Possible Box Elder Allergies

[Ron Ainge]

I have been turning several pieces over the past couple of weeks out of Box Elder and have at the same time bagan to have problems with skin irritation. I have changed several things that i thought may have caused the irratation but have had no success. I am wondering if anyone knows of any problelm with the Box Elder wood and if it could be the reason for my skin irratation.

[Matt Meiser]

My experience has been that the bugs can cause skin irritation, so maybe its related to that?

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ron,

Welcome to SMC! Thank you very much for joining. You have joined the best forum on the net as far as I am concerned. I hope you enjoy your time here!

As far as allergies go, you can literally be allergic to anything I think! My grandpa is allergic to Oak, but no other woods that he knows of. Another friend of mine is allergic to drywall dust.

Good luck on figuring this out, but it is possible that you are allergic to the wood.

[Ron Ainge]

thanks for the reply Matt and Jeff. I have quite a bit of the Box Elder with some good red flame in it that i would like to turn but if it will cause me that much trouble i may have to give to some of my turning friends. Does anyone know of a web page that i could check for senativity to wood dust/fungi.

[Blake McCully]

Ron,
Before giving up an your box elder. Work at clearing up the rash. There are many OTC creams that can help. Once it has gotten cleared up, try turning some while wearing a long sleeved tee shirt and maybe some latex gloves. Also, since you are experiencing a mild rash, contact dermatitis, please be very aware that you may have the same type of allergic reaction inside.

I won't reiterate it here, but I did a post about a pretty severe reaction that I had with cocobolo. Have taken care of it, and turn it again with no problem.

However, if you are are intent of getting rid of your boxelder, let me know. I'll pay shipping to my place :D

[Ron Ainge]

Blake i had not thought about the possibility of having any of the reaction to other parts of the body, but you are right it could also be on the inside. I always use a long shirt to turn with because it keeps me cleaner, however I do not wear gloves. That may be a good way to check to make sure it is not contace dermatitis. I do believe that it may be the fine dust that i inhale.

I think that it would be a bit expensive to ship the wood to you because some of the pieces I have are quite large.

Thanks for the response.

[Robert E Lee]

http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic
I hope this works.
Bob

[Jim Becker]

Box elder is a variety of maple and that is usually pretty benign. However, spalting and other activity that involves fungus could contribute to a perceived sensitivity. Everyone is a little different physiologically...there are even some folks (sadly) that are sensitive to any form of wood dust, etc. My locksmith is that way...he used to be a carver. No more.

[Charlie Stein]

Hi Ron,
I'm sort of new here but old to wood working. Do not know if you ware a dust mask, but if you do not that might be part of the probllum. I use a "North Safety" mask
{ CFR-1} it has replaceable filters {42N95}. I have no afilation with this Co. But it is the most confortable mask I have ever woren,just trying to help a fellow turner.
I have been through what you are expearinceing, they could not find any reason so they called it ITCHEY BUMPS great DR. LOL. Good luck.
Just Charlie

[Ron Ainge]

Thanks to everyone for the replys and the information. I have stayed away from the shop for the past two nights and the rash is going away (thank heavens). I know that I was turning Box Elder that cantained a lot of fungus causing the red stains in the wood, but I also used some glue (ca) to fill a void so those are the only two things that I would think could cause the reaction. I hope that I do not have a reaction to the glue because I use it as a finish on my pens. I think that it may be time to purchase a full face resperator for protection for my respratory system so that i way continue to injoy this hobby (habit) for a while longer. Again thanks to the responses and the information.

[Jim Becker]

Ron, relative to the "full face respirator", keep in mind there are two kinds: 1) Nuisance dust protection and comfort with things like the Trend product at a "reasonable" cost and 2) REAL, NIOSH approved protection from 3M and others for about a half-a-grand or more investment. I've been pleased with the Trend since I recently bought it, but if I found I was still having problems, I'd have to consider the real protective devices or eliminate any species or situations (like spalting) I was truly sensitive to.

Bubinga is my scourge...

[Ed Lang]

I just found out that I have a reaction to CA glue. It has happened four times now so I know for sure.

Now before you say something about taking four times, hear me out. The first time I turned a cedar bowl and thought I would pass out from the dust, then I went to another part of the shop and used CA. About 3 hours later, while watching TV and eating nuts I started to have trouble breathing. It got worse as the night went on and I took everything I had at the house to fix it.... nothing worked and it took 4 days to feel better. I thought it might be the nuts since it had been 3 hours since I was in the shop.

Next time I was using CA as well as general lathe and flat work in the shop. 3 or 4 hours later same breathing trouble. I had not eaten any nuts so that was ruled out.

Next time I was using CA but in much smaller amounts. Still same thing hours later.

Last time, I was using CA at the lathe and had a fan blowing the fumes away from me but this was not going to keep me safe. Again, hours later I had trouble breathing but this time it was a LOT less trouble and only lasted for a day or two.

Now I am afraid of CA unless I get a filter or work under a fume hood!

Sounds like 2 part epoxy or Gorilla Glue will have to be used for my pens now.

Good luck in finding your cause and the solution.

[Jim Becker]

CA gives off vapors when it cures and they can be quite nasty...especially when you are using a lot of the product as in finishing small objects with it. Remember, those fumes are the same thing they use to lift fingerprints...think of what it might do to your lungs! Ventilation is essential when using this material...just because it's "quick" doesn't make it any less dangerious.

[Ron Ainge]

We did a turn-a-thon at Woodcraft last fall, turning pens for the service men and woman and at that time I made up 50 blanks of cocobola and had a reaction at that time. I thought that I may be sanative to the cocobola but now looking back at it, it may have been the CA glue that caused the problem. I will have to try turning things that I do not have to use CA for a while to see what happens. I still think that it is time for some type of respiratory protection soon.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[Jim Becker]

'Could haev been both, Ron. Cocobolo is well know as being problematic...as are the rest of the rosewoods.