will Micarta dust turn my garage into a toxic site?

Stop panicking. For Pete's sake, let's think this through. "Bing Crosby nearly died" rumors, for cryin' out loud... that's one I haven't heard before. :rolleyes:

OF COURSE dust is bad for you. Use a proper respirator/filters when grinding anything. Fumes are bad for you, too... check with the manu to see if your respirator/filters are specified for the fumes you encounter. Ventilation and filtration help a lot. Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom.

Grinding wet works on anything that's not conducting electricity at the moment, and won't be ruined by the wetness.

Safety precautions and cleanliness are ALWAYS important, and indicated in any workshop. This is not rocket science or a medical mystery, it's just common sense.

Pretty much everything a knifemaker comes in contact with "could" injure him badly. We deal with stuff (grinders, saws, drills, etc) that can open you up and bleed you out in a matter of minutes, if you're really dumb about using them. Oh yeah... at some point there's going to be razor-sharp edges in play, as well.

Having said all that, you have a much greater likelihood of being killed by too many Big Macs or the exhaust on the freeway during your drive to work or the grocery store every day than you do of getting cancer from micarta.
 
Respirator to save me, Dust collector to save my shop.

Those two plus opening the door and turning the cooler fan on to blow out dust while sweeping w/respirator.
 
Big Macs ... So true . I guess it just comes down to common sense .



james terrio said:
Stop panicking. For Pete's sake, let's think this through. "Bing Crosby nearly died" rumors, for cryin' out loud... that's one I haven't heard before. :rolleyes:

OF COURSE dust is bad for you. Use a proper respirator/filters when grinding anything. Fumes are bad for you, too... check with the manu to see if your respirator/filters are specified for the fumes you encounter. Ventilation and filtration help a lot. Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom.

Grinding wet works on anything that's not conducting electricity at the moment, and won't be ruined by the wetness.

Safety precautions and cleanliness are ALWAYS important, and indicated in any workshop. This is not rocket science or a medical mystery, it's just common sense.

Pretty much everything a knifemaker comes in contact with "could" injure him badly. We deal with stuff (grinders, saws, drills, etc) that can open you up and bleed you out in a matter of minutes, if you're really dumb about using them. Oh yeah... at some point there's going to be razor-sharp edges in play, as well.

Having said all that, you have a much greater likelihood of being killed by too many Big Macs or the exhaust on the freeway during your drive to work or the grocery store every day than you do of getting cancer from micarta.
Click to expand...
 
james terrio said:
Stop panicking. For Pete's sake, let's think this through. "Bing Crosby nearly died" rumors, for cryin' out loud... that's one I haven't heard before. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is panicking... And that rumor is one I've never heard either... (Bootstrap, that nasty smell? Is off-gassed chemical vapor caused by heat from the machining process... just FYI...)

But, this IS a serious issue. Yes, 'too many Big Macs' can kill you. So I don't eat too many Big Macs... I have seen first hand blacklung death. Emphysema from inhaled vapors, and seen the toll it has taken on my family. I have also taken one deep breath of phosphine gas and had it reduce my lung capacity on the spot. So I know what's unseen and what you breathe can hurt you. You don't have a spare set of lungs and this stuff IS bad for you.

I'll give you credit for going through the list and backing up the use of proper PPE, but it is a concern and should be dealt with properly. No, don't panic, but it should be at the top of the supplies list. Especially for anyone fhat does this on a regular basis.
 
tryppyr said:
I take my 4x36 outside... AND still wear a respirator. I guess the neighbors think I'm nuts. That's okay by me. And like Strigamort, I'm a low exposure guy, but I like lower than low... and my wife likes not having the wood/ivory dust all over everything in the garage.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan on doing when the weather allows. Lately it's been in the teens during the day where I'm at, so not an option at the moment. The Kalamazoo is very portable and considering just setting it up in the shed out back, so I won't have to worry as much about cleanup, filtration, and kids coming in contact with the stuff. Just have a powerful fan, when working inside the shed with the door open, and a respirator. A bit of a pain in the ass to have to walk 100 yards every time I want to use it, but a little exercise never killed anyone.

I've been around a lot of dangerous stuff in my life, I guess it's the stuff you don't see that can potentially kill you that freaks me out...and spiders. Also had a couple family members die from lung cancer and they both worked in shops. But back then they didn't have the protection and knowledge we have today.
 
Last edited:
Just some random thoughts:

-Craigslist is a good place to find dust collectors on the cheap. The good deals go quickly, however, so it pays to check it regularly. I picked up an unused 2-HP HF unit for around $100.

-Wynn Environmental offers a .5-micron pleated filter for the above dust collector (and most others I believe). The increase in filtration and airflow over the factory bag filter was impressive.

-I also have a couple of 20x20 box fans hanging from the ceiling of my shop. I tape 20x20x2" thick pleated filters to the back of the fans and run them 24/7. While not as effective as the industrial units, it does pull a surprising amount of dust out of the air. I usually change the filters monthly (I usually order them from McMaster-Carr), at the same time as my respirator filters.

-You can sometimes find good deals on respirators on ebay. I recently picked up a NIB 3M full face respirator for around $40 shipped. The full-face units offer substantially better eye protection over the half-face units.
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
I'll give you credit for going through the list and backing up the use of proper PPE, but it is a concern and should be dealt with properly. No, don't panic, but it should be at the top of the supplies list. Especially for anyone fhat does this on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I worked in a chemical plant for a couple years. I would never advise anyone to take this stuff lightly.
 
james terrio said:
Absolutely. I worked in a chemical plant for a couple years. I would never advise anyone to take this stuff lightly.
Click to expand...

Back at Virginia Chemicals I worked around P3Cl5 (tri-phosphorous penta-chloride). I wore what looked pretty much like a space suit.

When in then shop, I filter most all the air I breathe to some degree. Sometimes it is a very simple mask, other times a positive pressure hood, and other times a external supplied air umbilicus.


Just to correct a wrong comment earlier:
Cocobolo dust does not "get in your lungs and cause a fungus to grow". Spalted woods with live fungus in them could do this, but it is unlikely ( histoplasmosis and similar lung fungal infections are rare in healthy people). If working spalted woods, it is wise to have a good respirator and to vacuum up all dust. Cocobolo and other tropical woods can cause severe allergic reactions. This can range from itchy wrists and neck to breathing difficulty. You can work them without complaint for years, and one day suddenly become sensitive. This is called acquired sensitivity.
 
As I understand it(I'm probably wrong) but I swear this is what I heard once, most of the toxicity in micarta dust is from chemicals trapped inside the micarta that are released when you sand it and eventually evaporate or react with the air but don't linger in the dust itself for long. Like I said I might be wrong
 
So what you guys are saying... is that I should stop snorting all the various dusts that are in my shop?!?!? :eek: :(



And here I've been swearing by that as a super additive to my Adderall for getting the 'ol hyper-focus to kick in. :D
 
NickWheeler said:
So what you guys are saying... is that I should stop snorting all the various dusts that are in my shop?!?!? :eek: :(



And here I've been swearing by that as a super additive to my Adderall for getting the 'ol hyper-focus to kick in. :D
Click to expand...


Don't listen to them Nick. You chop that stuff into neat little lines and snort the hell out of it. :D
 
You should hold your hands over the filters to make sure the mask properly fits. If you have a beard you will most likely want to shave it. I'm not sure how the beard works with a full face mask.
 
james terrio said:
Stop panicking. For Pete's sake, let's think this through. "Bing Crosby nearly died" rumors, for cryin' out loud... that's one I haven't heard before. :rolleyes:

OF COURSE dust is bad for you. Use a proper respirator/filters when grinding anything. Fumes are bad for you, too... check with the manu to see if your respirator/filters are specified for the fumes you encounter. Ventilation and filtration help a lot. Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom.

Grinding wet works on anything that's not conducting electricity at the moment, and won't be ruined by the wetness.

Safety precautions and cleanliness are ALWAYS important, and indicated in any workshop. This is not rocket science or a medical mystery, it's just common sense.

Pretty much everything a knifemaker comes in contact with "could" injure him badly. We deal with stuff (grinders, saws, drills, etc) that can open you up and bleed you out in a matter of minutes, if you're really dumb about using them. Oh yeah... at some point there's going to be razor-sharp edges in play, as well.

Having said all that, you have a much greater likelihood of being killed by too many Big Macs or the exhaust on the freeway during your drive to work or the grocery store every day than you do of getting cancer from micarta.
Click to expand...
Everyone listen to this guy; he knows what he's doing. If you don't believe me, take a look at his avatar.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top