Toxic Wood

[Dennis Dearborn]

I bought a bunch of scrap from a lumber yard the other day. It is supposed to be South American hardwood. I've had a great time with it until yesterday when I tried to turn a segmented bowl. The stuff nearly killed me. Burned my nose and throat and kept me up all night with cold like symptoms. It is rust colored, fine grain, not much figuring, and it turns great if you live to tell about it. Any ideas on what kind it is?

[John Beaver]

can you post a picture ?

[Dennis Dearborn]

As soon as I figure out how

Dennis

[Bill O'Conner]

sounds like one of the rosewood, cocobola maybe

[Bob Hallowell]

Rust color I would say paduak.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dennis - there is a small tutorial on how to post photos - located in the Tech Support Forum. Here it is: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=25115

If you have any questions or problems posting photos please let us know!

[Ken Jurman]

If you got it from a regular lumber yard it may be ipe (pronounced eepay). I'ts used for decking for its weather resistance

-Ken

EDIT - if it is ipe (which is toxic and allergic) here's a link FYI: http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Working_Safely_with_Ipe.html

[Ron Ainge]

A bunch of us were making pen blanks for a turn-a-thon and we were using rose wood from south america. I got to choking us and sneezing so bad that I had to leav the building. There is a saying about rose wood either you are alergic to it now or you will be if you use it much..... I did recover but I do not turn it anymore.

[Dennis Dearborn]

Thank you guys. I can't get the photo from my camera to the PC. I will this weekend and post it

Dennis

[Keith Christopher]

I am almost positive it is a member of the rosewood family. Most have highly alergic reactions to this wood. I would guess it is hondouran rosewood.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would agree it is in the rosewood family. That is why I wear a good mask or my respirator when turning most exotic woods. I recently bought the Totobobo mask for when I don't need a mask when turning small stuff and it seems to work well even for sanding plus it can be washed. Got it from VincesWoodNWonders.

[Mark Waltrip]

I'm new here, but I HAVE worked with woods before that are highly allergenic. Another hobby of mine is flintknapping, and I make reproductions of Native American knives out of stone and antler, or stone with a hard wood handle.

I've run across quite a few South African, South American, and even a few Australian woods while making handles that have made me curse the day I picked up the hobby.

I was working some Australian Leopardwood not too long ago. Fifteen minutes into the knife my hands started itching as if I'd dipped my hands in a vat of poison oak! I went on to wash my hands, and they still itched like the dickens. I never broke out into hives or anything, but I mean this stuff is bad news. My hands literally felt as if I couldn't have scratched them enough, and the itch just wouldn't go away. Later that day I got some of the sawdust in my shoe around my ankle. Twenty minutes later I was itching my ankle almost to the point that I was afraid I would scratch it raw, and it wouldn't stop itching.

That's just my 2 cents on working with Australian Leopardwood. Just thought I'd chime in. I couldn't imagine what would happen if I inhaled the dust. :eek:

[Dave Bureau]

I was turning some Padauk last week and had the same symptoms.

[Dennis Dearborn]

Here is a photo of the wood. It is 3 pieces glued together.

[Keith Christopher]

Yep, my money's on honduran rosewood.


http://www.exoticwoodgroup.com/images/Honduran_rosewood/HonRos_pen.jpg