Toxic Cedar?

[teachmarkey]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum and to plug building, so bear with me if you've heard this one. A guy I know was nice enough to loan me a lathe to try my hand at plug turning. He also gave me some cedar for the plugs, but he said I should use a respirator because cedar is toxic. What do you hear about this? Is a dust mask protection enough? I'd hate to shell out the dough for a respirator before I even know if I'll be any good at making the plugs. I'll be working in my garage, and usually the garage door will be open.

Thanks in advance.