Allergic reaction to Dead Finish

[jefferson]

I typically have a bad reaction to Dead Finish (TTIT will know the botanical name, but it has a red centre, at least from one source).

It's beautiful wood once turned so I usually persist, with dust be gone masks and the air filters and extractor running hard.

But this evening, I simply cut some on the bandsaw. Same allergic result.

I've heard of reactions getting worse, but this is almost unbearable. It's a wood I love to turn and would hate to call it worse than another wattle (A. melanoxolyn or blackwood) for bringing the sneezes out.

Any clues out there?

[Dropcat]

Any clues out there?

Hate to say it, but find a new wood. It's probably not going to get any better.

I know someone who developed a CA (super glue) sensitivity, he simply can't be near the stuff now.

[mkypenturner]

jeff are you just sneezing or rash ???
if its only sneezing try going to the chemist and getting some antihitsimanes ( telfast 180mg ) if you go for the telfast theres 3 strenghts get the 180 mg strongest it stops me sneezing with certain timbers

[TTIT]

Bummer :C That's the last wood I would expect anyone to be allergic to :shrug: . . . . . . perish the thought - couldn't keep going without me Dead Finish :no:

PS: It's archidendropsis basaltica :;

[jefferson]

jeff are you just sneezing or rash ???


Runny nose, sneezing and eyes watering are the common symtoms. The pills help a little.

[Ed Reiss]

ya' sure it taint the cat, Jeff?:o

[bellyup]

Sorry to hear it - why is it always the interesting woods that get allergies. You never hear of anyone allergic to Radiata Pine.
Bruce.

[rodent]

Sounds like a you have built up a toxic reaction to the dead finish time to see a allergy specialist .Quack , Doctor Which or other . mm and hear i was thinking it was cocobolo and blackwood you had to watch out for .

[mkypenturner]

Runny nose, sneezing and eyes watering are the common symtoms. The pills help a little.
best to take it about half an hour before that way its kickin in

[jefferson]

I preface my remarks with the following - Dead Finish is a magnificent acacia to turn when it's red. It turns well otherwise (more a brown than a red), but when the core is red, it's sensational.

There was a theory - expounded by Ken W. no less - that the allegic reaction comes with the bark wood.

Wrong.

I stripped / roughed all the bark off to round BEFORE anti-histamines.

Allergic reaction.

Then took the pill, waited 4 hours and began again. Same result.

Damn trouble is the timber turns so nice.

I had a dust be gone mask on, dust extractor going but still the same. Fogged glasses too.

Must I revert to one of the face masks recently advertised by Jim Caroll? It seems so, as I don't want to file Dead Finish away in the too hard basket. Yep, blackwood I can handle but for small boxes, the DF is supreme.

Decisions, decisions....

[dai sensei]

I'll solve your problem, send it to me :U

Seriously though, how much do you have, perhaps a swap for something you are not allergic to could be arranged :rolleyes:

[Cliff Rogers]

Bugger.... I gave you some DF from Longreach the year you came to Prossy, Ken W took it home for you.

I hope I never develop an allergy to it 'cos I have a heap of it now.

[hughie]

I have a full face breather with catridges that can be changed for various conditions courtesy of a previous project. You may have to go this way or buy some humongous all powerfull dust extraction unit.

It can be done but might be a tad expensive, I worked with a large commercial spindle router and it was set up to machine 4m Hardie planks. The extraction was so powerful that there was no dust anywhere not even residual on the table or floor, from memory we had a velocity of 25m per second

[Harry72]

Sounds like you need to use a positive pressure respirator

[bellyup]

Apart from the respirators Jim sells there are these from Carbatec. See below.
(wish I could do those little"here" tab thingies)


Paftec CleanSpace® Respirator : CARBA-TEC (http://www.carbatec.com.au/paftec-cleanspace-respirator_c21873)

[BobL]

This case demonstrates the ineffectiveness of most respirators, masks and in room air filters and why dust is best completely removed from the working environment.

Respirators and room air fliters don't prevent dust from settling on hair and clothing and some of this dust is then breathed in when the respirator and clothing is removed. A friend of ours who is a medico indicated that continuing to the wear same dusty clothes for hours after the dust making activity is over is asking for problems. He suggest the respirator be left on and all clothing be put into a washing machine and then removing the respirator and stepping immediately into a shower is the way to handle this.

In terms of air extraction, 4000 fpm (~20 m/s) at 1000 cfm at the source of the dust is the desired minimum standard. Getting 20 m/s linear air speed is not that hard but getting the volume speed is and is one reason why vacuum cleaners are ineffective on fine dust capture. One of the most difficult machines to grab dust from is the bandsaw. Bill Pentz website suggests that 3 intakes are needed to cover most of the dust from a bandsaw.

Another issue is the over rated DC manufacturers claims for CFM/FPM. The numbers quoted for most DCs should be divided by ~2 to get realistic working figures

[jefferson]

Some interesting posts, particularly on the theme of dust extraction at source and filters.

I do have a "spare" as-yet unconnected 3ph cyclone in my other part of the workshop. Presently - and for the last ten years - have been running portable dust extractors to each machine (combo, wood wizz etc).

I'm giving serious thought into leaving the arrangements are they are - and hooking the cyclone up for my 2 big lathes (VL 175 and VL 300LB). An overkill perhaps, but not being able to turn the likes of redgum without annoying dust is..... annoying! I can put up with the noise but not the dust.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

G'day Jeff!

Allergic to DF? :oo:

Now that sucks. Big time. You finally find a wood that's worth playing with and... :no:

You do know that you don't necessarily need to be breathing in dust to have an allergic reaction? Sometimes even just dust landing on the skin can trigger them. But I think that'd cause more the rash type of thing than sneezing.

[Pat]

Jeff, +1 for the positive pressure respirator/air sheild. I use mine for sanding, along with the Big Gulp Dusty collector and fans and extraction fans going. I have been know to dust off my clothes with an blast of compressed air.

Anything to stop the black boogers and getting more carp into my respiratory system.

I may look like a spaceman some times, but I have enough problems with diagnosed allergy to an unknown allergen, that upsets my sinus' regularly.

[BobL]

You do know that you don't necessarily need to be breathing in dust to have an allergic reaction? Sometimes even just dust landing on the skin can trigger them. But I think that'd cause more the rash type of thing than sneezing.

The reason why dust on skin is more of a problem is described below.

What a lot of people do not realise is the human body acts like a chimney. It produces heat and using an infra red camera it is possible to see currents of warm air rising from a person just like a chimney.

Once the shed is full of fine invisble dust the rising air from and above a person draws dusty ladened air towards a person just like a magnet so the total volume of dust experienced by a person is much higher that the average dust density in the air. Any fine dust that settles on a persons clothes and skin can also take off like a balloon on the this rising tide of warm air and easily wafts up a persons nose or into their mouth.

Just breathing, fluffs and pumps dust (from what even looks like clean clothing) into the air around a person. If an operator has their hands covered in dust and just touches their face this also transmits dusty air to vicinity of their air intakes.

This is why for people with allergies, masks and filters and DCs that recycle air back into a workspace really are in the "too late mate" category.

[RETIRED]

He suggest the respirator be left on and all clothing be put into a washing machine and then removing the respirator and stepping immediately into a shower is the way to handle this. The vision in that sentence just ruined my week.:D

Sorry to hear about your problems Jeff. Maybe it is all Acacias are going to give you grief.

[BobL]

The vision in that sentence just ruined my week.:D.

OK - Shall we now discuss the dust levels inhaled during clothing management when going to the dunny? I wonder how many respirator users continue to wear their PPE while doing their business?

[RETIRED]

:oo:

[Pat]

Bob, you are a sick, sick puppy!

The first comment brought out a request for eye bleach and the second brought tears :;

[Cliff Rogers]

.... I wonder how many respirator users continue to wear their PPE while doing their business?
If you have one of those helmets with the backpack intake.... don't phart while you are using it. DAMHIK. :rolleyes:

[BobL]

If you have one of those helmets with the backpack intake.... don't phart while you are using it. DAMHIK. :rolleyes:

Bin there and it's definitely eye watering! Fortunately it flushes clear fairly quickly.

[texx]

keep hearing about this timber but never turned any , does anyone know if it grows down as far as me or is it only a northern timber .
maybe i should just do some research on it .
johno

[jefferson]

Johno,

I have some pieces of Dead Finish from FNQ and inland NSW. The colour varies for some reason - the burgandy strain is most sought after.

The allergic reaction is worst with the bark and less so for me anyway once the bark is removed.

Under a strong light, you can actually see the dust that causes all the problems!

Try to get some, it turns wonderfully once you work your way around the cracks.

[powderpost]

'Tis indeed sad news Jeff... Don't make a dunny seat out of it then. :rolleyes: :D
Jim

[Cliff Rogers]

The stuff you got from me Jeff was from Central Western Queensland, just West of Longreach.

[Tornatus]

Just came across this thread belatedly, but would like to suggest that you should try to get expert identification of the timber involved, because that would be critical to any medical attempt to deal with the apparent allergy.

The problem is that there are at least four different timbers, from three different species, known by the common name of "Dead Finish" - Acacia carnei (aka Purplewood Wattle); Acacia tetragonophylla; Archidendropsis basaltica; and Albizia basaltica. They tend to be found in different regions, but that's no guarantee of which one you're having trouble with.

Have you had any similar problems with other Acacias? If not, that might suggest you are dealing with one of the other species. Good luck with sorting it out.