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Cooking woods
- Thread starter ste
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I'm not sure about the specific wood you mentioned, however, I do remember that when I was in Panama, several Marines came into the hospital with a severe rash all over them.
As it turns out, the rash was caused by the smoke from a fire that they had built using "poisonous" wood. At least that's what the corpsman said.
Also, in Florida, they are trying to eradicate Brazilian Pepper Trees. I am told that it is illegal to burn them because the smoke from them may cause respiratory problems and / or rash.
As it turns out, the rash was caused by the smoke from a fire that they had built using "poisonous" wood. At least that's what the corpsman said.
Also, in Florida, they are trying to eradicate Brazilian Pepper Trees. I am told that it is illegal to burn them because the smoke from them may cause respiratory problems and / or rash.
Jimbo: I don`t see it as problem. Generaly I don`t go round chopping trees down for wood, but use already dead stuff instead. Yew is actually my favourite wood and I wouldn`t waste a decent sized piece on the fire!! I usually have quite a few scrap pieces of poisonous woods as I am a woodturner (and some shavings from the bow I`m making at the mo).
SammyB: I meant burning it. I already know that using it for utensils is bad for you.
Steve6: You`ve made my mind up!
SammyB: I meant burning it. I already know that using it for utensils is bad for you.
Steve6: You`ve made my mind up!
Hi:
I sure am glad that you took my reply the right way! I was out of town for a while yesterday and thought back on it - and didn't feel too good. The object here is to learn.
Thinking on the original purpose for planting yew trees around every churchyard - you are supposed to be making the wood into bows!
Parts of history are now being re-thought due to current investigations into bows and atlatls, so there are applications beyond ours of survival.
I honestly don't know about the toxicity problem - and I think the only way of knowing would be to find out by trying - which would not be too good since the main indicator of ingestion by livestock is "found dead"!
I think that the main point is that while you turn the yew wood and use it in bows, just handling a solid piece (or even shavings) won't get much of the alkaloid poison into you. After a while the surface layers of the wood will be depleted of the alkaloid poison anyway. People have been using yew handled knives to cut food (and population control)for centuries.
Burning is something else - think of cigarettes and nicotine. The smoke is a very efficient way of getting nicotine into you. Drying doesn't break down a lot of alkaloids like nicotine. My opinion would have to be that it could be extremely dangerous to cook over the stuff.
The best people to ask about this would be the animal husbandry or botany people at a university. They probably won't know either but may try some experiments.
How are your bows turning out? I had never realized how much there was to making a longbow!
Jimbo
I sure am glad that you took my reply the right way! I was out of town for a while yesterday and thought back on it - and didn't feel too good. The object here is to learn.
Thinking on the original purpose for planting yew trees around every churchyard - you are supposed to be making the wood into bows!
Parts of history are now being re-thought due to current investigations into bows and atlatls, so there are applications beyond ours of survival.
I honestly don't know about the toxicity problem - and I think the only way of knowing would be to find out by trying - which would not be too good since the main indicator of ingestion by livestock is "found dead"!
I think that the main point is that while you turn the yew wood and use it in bows, just handling a solid piece (or even shavings) won't get much of the alkaloid poison into you. After a while the surface layers of the wood will be depleted of the alkaloid poison anyway. People have been using yew handled knives to cut food (and population control)for centuries.
Burning is something else - think of cigarettes and nicotine. The smoke is a very efficient way of getting nicotine into you. Drying doesn't break down a lot of alkaloids like nicotine. My opinion would have to be that it could be extremely dangerous to cook over the stuff.
The best people to ask about this would be the animal husbandry or botany people at a university. They probably won't know either but may try some experiments.
How are your bows turning out? I had never realized how much there was to making a longbow!
Jimbo
That is a really good point about cigarettes Jimbo. That definetly inforces the point in my mind.
What finally made me decide to make a bow, was a post on the Primitive Skills mailing list giving fairly simple instructions.
It's my first bow that I've made. It's only about 3.5' long, as I was only intending it as a practice. The curve on it at the moment is brilliant though. Unfortunately there is too much sapwood and it neds a lot of thinning down. Quite laborious work.
What finally made me decide to make a bow, was a post on the Primitive Skills mailing list giving fairly simple instructions.
It's my first bow that I've made. It's only about 3.5' long, as I was only intending it as a practice. The curve on it at the moment is brilliant though. Unfortunately there is too much sapwood and it neds a lot of thinning down. Quite laborious work.
Good stuff! Now I'm getting interested in finding some yew to see how bowmaking is done.
There's supposed to be a variety of yew that grows all up the pacific coast to Alaska. I've never seen any though. I guess I have a neat question for my friends in forestry..
Jimbo
There's supposed to be a variety of yew that grows all up the pacific coast to Alaska. I've never seen any though. I guess I have a neat question for my friends in forestry..
Jimbo