Exotic hardwoods and skin problems!

[GregShelton]

Hi everyone,

I have been given a nice collection of wenge and paduk offcuts that I am planning to use to make jewellery pieces : bracelets, necklaces, earings, etc. A good woodworking friend of mine has raised concerns about possible harmful effects of having such woods in constant contact with the skin of the wearer. I know that exotic hardwoods are on the top end of the danger list as far as cancers and allergies are concerned but I had thought that this only really became an issue when the wood is being worked and is producing dust.
I plan to finish my jewelry, either with wax or a lacquer. Will adding a layer of finish guarantee protection for the wearer? Is there even a danger with such wood being in contact with the skin in a solid form in any case?

Regarding matters of fabrication, do I need to be using waterproof wood glue to guard against perspiration and/or rain damage?

Thank you for your time,

Greg.

 

[Ttrees]

I wouldn't worry about it.
These woods are very dense will take up a polish
Its mainly dust that is a trigger as it exposes you to a lot more surface area, as
every corner of these dust particles will be in contact with your skin when its on you
instead of a highly polished, oxidised possibly sealed piece.
you could cover them in epoxy or something anyway so they dont split

Beware those wenge splinters may go septic in the skin
Good luck

 

[MusicMan]

I doubt it also. I have a cocobolo basset horn; that's a wood which certainly needs caution when turning, and I am sensitive to e.g. yew dust, but I haven't had the slightest problem in playing it (a lot). The maker also reports that he hasn't heard of problems in use (and of course he wears a top end respirator for turning).

A waterproof glue might be an idea for the reasons you say.

 

[GregShelton]

Thank you very much guys, that's very reassuring!

As for using epoxy, I have to confess that I have no experience with that. Is there a serious risk of the wood splitting if it is just small pieces?

Do I need to be using any special blades when cutting too? I know these kinds of hardwoods can blunt saws pretty quickly.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Racers]

Exotic hardwoods have been worked for years with carbon steel tools, so that’s all you need.

You will probably get better at sharpening as you will be doing it more often.

Pete

 

[RogerS]

This is a useful chart showing wood allergens and their possible effect.

I'd stay clear of Ceylon Satinwood, if I were you :-"

 

[MusicMan]

RogerS, that would be a useful chart, but there wasn't a link to it in your post!

 

[clanger]

When working with oak (green or kiln dried) the tannin affects my hands - it turns them purple. It can get so bad that it can mark the wood. However, once there is a finish (of any variety) I don't have the problem. Therefore, I would say that applying a finish would be a suitable barrier.

As an aside, when I am doing the final prep (scraping and sanding) and applying the first coat of finish I wear nitrile gloves. I have found that it is only the first coat where I need the gloves, even for a 50/50 Danish Oil/white spirit blend. So after a few coats of finish you should be perfectly safe.

Chris

 

[RogerS]

RogerS, that would be a useful chart, but there wasn't a link to it in your post!

Here it is.

 

[yetloh]

That's a useful site, Roger. It's only problem is that it is organised alphabetically by common name, it's American and common names vary greatly between ountries. For example I tried searching for "Holm oak" and "Quercus ilex", it's botanical name, and it didn't find either. Common names are so convenient but also such a minefield and increasingly so as woodworkers communicate internationally more and more.

Jim

 

[GLFaria]

Hi,
You may find a lot of useful information in the HSE site. Namely: Woodworking Sheet (WIS No 30 - Revision 1).
Just Google HSE toxic woods. I would post a link if I was sure this is allowed.

 

[GregShelton]

Thank you all again for the info. I am in the process of teaching myself finishing techniques and I feel like, if I (working in thin coats) build up to a thick enough layer of something like polyurethane varnish, I should be able to render my finished projects safe for regular contact with the skin!

 

[sunnybob]

I work almost exclusively with hard woods, bubinga and padauk are favourites.
I always wear a FFP3 rated dust mask, but do not wear gloves (sometimes in our hot summers I'm not even wearing a T shirt)

Skin allergies are almost always after very prolonged contact, like 8 hour days in a saw mill.

If you have sensitive skin there is barrier cream available to rub into your hands before starting work, but for an occasional hobbyist the risk is extremely small.

 

[glynster]

When I first started woodworking I was unaware of any of these issues, I spent half a day sanding down American Black Walnut in an enclosed garage (Back in the days when I thought "Hey its just sawdust"). That evening I was incredibly ill and agitated. It felt like a combination between flu and having taken a bump of amphetamine (misspent youth). I remember googling and searching on these boards and, yes indeed, certain wood dusts can cause confusion and agitation and general malaise (at least that's my excuse now). I now work almost exclusively in oak but I find if I work in any kind of softwood/redwood I get eczema on my hands the same day - skin starts cracking, blistering and within a day my hands are sore red on the tips and I have so may plasters I look like Jacko in the Bad days.
I now wear those black nitrile gloves that tattoo "artists" wear when sanding or handling timbers that I know will irritate my hands. My point is, even everyday domestic timbers can cause a bad reaction if your body takes an objection - with softwoods I think it is the sticky sap that really disagrees with me.
These days I battle sinusitis, but installing 2 separate powered air filters has reduced that enormously. Part of the problem is that in the UK the spaces we get to work with generally wouldn't pass as a closet in the US - even our so called "double garages" which are barely big enough for a decent sized table saw.

 

[CHJ]

......
Skin allergies are almost always after very prolonged contact, like 8 hour days in a saw mill.
.........., but for an occasional hobbyist the risk is extremely small.

I would not agree with extremely, It may not have been your new hobby that has sensitised you but a lifetime of exposure to an associated irritant that you were not aware of.

If you have become sensitised, even just handling a wood in store can start the reaction, I speak from personal experience.
In depth trail back for the trigger of my reactions appears to have been the moulds and dust from a refurbishment of a thatched timber framed building some years previously that caused a problem.

A relatively low level contact with Iroko as a turner proved to be a violent trigger that meant I had to even steer clear of it stacked in a wood yard store such as Yandles for a couple of years.

Since the Iroko 'attack' if I do DIY work that involves disturbance of years of house dust a mask and a thorough washing routine is a must, even a few minutes rubbing a bit of fine abrasive over many common UK woods is enough to cause 48 hrs discomfort if I don't wash hands ASAP to prevent body transfer.

this is as good an explanation of the subject as I've seen

 

[Ttrees]

I took a mild reaction to the iroko (and meranti aswell I think)last year.
It became noticeable that I had to stop, when I was jack planing really figured iroko
The timber was tearing out badly, and it was making dust.

I took a break from the shed for about 4 or 5 months, as its full of iroko, as every time I even went in to get something
around my mouth would get irritated in the few seconds I went in there.

This I believe, was due to my auto immune disease, bad psoriasis open sores and all that.
At the time I was getting a crop of mouth ulcers, which I believe was the final straw that led me to react...
I did get some psoriasis around my face since, so that could have been something to do with it too.
I cant tell anymore if I am getting the first signs of the reactions since, because of it now.

All I know is, I'm not going to consume anything that will bring back the mouth ulcers again...
which I am quite familiar with.
I have a sort of thesis on that, but thats another story on my beliefs on a lot of common diseases (many), which might offend some
and makes doctors shudder

I will say this though.
I have an inclination that anyone who has a reaction with timber,
(within reason, as in your not under a belt sander all day long)
that it might be a warning sign that something sinister may be going
on, but that is undetectable by a doctors methods.
(Achymacflaker) on fb AKA
Tom Trees