Thanks Mike. I’ve gone to using a Trend Pro when turning and I still turn in my suction when sanding. I agree with you it’s important that we be aware of the very real danger.
Robo Hippy has a video on a dust hood made out of a white plastic 55 gallon drum. I made one and it works great. It attaches to my dust collector. I also have a ceiling mounted air purifier. I wear a Trend Helmet. I have pulmonary fibrosis so I have to be very careful. I was surprised that maple got a 3 star sensitivity rating
I saw his video on his DC. Good solution for a bowl turner as I recall. His solution does not work for me with a sliding HS and turning lots of small stuff.
Good video. As someone who has experienced anaphylaxis three times (low blood pressure, rapid shallow breathing, increased heart rate and loss of consciousness) this is a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention. It may be "rare" but to ignore it could be lethal.
Thanks, Mike, just a tiny but important word about Yew wood, used a lot for BOWS; it is very toxic as well. I make bows but limit myself to Hickory. Ive just found a osage orange tree next to an abandoned area, and Im going slow as far as sanding, or sawing it.
Thanks Mike, I'm closing in on retirement and want woodturning to continue to a be a big part of my life. Safety has been a big concern of mine lately so watching videos and following advice from others has been a top priority lately. I recently purchased a Trend STEALTH/ML Stealth Air APF10 respirator that works very well for me.
Beginning turner. Alder is my problem. Sap causes itchy rash. Burning alder in the fireplace gave me asthma at age 77. I turn mostly alder with respirator for sanding. From now on, respirator whenever I'm making any kind or size of wood dust. Thank you.
Mike: Thank you. I have only been turning a few years in our garage. Have noticed a very fine coating of particles travel back into house (much of the time garage door is closed restricting airflow into house). Both my wife and I have been having allergic reactions, watery eyes, excessive sneezing and other upper respiratory symptoms all year long and our physician has warned us about allergic reactions from wood dust. I wear a JSP mask when at lathe turning/sanding, dust collector at lathe, two overhead filters etc., however the particles can stay suspended for long periods and easily transported. It is a health concern. Thank you for listing various woods that are problematic.
For me, Western Cedar would be deadly to turn since I am highly allergic to the wood. It put me in the hospital for 10 days two years ago and it was touch and go for me during for the first 3-4 days of that stay. Just touching the stuff will make me sick.
Hi Mike. I enjoyed this information. I personally use a WEN Air Filtration System in my shop with a 5 Micron & 1 Micron filter. I also use a Trend Airshield Pro Respirator. Of course a vacum system at the tool is always a good idea. I have seen a major reduction in dust collection in and around the shop after using these items consistently. Less dust is better. I look forward to your next video.
Great topic Mike! Thanks. I used to grab skids to turn at a local car dealership. Some of the wood was very irritating. I discovered the international shipping skids are treated for insects. I don't turn skids anymore..
I'm looking at this bowl a friend gave me--Ellinger's agatewood--and researching how they got this obviously not agate nor wood product to hold its shape. Answer: resin. That eventually brought me here. Long and short of it, anything that's organic or natural doesn't necessarily belong in your lungs.
Ray Key in one of his box turning videos advocated using wet and dry sand paper , and use mineral oil , or paste wax , on the sand paper to reduce dust . I have watched videos where the turner clears hollow ware with air hose , that aerosolized the dust , most times , without dust eductors , or respiratory protection ....more good info from you , thank you
I watched Ray Key in an all day demo and never seemed to pick up his wet sanding trick. Only started using it a few years ago. One of the best techniques for keeping the fine dust down.
Thanks a lot Mike. I have a large vacuum system that I run when sanding, an overhead dust collector that I run whenever my lathe is running, also I made a large stationary dust collector from a 20 inch fan and 4 MERV 13 furnace filters which. I recently bought a full face respirator that I also where when sanding. I still feel that I possibly could do better. I will keep trying to improve my dust collection. The exhaust from any dust collectors needs to be pointed away from you.
@@mattd313 I have it behind me and to the left so it blows the dust away from me. It is more convenient there in my particular setup. It is a rotating pedestal fan that was being discarded after a garage sale by a neighbor.
Mike, For me walnut is a slight irritant but Ipe, it's time to get outta Dodge. I use to build homes and every night going home after using Ipe was bleeding nose and sore throat!
Great detail much appreciated. I had a large in shop vacuum system that still left a dust film, I converted this to a vacuum exhaust system and added a large Jet room filter and started using a Trend helmet. I was still left with some room dust and a dirty nose. I have now finally moved my lathe to my garage door and open it when O turn and put a fan behind me when I sand. That solved all problems for me and would have saved $$. Might I add that Mango trees and wood has chemicals same or similar to poison ivy. It is also just under the skin of a mango. I trimmed a tree in HI and later canned a lot of mangos before I learned that info.
Thanks for putting this information out there on this video. I believe my father in law and his brother in law suffered from the effects of dust as they did not wear dust masks while turning. Keep your lungs protected is not an optional choice, it is a must. Take care my friend Cheers Mike Harold
Yew is another toxic wood of varying nastiness. I made a pair of salt and pepper mills I was so proud of (nice design, symmetrical mills, even caught a piece of sapwood on one - stunning) and was trying to sell them on FB when one of my friends asked, "Isn't yew toxic?" Oops. I keep them as a reminder to double check and to replicate the design. Thanks for the clarification on spalting. I was under the impression that the molds in spalting were nasty, too, as they thrive in warm, wet and dark host environments (like lungs). I won't let my guard down working with it but I will be less anxious now.
Hello from France. Many thanks for your video. We also have tp pay attention with wook attacked by mushrooms or fongus if we want to turn such wood. Regards.
I always try to wear a dust mast when sanding, however, I sanded some pine boards out one day without it, big mistake. From now on I will wear my mask.
Mike, thank you sir for the info, I have COPD and I will be 60 in a few days. I have been turning for about a year and never used a mask. So thanks to you, I will never sand or turn again without a Mask.😁😁
The only tree I've found to be allergic to is camphor. I can be driving down the road and come across camphor trees and have to hold my breath. If I don't, my throat closes, my nose starts running and my eyes start watering. Nasty stuff!
My little dog just smelled som black walnut shavings and ended up paralyzed for nearly a day. I looked up and found that jugalone from black walnut is usually fatal for dogs and horses but not humans. In humans it can be a laxative and in my case this is true, even from wood burning my mark in bowls.
Camphor knocks me out, even driving in the jeep bringing it home, I give it 5 stars. I only sand or cut with a high quality respirator, it just makes scents…. My dad ended up with a lung transplant and died three years ago from pulmonary fibrosis. He was a heavy woodworker and exposed to a lot of really bad stuff in the military. Thank you for doing this video.
I find that I am becoming more allergic to the dust from black walnut bark. The wood doesn’t bother me, but the bark will cause me to have some skin irritation and itching. The other one that bothers me is mimosa. If m not wearing my dust mask my nose and sinuses will let me know immediately. Love both of these woods so I’ll be using air cleaner, vac, and dust mask everything’s me I turn them.
Thank you Mike I turn outside usually without a mask when the wind is blowing I think I'll start wearing a mask even if the wind is blowing stay safe👍👍👍👍
Thank you Mike. I'm surprised that yew wasn't mentioned on your list of dangerous woods. Perhaps yew isn't so common as it is in Europe. In years gone by farmers didn't notice yew growing in their hedges and their cattle, horses etc ate the berries and died. Also, I live in a region where shipbuilding was once the main industry (we built the Titanic). Asbestos was an integral material used in this industry and many workmen didn't reach retirement age due to asbestosis. Sadly, many of their wives succumbed to this illness as they shook out the working clothes of their husbands before washing them. They too absorbed sufficient particles of asbestos to cause them serious illnesses.
@@MikePeaceWoodturning I have been turning Pacific Yew from the Olympic Peninsula. It makes beautiful orange toned bowls. I've been moderately careful around the dust but have had no bad response so far. A fellow turner is unable to work it due to strong allergic reaction. I worked as a carpenter for thirty years, often with no dust mask, breathing all kinds of dust, not just wood. At 76 my lungs are clear. I have found that avocado wood makes me sneeze like crazy so I avoid it.
Thanks for the info, this can't be stressed enough. In fact I'm going on Amazon right now to find a better mask, one that I'll be more apt to wear %100 Of the time.
Thank you for posting this video. Great tutorial and a good warning to anybody doing any type of wood cutting. Just a footnote to add: about different people will reacting to different species of wood. For example: In my case I can take a bath in maple sawdust and nothing happens, but black walnut exposure might translate into a trip to the emergency room for a steroid shot. So each person needs to learn what they will and will not react to. Frankly, wearing a hazmat suit and respirator just might be what the doctor calls for, depending on the individual and the types of wood being cut. Just my $0.02 FWIW YMMV. Thanks again for posting this.
