Dust collector vs. Poplar stench

smell is actually gasses in the air, and not dust so it does not indicate of any issues with the DC.

think of it – you can also smell fruits, BBQ, and some less appetizing things – yet they do not produce dust in the air.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Now milling and sanding cherry – makes you want to BBQ (with the shavings). Be mindful of walnut, it is an irritant – even the smell can bother some, the dust for sure.

-- David in Damascus, MD

The smell is most likely evaporated volatile oils (Essential oils) and would probably need a activated carbon filter to be removed. These oils are sometimes harvested and used in perfumes and incense and so on. Some smell nice, some smell bad.

-- Jani, a Neanderthal woodworker in Sweden.

Thanks all. I feel better about it now.

-- "Never measure......cut as many times as necessary." - PeteMoss

I’ve never noticed a weird smell with Poplar and I work with it a lot.

-- Don - I wood work if I could. Redmond WA.

Maybe the poplar smell is a personal taste type of thing. Strangely, I had used poplar faced plywood for a long time before I used solid poplar. The plywood always gave off an odd odor when cut. I always assumed it was the smell of the glue or binders or something in it. Nope, solid poplar was the same smell. I guess it’s probably not that bad of a smell if you didn’t already have it in your mind that that was what the chemist smelled like who glued your plywood together.

-- "Never measure......cut as many times as necessary." - PeteMoss