system, you should always wear some sort of a mask or respirator. I dont have a good dust collection system so I attach my jet vac to the dust bag on my table saw. I will use straps to mount it near my router when routing. I always try and get the vac close to the dust source. Inevitably dust still goes everywhere anyway. I will vacum the dust off the floor when finished because sweeping stirs the dust up again. A good way to test if you need to wear a respirator is to blow your nose at the end of your project day and see if sawdust comes out on the tissue. If so, you NEED a respirator. Certain man made materials like MDF have some really nasty stuff in them. I believe that MDF has formaldehyde in it on top of the fact that its already MADE from sawdust. Certain exotic woods like Teak have TOXIC sawdust. The silica content in Teak that makes it so sea worthy is the same reason that breathing it will do some damage to your lungs. Woodchips are different. They do not create airborn particles that float up your nose an into your lungs.

This is a good question and the wrong answer can lead to some really serious health problems later.

Whenever you are creating powdery fine sawdust without an really good dust collection system, you should always wear some sort of a mask or respirator. I dont have a good dust collection system so I attach my jet vac to the dust bag on my table saw. I will use straps to mount it near my router when routing. I always try and get the vac close to the dust source.

Inevitably dust still goes everywhere anyway. I will vacum the dust off the floor when finished because sweeping stirs the dust up again.

A good way to test if you need to wear a respirator is to blow your nose at the end of your project day and see if sawdust comes out on the tissue. If so, you NEED a respirator.

Certain man made materials like MDF have some really nasty stuff in them. I believe that MDF has formaldehyde in it on top of the fact that its already MADE from sawdust. Certain exotic woods like Teak have TOXIC sawdust. The silica content in Teak that makes it so sea worthy is the same reason that breathing it will do some damage to your lungs.

Woodchips are different. They do not create airborn particles that float up your nose an into your lungs.

Post #157367 by Monkeyman on Mon, May 9, 2005 9:28 AM