What woods are "bad for you"?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Joined
Sep 29, 2009
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I know that whenever working with wood a good filter/ventilation system is important. However after reading posts on here I noticed that certain woods (cocobolo comes to mind) seems to warrant more attention to taking special care with. What other woods can you guys think of off the top of your head that require more special attention with regards to taking a little extra precaution when working with?
 
Ipe (brazilian walnut) dust can be pretty irritating. It's also hell on drill bits and other tools. Super hard stuff.
 
Chechen is also known as Black Poison Wood for a reason...

I notice some skin irritation from Desert Ironwood. It's certainly bad news to breath.
 
Desert ironwood, cocobolo, purple heart, are a few I know to be nasty. Really, most any wood dust when put in fine-powder form can be a potential sensitizer and cause annoying or even serious complications whether it be eye irritation, lungs, or skin. Any wood can be damaging to the lungs (or any fine inhaled particles, for that matter), especially woods like ironwood and sometimes mesquite that grow in sandy soils and tend to have a higher silica content.

--nathan
 
Keep in mind that woods can trigger alergic reactions (as any part of a plant can) in persons who are alergic to them. So, it is possible for one person to suffer greatly from exposure to a specific wood while the majority of people experience no ill effects from it. Dusts are especially likely to trigger alergic reactions because 1) they are freshly exposed so that the oils and other chemicals which cause the alergic reactions are especially concentrated and have not oxidized, 2) dusts maximize surface area thus maximizing exposure, 3) dusts can be inhaled, 4) even if not inhaled, dusts often get trapped in contact with the skin for longer periods (under fingernails, under hair, etc.), and dusts can be injested (swallowed) even if only in small quantities, 5) dusts can get into eyes and even if the dust specks are removed (either by intervention or by tearing) those chemicals from them can remain in the eyes.

Wood dusts are, in general, bad to inhale, injest, or get into your eyes. So, always use good ventilation and a full-face respirator mask when grinding on them.
 
I understand what you are asking - and you are on the right track thinking about rosewoods and such, but please don't let your guard down on ANY grinding dust. I recently had a very bad case of hives which could only be attributed to STABILIZED African Blackwood. I wore my mask while grinding, but took it off to clean up the shop and vacuum and got enough of a dose to start coughing some. The next day, 80% of my body covered in huge ugly hives. 4 days later I broke down and went to the doctor. It took five days of nasty stuff (prednisone) to knock it down.

Antler dust is carcinogenic.

California Buckeye and Box Elder are full of fungus and mold.

G10 has glass fibres.

Stainless dust in your lungs is not a good source of iron.

Many of the best knife makers have died of lung disease.

PLEASE just treat it all like it was high risk.

Thanks :thumbup:

Rob!
 
Pao Brazil and Purpleheart.

Since it's been illegal to export Pao Brazil from Brazil for years, that's wood is but a small danger in America.
 
Listen to Rob and all others. I have had chemical phemonia once and double phemonia 2 twice. My lungs have had alot of abuse and I quit smoking 10 years ago. One of the worst dusts is Mahogany, eventhough most of us never would use it beacause its very soft the dust is reallt toxic. ALmost every wood will cause something sooner or later. I have a 1200cfm and a half mask and full 3m 6800 repirator with organic cartriges. I have not used a mask several times just lately and started coughing right away or notice my chest hurting. DONT TAKE CHANCES WITH ANY FINE DUST OF ANY MATERIAL.
 
I got to talking about this not too long ago with a guy at a gun show. He has developed an allergy to Mesquite. When he was younger it would take several days of working with it before he developed a rash. Currently he has stopped working with it all together because if he gets the dust on his hands and arms he will break out in hives and it takes him out of commission for a few days.

Listen to those who go before you. This stuff can kill you.
 
Consider them all bad for you! Recently I had to have a chunk of my right lung removed, and know first hand what all this stuff can cause.
In Sept. the Docs discovered what they called a "nodule" on my right lung. I had surgery in mid November, and upon removing it and having the biopsy done, the Docs told me it was "false Lymphoma".
After much conversation with the Docs, and a lot of research, we found that in 90+% of the cases it's cause by an "outside stimulus". Both the Pulmonary Doc and the Surgeon who worked on me say they are 80% sure that it was caused by all the things I've exposed myself to in the knife shop.

I was lucky, they caught it early. If it goes unchecked, it almost always turns into cancer, and usually by the time it does, it's too late.

PROTECT YOURSELVES! Don't take chances with any of the materials we work with. Find, purchase, and USE a GOOD respirator!
 
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I am getting in the habit of wearing a respirator when I'm doing any kind of sanding. I haven't progressed into doing any handle work just yet but I do wear one when hand sanding a blade. I was more curious because I'm currently working indoors in a work area I have in my basement. I was more concerned about what the more "really bad" ones are for you. I may move the work area out to the garage for better ventilation when it gets a little warmer. But I was more concerned about having a work area indoors.
 
As far as woods, different people have different reactions. For me the worst one is Cocobolo. I can handle the wood, but if I breath in the dust I have a severe reaction.....eyes swell shut, and lungs clog up. During my knifemaking career, I've been to the hospital twice because of it. Its one of the woods that I normally don't keep around the shop, but if I do use it, the respirator is on from start to finish.
 
go mike said:
The sap of the tree gives a rash similar to poison ivy, but once it is dried, there shouldn't be any effects.
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My hands tingle the same way they do with cocobolo when I forget to apply my hand protector. I've always washed them before a rash appears, but caution seems indicated. Different people have different sensitivities to irritants.
 
Dan Pierson said:
My hands tingle the same way they do with cocobolo when I forget to apply my hand protector. I've always washed them before a rash appears, but caution seems indicated. Different people have different sensitivities to irritants.
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Dan

I've thought about using a hand protector because I don't like wearing gloves around moving machinery. What kind do you use?

Rob!
 
KnifeMaker.ca said:
Dan

I've thought about using a hand protector because I don't like wearing gloves around moving machinery. What kind do you use?

Rob!
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Chimal Skin Shield. It's made for hospital workers and such. Ariel recommended it on the list a couple of years ago. Fairly expensive for the 8 oz bottle but seems to last forever.
 
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