this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2023
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Woodworking
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When I first started woodworking, I was in an uninsulated shed in Alaska and didn't bother with anything more than a crappy dust mask. After my first project, I was coughing dust and blowing sawdust out of my nose for a few days. Fuuuuuuuck that.
Since then, I've moved a few times, upgraded my dust collection setup, and I still just wear a respirator with P100 cartridges (unless I'm finishing, in which case I'll use the VOC cartridges).
Even with proper dust collection, I'd rather just wear PPE. At this point, I view having good dust collection as more of a time saver for cleaning than actual protection.
That's pretty close to my own view. I've moved the tough to manage stuff outside and leave the easy to manage stuff inside. I still wear PPE in both cases, because that is the simplest, cheapest, and, most importantly, reliably does the job.
Some of my equipment pretty much has to be outside anyway, because my shop is just too small for both boat building and a bunch of dust makers.
I'm also doing more of my work with just hand tools. I find it pleasurable and being just a hobby, it's not like there are any time pressures. And now I'm retired, so I've got even more time.