I am correct in assuming that we have all read up on the actual woods we are using - allergenic, carcinogenic........ ?????

Please tell me I am - if not, please stop what you are doing and start reading

A friend of mine, when asked for advice on what sort of lathe to buy, always asks "what sort of dust extractor are you buying first?"

Cheers,
R

Note: among many other sites there's a brief discussion with a heap of links here

I've got a dust collector that grabs the vast majority of shavings. Instead of a bag on top, I've got an air filter. Looks like the insides of a massive auto oil filter. Every pen I turn gets sealed with CA and sometimes Deft clear on top of that.

My dust collector looks suspiciously like the floor. Untill I can add a collection system, whenworking with know dangerous woods, OR during sanding procedures on the lathe, I will wear a dust-mask.