Avoid Toxic Gick when Woodworking

I don't have much info in the finishing department other than to put shellac on the list.  I'm not sure if it's good but some portion of it comes from natural materials.

The thing I came here to say is to wear a dust mask or respirator.  Most of my wood working is with red oak.  I was fine with the dust for years and now it really bugs me.  So over time you can develop an issue with some wood dusts.  I'm not sure if they're toxic but it's kind of like that...

You can avoid a lot of glues by using different joinery techniques.  Pegs, locked dovetails, nails, etc.

Oh, and plywood and OSB have plenty of glues in them that you probably want to avoid.

You mentioned cedar allergies.  Yes, it can become a thing.  My dad was a carpenter for 50+ years.  During that time a lot of houses were sided with cedar lap siding.  He never had a problem with it until he did.  It really started giving him trouble after a long time (decades) of cutting it.  He would have what seemed to be spring time allergies any time he cut a lot of it.  Congestion, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, stopped up nose etc.  A dust mask pretty much solved the problem with the exception of occasional bouts of sneezing and some sniffles.  He finally stopped working with it though.

For glues, there are many options with more or less VOC in them. It depends a lot on how the glue works:
Some dry by evaporating a solvent … which you breathe in, mask or not.

There are Polyvinyl acetate glues with low VOC content available.

Personally I am a big fan of epoxy, as it creates reliable bonds to almost everything (including skin!). Some release a low amount of VOCs and can be used without ventilation.

Hey there,
As a young carpenter, that wants to be an old carpenter, my go to is-
If it's dusty, wear a mask. Particularly with anything that is rot resistant(Cedar, yew, tropical hardwoods, etc.) PT and cement fiberboard require a proper mask.
If it smells bad, wear a respirator. VOCs will make you sick quick. The lower VOC products can by used in well ventilated areas pretty safely.
Wear gloves when finishing, your skin is the biggest organ, and touching your face, going to the bathroom, etc can spread whatever you're working with. Same goes with PT lumber.
Most wood/hide glues are pretty innocuous, but the other stuff they put in osb/ply is there because it kills things. Epoxy and other synthetics may require a respirator.
Keep it safe and keep cutting!