Sensitivity?

[Scrit]

A comment by someone else (Taffy Turner) about the effect that iroko has on him made me wonder how many woodworkers here are affected by dust and which species in particular they found the most irritating. Personally to data I've show and allergic reaction to deep dark red Cuban mahogany (so it's just as well there isn't much of it around), spalted beech (which requires the use of a breather mask for me when sanding/machining as the last time I breathed in the dust I was on my back for about 3 days) whilst yew sap also causes my skin to go red and blotchy. I've also had problems with some species of rosewood - eyes watering, nose running, etc. Why those species I have no idea, although I suspect it must be something to do with spores on/in the wood for the first two as opposed to the timber itself. Iroko, however, doesn't give me any problems. Ah, the joys of woodworking!

Scrit

 

[Mcluma]

mdf does my skin in

after working for a day with mdf i look like an indian :lol:

 

[Colin C]

I must be one of the luck few that has no real problems with any timber and I have used alots of different ones

 

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

Mansonia; couldn't stop sneezing.



Angela

 

[dedee]

I've only worked with oak (American White and French), beech (european) , walnut (american black) and western red cedar. Only the cedar caused any sort of sensitivity - seemed to get stuck in the throat for a day or so.

Never had any problems with birch ply either.

Andy

 

[Roger]

Australian Blackwood - thought I'd run a Marathon and had some congestion for about a week after 5 minutes sanding a turned bowl :shock:

 

[gwaithcoed]

I like Colin C must also be among the lucky ones, had no problems over the last 50 years.
The only wood i'm trying to steer clear of is the sort they make coffins out of.

Alan

 

[Taffy Turner]

For me, Iroko and Pau Amarello are by far the worse - bad skin reaction, nose and eyes streaming (even inside my Trend Airshield).

They are banned from my workshop now.

Have you ever tried sneezing whilst wearing a full face airshield? :shock: :shock: :shock: It isn't recomended! :?

Teak and most of the Rosewoods make my skin a bit itchy, but as long as wear long sleeves I am OK.

Not affected by the domestics that I have come across so far.

(I am asthmatic, so any kind of dust sets me off, hence the Trend Airshield, but that isn't really a sensitivity issue I don't think).

I try to make a point of clearing up after a session on the lathe while still wearing the airshield. I then go outside and remove my turner's smock and give it a good shake and then brush myself down with a handbrush. Only then do I remove the airshield. I do get some funny looks from passers by sometimes though!

Regards

Gary

 

[engineer one]

i think i am sensitive to cedar of lebanon, but love the smell, so :twisted:

but i seem to remember that actually you get more sensitive to certain
woods over a period depending on how you use them.

obviously mdf causes most of us some kind of problem, even if only
the dust gets everywhere :lol:

indeed two weeks later you find it somewhere you can't believe, very
strange.

i understand some of the african woods are pretty bad, my friendly
wood yard say they do one kind only on wet days to cut down the
problems. can't remember, but that i had not heard of it before any
way so :?

actually in view of the latest government about using a handkerchief
when sneezing, i wonder how many of us after a days woodworking
have noticed the strange colour after a quick blow????? :roll:

srit, have you tried some of the creams, or de-sensitation treatment??

still, good excuse to only use certain woods... :lol: :lol:

paul :wink:

 

[Chris Knight]

Iroko - skin splits around thumbnails. But barrier cream prevents it -when I remember to use it!

 

[DomValente]

Oddly enough American Black Walnut, If I dont wear serious filtering I feel as if I'm choking, maybe I'm a horse.(apparently the sawdust can seriously damage their health)

Dom

 

[PowerTool]

I like Colin C must also be among the lucky ones, had no problems over the last 50 years.
The only wood i'm trying to steer clear of is the sort they make coffins out of.

Alan

Same here,no reactions to any that I've used so far.(Just try to avoid as much dust as possible,regardless of type)

Andrew

 

[orangetlh]

Iroko always seems to make me cough, gets right on my chest. Pine is the worst for me, drys my nasal area right out, i hate the stuff and also the smell! Have also had problems with splinters from teak swelling the surrounding are up and is quite painfull, even the tiny ones.

 

[twister]

Like Paul I have a problem with Cedar of Lebanon - it males me itch like crazy. This is a real pity because (a) it's such a joy to turn (b) both the shop & myself smell great for days :lol: and (c) SWMBO's got me making ten 12inch platters from it for her dining table :roll:
The only other problem I've noticed is with chestnut. If I don't use the trend airshield, the lining of my nose feels like I've stuffed a couple of chillies up it

 

[Anonymous]

Worked with large number of different timbers and no adverse reactions.
Puts me in the lucky bracket.

After working in dust for quite a few years i have noticed that my sense of smell is vertually zero.

 

[CHJ]

Iroko is a no touch wood for me, Nettle Rash, Closed Up Eyes, you name it, it happens, at least two weeks for symptoms to disappear with the help of some not to desirable medication which has to be kept on hand in the refrigerator in case of accidental exposure or like reaction from other wood type.

After handling a fair bit of Cedar of Lebanon it now appears that it might be a no go wood in the future also, streaming sinuses start about 4 hours after working it just on a bandsaw let alone turning it, despite the most aggressive dust extraction and Trend face mask.
symptoms last a week or more, most annoying as someone wants me to work a quantity for them.

It is obviously something to do with the volatiles from the wood as opposed to dust as the very smell of the Cedar wood triggers an immediate increase in reaction whilst symptoms prevail.

Once sensitized by the Cedar things like Cellulose Thinners are a problem also, and someone shredding several large leylandie trees a hundred yards away from my house today caused discomfort.

 

[Pecker]

Forgive me if this has already been posted elsewhere, I wasn't aware of it.
However the HSE give a list of the more common toxic woods and their effects. Link http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis30.pdf#s ... 20risks%22

Hope this is of help (or at least makes you aware of the dangers!)

regards
mark

 

[CHJ]

Pecker,
See my Signature Link. Timber Suppliers >Wood Hazards for more info.

 

[engineer one]

at the risk of being struck off for heresy, do you guys realise
what this could do to the ability to add to the tuit list???? :lol:

we could now spend hours figuring how to not do a job because
of the sensitivity to the wood :twisted: :roll:

paul :wink:

 

[Scrit]

we could now spend hours figuring how to not do a job because of the sensitivity to the wood :twisted: :roll:

Nah! Just do the job, get ill, then avoid the timber in question like the plague foerever after :shock:

Scrit