Is working with handtools really that dust free?

[Steven Lee, NC]

The LV aprils fools thing this year was pretty funny but I started paying attention to when I hand plane red oak and noticed that often I don't get solid shavings, rather alot of stringy fibers that can leave alot of real small pieces and dust in the well of my plane. Red oak is so pourous compared to poplar/maple so the same settings will get nice wispy shavings in one and the stringy broken up shavings in the other. When I blow it out they go everywhere and stay suspended for quite some time. In fact, if I am too close when I inhale to blow, it's possible to accidentally suck up some of the stuff.

[Jim Matthews]

Dust free? Nope.

Little enough that a shop filter will clear the air? Yep.
My favorite part of sawing by hand is the smell of walnut when the blade gets hot.

[David Weaver]

There's some white oak like that, too, that seems to have gritty dust stored in its pores. I hate it.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

That's why I use a shop vac rather than blow when I'm smoothing the wood or sawing things. The nice thing about handsawing over a powersaw is that it doesn't generally kick the dust up into the air. Certainly, I don't end up blowing wood-colored snot into a handkerchief after hand-woodworking the way I would working with power if I don't wear a dust mask.

Taking the heaviest shaving appropriate for the job also helps a lot. If I can get a good surface taking a slightly heavier shaving, I often do even if a lighter shaving will get the job done as it helps cut down on dust.

For planing, the worst seems to be when I first start surfacing rough lumber - the rough surface seems to kick up a lot of smaller, broken dusty bits in some places before I start getting nice thick curls. Taking the wood outside to clean it with a stiff bristled brush, and then vaccuuming it seems to help in some instances.

[george wilson]

18th.C. cabinet makers died from breathing mahogany dust. I think that scraping wood would be one of the ways to make dust.

[Jim Belair]

18th.C. cabinet makers died from breathing mahogany dust. I think that scraping wood would be one of the ways to make dust.

How was it determined they died from breathing the wood dust (and mahogany in particular)? I'm sure they would have been exposed to all sort of hazards that would have resulted in breathing problems- wood smoke, solvents, cold/damp living quarters, etc.

No argument that there isn't some dust exposure with hand tools, just curious.

[Justin Green]

It is dusty at times, but nowhere near as dusty as my router, which propels dut 100 mph into every nook and cranny in my garage! The dut seems to stay localized and easier to clean up.

[William Adams]

My workbench is at one end of the unfinished basement area which also houses the washer and dryer --- I can't use power tools when laundry is hanging up to dry (and when it isn't and I use them I have to remember to dust off the washer and dryer), but I can use hand tools and only have to sweep up around my workbench.

[Jim Matthews]

Certainly, I don't end up blowing wood-colored snot into a handkerchief after hand-woodworking the way I would working with power if I don't wear a dust mask.

So that's how pencils are made!

[Jim Matthews]

18th.C. cabinet makers died from breathing mahogany dust. I think that scraping wood would be one of the ways to make dust.

George has a point - cancers of the head, neck and nasophayx were estimated to be 70-500 times more prevalent among woodworkers than non-woodworkers, attributed to aerosol formation of suspended dust.
Many of the South American woods, mahogany foremost, are carcinogenic in sufficient dosages. That said, starvation was a more likely cause of death among laborers in this period.

It also bears mentioning, your exposure is based on the dose, and for a hobbyist woodworker, you will generate less dust by hand tool methods than with machine methods.

You still should use an air filter in your shop, and a even simple ones can be fitted with very fine particulate filters.
My rule of thumb is to turn on the filter and leave the room when I start to sneeze.

[Paul Cahill]

I agree with the idea of it being a matter of degree. I have a Dylos that I always run when I am using my powered tools and I usually run the air cleaner to avoid having the number rise. As time has gone by, I have gotten into the habit of running the Dylos when I am using my hand planes too. The particulate number does not rise nearly as much or as quickly, but I have seen it go up. So if I am doing any appreciable amount of work I will turn on the air cleaner at low speed and avoid any rise at all.

The LV video was cute. I was waiting to see what they came up this year. They must have a lot of fun dreaming up ideas each year.

[Jim Koepke]

In my opinion, blowing on a plane is not a good way to remove dust. It introduces moisture into places where it isn't desired.

An inexpensive paint brush is very effective.

My wife made a few cuts with a router last week. There is a fine layer of dust on everything in the shop. That has never happened using hand tools, even when ripping long planks.

There is dust, but less than with the machines.

jtk

[Aaron Rappaport]

I have wondered a about the dust from handsaws. On the small end of the size range, there are fine saws like my 21 tpi dozuki. It seems to make fine dust in small amounts, and makes me sneeze sometimes. On the large end, my 5 tpi bowsaw just makes a lot of dust, a little bit of which is fine. But a little bit of a lot is still significant, so the bowsaw makes me sneeze sometimes too.

I have a feeling that the sneeze test isn't the best final word. For one thing, our noses detect dust that is much larger in diameter than the stuff that gets past the nose, gets past the cough reflex in the lungs, and lodges where it can do real harm. For me, this is especially pertinent because while I am a hobbyist woodworker, my workshop and home office (which I work out of) are the same room.

[jamie shard]

Sawing is the worst, I think. But not even in the same ballpark as a router.

[James Carmichael]

How was it determined they died from breathing the wood dust (and mahogany in particular)? I'm sure they would have been exposed to all sort of hazards that would have resulted in breathing problems- wood smoke, solvents, cold/damp living quarters, etc.

No argument that there isn't some dust exposure with hand tools, just curious.

Yep, when the primary mode of transportation was horses over dirt roads, everyone in town was breathing manure/urine-laden dust. That's not to say the cabinet makers didn't get an extra dose.

I would think ripping boards with a handsaw would produce the most dust. Moving around the shop probably stirred up more dust from the floor than the actual work.