Thread: Working with toxic woods

Maybe you've seen this and maybe you haven't, but icedog spurred me on to find some information and put it up here as I didn't easily find anything in the forum already addressing so much at once regarding general safety and specific precautions working and especially sanding with different woods.

Please add more information if you have it

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...hp/Toxic_Woods

Moral of the story: wear a mask!

I got pretty sick about a month ago from working with some African Blackwood. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, sore throat, and a deep cough. I thought I was coming down with a cold at first, but I soon realized what had happened. I never worked with wood until I recently began making scales, so I was very uninformed about the dangers of woodworking. I know now that wearing a mask is very important.

Amen.

Masks and visors are a must with any wood, toxic or not. Regardless of toxicity, nobody likes to sneeze wood filler.

Lee, can you add the blurb about spalted woods to that table?

Here's something that may be news. Walnut is poisonous to four legged mammals. I read that it can kill horses if they eat it. For dogs I know it is very bad. When he was a puppy, Basil (my pit bull) was at the shop with me. A guy was turning a bowl of walnut on the lathe. Basil found the nice pile of warm, moist chips under the lathe very interesting. He ate some of the chips and about two hours later he was very sick. He had diarrhea and was vomiting violently. IIt was pretty bad. We were afraid we were going to lose him. The "double ender" action stopped after a while but He was lethargic for three full days. If you ever met Basil you'd know just how sick he must have been to be lethargic.

Brad

Originally Posted by icedog

Lee, can you add the blurb about spalted woods to that table?

Your wish is my command, sahib

yeah, I've found that I am allergic to purpleheart, and even wearing a mask, the sawdust caused a small rash wherever it touched my skin.

I posted something similar the other week HERE, but stuff like this can never be repeated often enough.

Can I suggest that this topic be made a sticky on Health & safety grounds.

Mark

Originally Posted by WMSheep

I posted something similar the other week HERE, but stuff like this can never be repeated often enough.

Can I suggest that this topic be made a sticky on Health & safety grounds.

Mark

Thanks! That thread was where I originally saw that information, but yesterday I couldn't remember what the thread was titled and didn't easily find it in the forum search. Like you say though, it can't be repeated often enough. Sticky is a good idea

No problem

Originally Posted by jockeys

yeah, I've found that I am allergic to purpleheart, and even wearing a mask, the sawdust caused a small rash wherever it touched my skin.

Purpleheart is also one of the most ornery woods on the planet. If you look at it the wrong way it'll give you splinters.