Nickel allergy

Dallas T said:
I think inhaling then reacting would be more systemic than localized. As in shortness of breath, upper airway narrowing etc but no MD
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Friend of mine developed severe breathing difficulty after welding. (Ambulance and emergency room kind of thing....) The welding was part of his job and of course he didn't wear a respirator which pretty much leaves the employer off the hook. But I tend to agree with you.

My deceased brother in law was a welder and developed Parkinsons. He later developed cancer. His death was the most gruesome thing I can imagine.
 
AustinS1234 said:
I ground canvas micarta o1 tool steel and s30v in my garage before that. This was the day before my first reaction and I had micrta dust all over me with no reaction.
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You mean you didn’t have a reaction that day. Micarta is the other material I stopped using. I was getting headaches & a bit itchy etc..It releases Formaldehyde. No matter how good your respirator is, over time it will pickle your brain .. know any ladies that do hair for a living? They have the highest rate of dementia/ brain issues of any profession.. listen to a few of the older ones..many have slightly slurred speech from breathing formaldehyde fumes..
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
You mean you didn’t have a reaction that day. Micarta is the other material I stopped using. I was getting headaches & a bit itchy etc..It releases Formaldehyde. No matter how good your respirator is, over time it will pickle your brain .. know any ladies that do hair for a living? They have the highest rate of dementia/ brain issues of any profession.. listen to a few of the older ones..many have slightly slurred speech from breathing formaldehyde fumes..
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Correct I had no reaction to anything that day. Isn't micarts just fabric and epoxy though? How does it release Formaldehyde?
 
AustinS1234 said:
Correct I had no reaction to anything that day. Isn't micarts just fabric and epoxy though? How does it release Formaldehyde?
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When we grind it we heat it up! It’s in the Resin, has something to do with how it’s made & cures. Same with plywood’s & flooring . Lumber Liquidators sold a lot of it that the level was so high, it was recalled..
 
The point is that you may have reacted to nickel or a metal, but there are other materials/chemicals that could be involved.

I can see micarta being a problem with exposure. Cocobolo was a new one for me. But it (and similar woods) is on the restricted list now and will be getting much more expensive in the future.
 
22-rimfire said:
The point is that you may have reacted to nickel or a metal, but there are other materials/chemicals that could be involved.

I can see micarta being a problem with exposure. Cocobolo was a new one for me. But it (and similar woods) is on the restricted list now and will be getting much more expensive in the future.
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It’s seems to be mostly woods in the Rose wood Family. There are others though..Many cabinet makers etc get sensitized to them..
 
Natlek said:
No , real Micarta is made with phenolic resin .
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That is crazy! That makes sense because I was covered in micarta dust then the next day I finished a micarta handle then worked on the steel then later that day I took a shower and I got hives. Also, I went into the garage to drill somme holes in some kydex and didn't touch anything but the drill and my work piece and now im covered in hives again.
 
It comes down to..... best guess on the reaction..... Hope that the Allergist has some answers for you. They can't test for everything.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
It’s seems to be mostly woods in the Rose wood Family. There are others though..Many cabinet makers etc get sensitized to them..
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And the truly fun thing is that exotic woods can carry microbiological pathogens. Store the finished planks in your warehouse before shipping it to the US, and who knows what skitters over it depositing feces, spores, viruses et al. In Microbio class, the prof told us about some guy in Alaska getting sick from working wood that had been contaminated by a Civet Cat. I love working with Rosewoods, Lignum vitae, Purpleheart, et al, but I accept that there is a chance I could get really messed up if I don't take precautions. It's like driving the freeway into LA.
 
Update: Did not go in my workshop today and/or touch any micarta or steel. So far so good no hives. Bought a formaldehyde test kit (hasn't arrived yet) and got prescribed prednisone. Im going to make an appointment with an allergist and when I figure out the cause of this I will post it in here so we can all avoid this mess.
 
AustinS1234 said:
Update: Did not go in my workshop today and/or touch any micarta or steel. So far so good no hives. Bought a formaldehyde test kit (hasn't arrived yet) and got prescribed prednisone. Im going to make an appointment with an allergist and when I figure out the cause of this I will post it in here so we can all avoid this mess.
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Remember that prednisone and antihistamines can cause false negatives. That's the point!
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
It’s seems to be mostly woods in the Rose wood Family. There are others though..Many cabinet makers etc get sensitized to them..
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Cocobolo hasn't given me any trouble, but the first time I cut gabon ebony I developed rash and welts on my hands. I haven't tried it again.
 
AustinS1234 said:
That would be great if you were right. Im starting to think that its either chromium or micarta that did this. Just curious what makes you think theres no nickel in the steel?
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I just check about ten different source for 440C steel composition , no trace of nickel in that steel .
 
But a lot of chromium, for sure. Am I right ? 440C the high chromium steel. Beautiful blue/grey hue when mirror polished. Because chrome.
 
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