Allergic or what?

[Mark549]

Ok - - I’m having difficulty. I’ve been a little wheezy after pen turning and increased my ventilation (box fan toward the lathe with another box fan as an exhaust next to the open garage door. I’m using a sanding mask very regularly, too, throughout the drilling, turning and sanding.

Next, I got a rash, similar to poison ivy, [xx(]but not as weepy, but dang persistent. I think that this was related to some leopard wood that I got rid of, but the itching continues â€" so it may be something else that I’m turning.

I stopped turning pens for three days and breathing was a bit better. Tonight, I turned three acrylics (with my fans and mask, but I later began to cough up plenty of clear fluid as though I’d still gotten a good dose of particles. I mean I was coughing till I thought I was gonna puke.[:0]

I’m thinking that I should upgrade to a p-100 mask and seriously consider an air cleaner/dust collector combo with the DC venting outside the garage.

Am I screwed?[8]

Mark

 

[jeffj13]

I think I'd make an appointment with my doctor.

jeff

 

[Lathemaster]

There is lots of information on the net about the toxicity of wood dust. As a pen turner we also gravitate towards the exotics, burls and unique woods from parts of the world our immune systems are not used dealing with.

I never and repeat never do any work in my shop without wearing a NIOSH approveg respirator. I use a double cartridge model that covers both nose and mouth. The model I use is approved for both dust and fumes. I can't even smell the CA drying.

Since switching to the respirator instead of simple dust masks I have had no allergic reactions - I have had pollen allergies all my life.

And just to make this dissertation complete I always where eye protection over my glasses and hearing protection as well.

All this in addition to ventilation and as of January a Jet DC system.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Mark,
I don't have any problem with the respitory system, but earlier this week I turned two tone chambers for a couple of deer calls. The wood was bobote and I think the other is tesota.. I've developed a hives like rash over my upper chest, the insied of my elbows and under my chin... not real obvious, but itches like crazy.

I run a dust collector and had a fan going, but still get a certain amount of sawdust kicked back by the roughing gouge while rounding the blank.

You may well have an allergic reaction to one of the woods.. I've turned both before with no problems.. the only other stuff I turned this week was some colorwood/dymondwood..

 

[Dario]

Mark,

Note that since you don't use a DC, the particles you are allergic to may be dusts from some wood/material you've turned a while back that you just stirred back up to the air. Some may be in your mask to begin with.

Just throwing possibilities.

I do agree about seeing your doctor. I will also think that a thorough shop cleaning with a vacuum will help

 

[Mark549]

Father's day came early - and I scored a Jet air cleaner, plus two P100 respirators (for me and my son). I hope these will be positive steps.

I plan to, over the summer, install a dust collector. I hope to simply port the DC to the outside via the garage attic and down and out the eve of the house. Maybe most of the crap will go outside and the Jet air cleaner with get most of the rest - leaving precious little for me to inhale through the respirator.

As always, thanks for the responses.

Mark (and Evan)

 

[jkirkb94]

Mark, what wood were you turning?(I see you think leopard wood) My local Hogan wood store told me a story about someone who broke out in weeping blisters after working with Cocobolo. He was warned about the possible allergic reaction, said he had worked with it before. Evidently it caught up with him. You might want to work with long sleeves and pants, increase ventilation, wear a cartridge mask and definitely take a non drowsy antihistamine like Claritin(loratadine) or even benadryl(be cautious of the sedative effects). I would definitely checkout what wood(s) cause this in you and possibly avoid them. Future reactions could possibly get worse!! Has anyone else on the forums had any specific woods that have caused similar reactions? Kirk[8D]

 

[Mike_in_Atlanta]

20 years ago I built a cabinet for my wife out of rosewood - cost me about $100 for the rosewood and hinges and another $300 for the doctor bills as it turned out I'm allergic to rosewood AND any other member of the rosewood family - including cocobolo. I had a poison ivy like rash over much of my body and had to get two shots (I think they were cortisone). I built another cabinet a few years ago and used a veneer which was related to rosewood and sure enough broke out in another rash because I had a very small area I sanded by hand and forgot to use my respirator. I think it is not so much skin contact but inhaling the dust. These woods are oily and that oil is what causes the problem.

Mike

 

[ahoiberg]

i'd recommend checking out this thread over at AAW. it's got some great ideas for homemade air filters and what you should be wearing when turning/sanding. (http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=3547)

the dust masks just don't cut it when it comes to particle size. it's better than nothing, but there's way too many gaps in the mask. go to lowe's or HD or something and get yourself a proper respirator... i just got one for ~$35 and it's all NIOSH approved and has the right filters. the ones that come with it are good for what we need.

that's the first place to start, fans are good, but again, they don't quite cut it. one really cheap thing you can do is buy a nice furnace filter and attach it to your fan right behind the lathe, that should catch a decent chuck of the bad dust... but box fans can't move nearly enough air to clean all the dust out of it. then, if you want, build or buy an ambient air filter and then if you still want to spend more money, a dust collector. but know that dust collectors are mainly good for keeping the shop clean. unless you have the gonzo 9000 DC unit with all the cyclonic filtration system filtering down to .3 micron, the DC unit still allows the really harmful particles to inhabit the air.

and go see the doc... i'm sure you'll be OK but he might be able to help you get there faster. []

 

[jkirkb94]

Great link, Andrew. It reminded me that we really have to be careful around spalted woods since they contain possible fungus. The good cartridge masks from Lowe's/Home Depot really cut the odor when I turn antler. Kirk[8D]

 

[Mark549]

I've been turning all kinds of wood, including cocobolo, but did not notice any effects related to that wood. I'm only guessing on the Leopard wood. I saw that it was not listed on any of the toxic wood lists, but that one guy said he got a rash like mine from leopard.

I'm for sure gonna always wear my new respirator (NIOSH approved - p100) mask when drilling, sanding, turning, etc. I hope to see results with the JET air cleaner, too - as soon as I can hoist it up and plug it in.

Thanks for the advice and direction

Mark

 

[ahoiberg]

those masks take getting used to, but it's kinda fun to wear those things around and freak out your nrighbors.

neighbor: what on earth is he doing in there???

[]

 

[bob393]

Bad news!
I know I can't turn cedar or mahogany without a mask.
Or any spalted stuff either, instant bloody nose!

 

[low_48]

There are two types of people that turn cocobolo and rosewood. "Those that are allergic to it, and those who will be allergic to it."

 

[jkirkb94]

I've heard that same saying, Richard. Considering that they are my most used woods, I must be getting close.[xx(] Kirk[8D]

 

[Glass Scratcher]

I have a DC and I wear my resporator, but as an interem step my next purchase is going to be the small cyclone, Mini CV06 Cyclone, from Clear Vue. I plan on putting it inline with my DC and output to a Grizzly .3 micron bag.

here's their video.
http://clearvuecyclones.com/ShopVacVideoSmall.wmv

.

 

[Fred]

Developing a reaction to something - not just dust(s) is FAR, FAR, FAR worse than being allergic to begin with ... it is termed becoming sensitized and unfortunately we are all capable of being sensitized. It is an unfortunate trait of us humans and we MUST desperately avoid the pitfalls of becoming "sensitized."

From what you have stated above when you started this thread it sounds like you are already sensitized to the rosewood species. It can and it WILL GET WORSE for you. Once you become sensitized to something you WILL NOT GET ACCUSTOMIZED and further exposure will cause greater major health problems for you. Ask you doctor about this if you can not grasp the gravity of your situation. Remember this if nothing else ... If you don't have your health just what do you have?

I am/was an 18 year veteran of the medical health industry working as an investigator for the insurance fraud divisions of several major insurance agencies. I have investigated many individuals claiming to suffer from allergic reactions to gases, smokes, paints, and numerous other materials found in the work environment. I can honestly caution you and everyone else that DUST IS A POTENTIAL KILLER of us all.

I HIGHLY recommend that you and ALL WOOD TURNERS take the plunge and do everything possible to be in absolute control of the many sources of dust in the shop. My friends it is way too easy to eliminate most of the dust as best as is humanly possible in the shop. It may be expensive to do, BUT it is far cheaper than any medical treatment, becomming sensitized to the point of quitting work/hobbies/etc., or possibly even suffering a very miserable death. I hope this does strike a bit of fear into you as it is intended to do so. [!]

You MUST take control of all dust especially from the exotic woods and/or most of the domestic woods and you should do it ASAP. Just remember that your family meeds you to remain healthly and alive for as long as is possible.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Mark,
Fred makes real sense in what he says... I know that I am developing a sensitivity to some of the woods I turn... I get a hives like rash on my arms, neck and face and this last time something got inside my shirt, so I had the rash on my chest as well.. not severe, but annoying none-the-less..

And from your post that you plan to vent your DC outside... May I suggest you plan some sort of containment for the end of the DC, either the bags that come with it, or some concoction you come up with that will container the dust... it probably won't make any difference if it's inside or outside if you are sensitive to the dust... if you breathe it or get where it will blow back on you, you will react... I don't use a respirator, just a dust mask, but have decided that I will use my employee discount at the big blue box and pick up one BEFORE I go back to the shop.

 

[Mark549]

Fred,

Thanks for the heart-felt response. I've been aware of the health risks of wood working, particularly since we began to work with exotic woods on the lathe. I've notice a real improvement with the p100 -rated NIOSH respirators, plus I installed a JET air cleaner. I've always had a filtered box fan next to the lathe - pulling the dust away. I hope to soon install a decent dust collector, too. This will attach to the drill presses, lathe, band saw and table saw.

Chuck, The respirator seems to have helped a bunch. I'm looking at a DC for sale locally with a 2-micron canister filter. I know there are better filters (1/2 micron) and I may opt for one of those.

Thanks,

Mark