Thread: Timber Allergies and Effects

cadagi anoys my Sinuses all other timbers fine

Originally Posted by Burnsy

I have read a bit on here about different timbers causing different people to have reactions. There was recently a query to the FWWA over here regarding a list of timbers that cause allergic reactions and I thought this would be a good place to start compiling one.

Everyone is different and it would be great if people could just record the species and the reaction they had to it as a post. Obviously the more people who post about a particular species the more common the reaction to it probably is.

When I mill some marri it smells to me like freshly brewed corona beer. My reaction to the smell is to go immediately and get a corona and drink it. This is made easy by Jeff at the yard having a shed with several fridges full of cold coronas. I don't normally go for corona but this is the reaction it has on me

Hi Burnsy,

As a new member to this forum this of all things is my first posting!

During a past project I was shocked to find I was highly alergic to Beefwood. The effect was that all exposed skin got red and ichy. Once or twice my eyes got all puffed up like I was in a massive brall....

Definitely not touching that one again.

Great post would love to know if anyone else had this happen to them.

Regards,

Lee

Originally Posted by BobL

When I mill some marri it smells to me like freshly brewed corona beer. My reaction to the smell is to go immediately and get a corona and drink it. This is made easy by Jeff at the yard having a shed with several fridges full of cold coronas. I don't normally go for corona but this is the reaction it has on me

You're going to have the advertising people knocking on the door

I love turning apple but it messes up my sinuses.

cheers
Jim

There are 2 timbers that have had a dramatic and rapid effect on me: they are blackbean and Mackay cedar. The sanding dust from both had my nose and throat bleeding in very short time; not pouring, but blow your nose, clear your throat and strings of blood appear in the mucous. These effects are well documented in both timbers, so wear a mask or use dust extraction when sanding them!

Good thread, Burnsy.

I get the sneezes from dry silky (G Robusta) dust (not when milling it wet though. I've also had a very bad response to Albizzia fastigiata. i have to evacuate the shed when surfacing it, since it makes breathing virtually impossible - my lungs just won't expand.

Other than that, no problem, although both I and my offsider did get a bad rash on our abdomens after moving some hoop that had been stored outside and was badly spalted. I don't know if it was the hoop, but that's all I could come up with that we'd both handled.

Mackay Cedar did the same to me, only worked with it once.

There's a timber available around here the locals call it Redbean, I've never worked it before, but 2 other guys I know have had similar reactions to it as well.

Cooktown Ironwood dust makes my nose run. I always use a mask now, and my cyclone in the workshop sucks most up before it gets near me. It gives bad headaches as well.
One mate of mine milled some up without a mask, he was sick for about 4 days.

Originally Posted by Burnsy

I have read a bit on here about different timbers causing different people to have reactions. There was recently a query to the FWWA over here regarding a list of timbers that cause allergic reactions and I thought this would be a good place to start compiling one.

Everyone is different and it would be great if people could just record the species and the reaction they had to it as a post. Obviously the more people who post about a particular species the more common the reaction to it probably is.

Please dont post responses saying I have used that and it did not happen to me, unfounded hearsay or anything like that, just stick to the facts.

Cheers,
Burnsy

This seems like a really interesting and useful exercise. A bit of evidence-based research.

Several Education Depts and schools have banned some species of wood in their classes for alleged "safety" reasons. (eg Tas Ed Dept has banned blackwood.) It might be worth approaching them and asking what they have banned (if any), why, and on what evidence.

I hope the project goes well.

Cheers

Graeme

I don't have any of the violent reactions that have been mentioned in various places.

In general, I do find that significant exposure to most timber dusts leave me with some degree of aftereffect, but I would guess that to be a furphy.

More specifically:

Silky Oak, (northern) seems to leave me with some chest tightness, if I don't take some precautions. Dusty running seems to be sufficient to avoid. I will be using a lot in the next months, and will be monitoring myself closely.

Australian Red Cedar I have used quite a bit, and definitely has an effect. Hand tools are fine, but sanding on lathe w/o dusty has left me with headaches, probably more than I could explain from neck strain. It has not seemed to get worse with repeated exposure, AFAIK.

Mackay cedar I have used twice, without precaution. Main contact coincided with a massive nosebleed next day, as well as some skin itching. Second lighter contact gave some itching on damp skin, but no major nasal symptoms. Could feel I had been breathing it though, with slight "sinus" like congestion. I will be using the rest, and will document if repeated, or worse.

Perhaps because I turn it frequently, and hence notice, Jacaranda stands out for causing sneezing, lasting for some hours after the turning is over. Has not got worse, over many years though.

Camphor does tend to cause headaches, but that can be just from the volatiles in a confined space, even without any dust. Sanding does not seem to make it worse. Damp skin also can show a reaction turning on hot summer days.

I tend to be cautious of heavy exposures to any timber dust, but that involves dusty, fan etc, and has not expanded to the levels of air-supply visor, facemask or dust filter to date.

regards

There is ample evidence that blackwood (a.melanoxon) is hazardous.

I got a small spec of ebony in my eye once and was blind within 30 minutes. Luckily after washing it out, my eyes returned to normal after a few hours.

Also, here is a pretty good list of hazards

Indian rosewood makes my throat a bit tight

Might like to look here.

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/woodstuf.htm

vine tree makes me sneeze like crazy. It's a very dusty timber so it's probably not uncommon.