"Machining" Dead Tree Carcass aka Wood

I was a woodworker long before I began dabbling in machining. I'm fortunate enough to have a segregated space for my woodshop which I did specifically in an effort to contain the dust.

I've seen threads where some complain of the mess and clean up that machining creates, but I would rather clean my oil and chips any day as opposed to attempting to get the sawdust out of EVERYTHING in my woodshop. Even with decent dust collection and an air cleaner it's impossible to avoid that fine layer of dust that finds it's way to every nook and cranny. Just one reason that I've started to lean more and more in the direction Mikey mentioned. I'll grab a hand plane for a small item before I fire up the jointer or the router.
 
Depends on what you are doing. Light cuts at high RPM with a fly cutter you are asking for it. Grooving or cutting mortise and tendon with an end mill not much dust and easy peasy clean up with a shop vac.............Bob
 
My metal area shares a space with a production wood shop. I keep a cover on my lathe when not being used.
 
Also depends on the wood a lot.

I am dealing with some exotic wood.
Very old-growth dense pine, dried 150 years, very dry and dense.
It cuts like metal, and can be cross-planed with no splinters.

I am selling the wood in container-lots - very expensive-, and my cuts and bits are just samples for buyers.
 
If you haven't seen one and have a router, a router surfacing jig is very simple to make out of basic dimensional lumber and works great for surfacing. Even huge wood slabs. A web search will find lots of results and videos.
 
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