Allergic reaction to stabilizing resin

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brodbeckrt

Joined
Feb 25, 2016
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I just started in stabilizing wood for handles. I'm using Stickfast stabilizing resin as it was readily available at the local Woodcraft. From what I have found it works similar to Cactus Juice. Put it in a vacuum chamber with the wood. Pull a vacuum until the bubbles stop. Release the vaccine lat it soak. Wrap in foil and bake it at 200 until cured.
I have broken out in hives twice in the past two weeks. I think it's from the dust after sanding. Anyone else ever have this issue with Stickfast or Cactus Juice?
 
brodbeckrt said:
I just started in stabilizing wood for handles. I'm using Stickfast stabilizing resin as it was readily available at the local Woodcraft. From what I have found it works similar to Cactus Juice. Put it in a vacuum chamber with the wood. Pull a vacuum until the bubbles stop. Release the vaccine lat it soak. Wrap in foil and bake it at 200 until cured.
I have broken out in hives twice in the past two weeks. I think it's from the dust after sanding. Anyone else ever have this issue with Stickfast or Cactus Juice?
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Some woods are allergens. What type of wood are you using? Lots of people are allergic to Rosewoods and Cocobolo dust.
I am allergic to poplar.
 
Eek, that blows. Gotta start wearing those cheap, disposable hazmat suits.
 
Medical advice from the web is worth about what you pay for it...

The Safety Data Sheets for Stickfast are available at the manufacturers website (techmarketinginc.net) Some of the ingredients in stickfast are considered skin sensitizers, so it is quite possible you have become allergic to the resin or catalyst, or as has been pointed out, it could be the wood. If you want to figure out which is the culprit, I would suggest consulting a doctor specializing in allergies or industrial medicine.
 
arty said:
Some woods are allergens. What type of wood are you using? Lots of people are allergic to Rosewoods and Cocobolo dust.
I am allergic to poplar.
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I've been using Lignum Vitae and Red Mallee over the past week. From what I've found the Lignum Vitae can be an irritant and so can the Stickfast. Looks like cheap hazmat type suits is going to be it. Anyone know if Cactus Juice is any different or could be less of an irritant?
 
Area FiftyOne said:
If you think Rosewood and Cocobola are allergens just try Purple Heart.
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I've worked with purple heart with no issues, but I know that an allergic reaction can happen on the second or third exposure. Needless to say I haven't worked with it at all the past two times I've broken out.
 
Purpleheart and Lignum Vitae are two of my favorite woods to mess around with, and thankfully I don't have allergies to them. The oils in the Rosewood family are a known irritant, and any of the exotic woods can have contaminants that can become airborne during sanding. You probably don't need to go full Hazmat as long as you take a few precautions. Long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and a good respirator (not a cheapo filter mask), will take you most of the way there. Hives can be a histamine-mediated allergic reaction so taking an antihistamine a half hour before working can inhibit the response. After working, a good scrub with a detergent will take off most oils and organic molecules. Note that soap isn't really a great cleaner for this kind of thing, you need a surfactant, like dish soap.
 
The facts are that you can become allergic to just about anything and almost anything can be a symptom !
I would strongly suggest that if you are allergic to something avoid it !! Things can go from mild to deadly very quickly.
" use in a well ventilated area" should be a precaution for everything .A very good breathing system is a very good investment.
" In the last 10 years the allergy and cancer rate have increased 20 % !!" I believe that is from the CDC The cause is that our environment has ever increasing number and amount of chemicals in it !
Definitions of allergy have changed over the years also. I told one "allergist " that they will have to change the definition of allergy again. He looked at me as if I was from Mars, but two years later they changed the definition ! Thank you.!
 
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