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Toxic woods
- Thread starter Wrongway
- Start date
Thanks for the link Chas, a good site.
Neil
Fellow
Black poison wood, also known as Chechen. Lovely stuff, but not in a sandwich. It's fine, no problem there!
wm460
Grand Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Posts
- 23,113
- First Name
- Mark
wm460
Grand Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Posts
- 23,113
- First Name
- Mark
Puts a whole new meaning to "Having a wood."
Penpal
Grand Master
Lost two mates from cancer determined to be from their woodwork you would be flat out contradicting these diagnosis some workers have a weakness that is exposed by timbers. They both were careless in reducing dust.
Peter.
Peter.
Simple..
All wood is 'toxic', however that being said. your reaction will vary according to a large number of things, many of which you have little to no control over. In this matter experience is the best teacher. The one factor that should always be seen is dust in any form in a small micron size that is inhaled is very nasty for your body, just don't go there. Same with vapors, fumes and the like. Protect it as once its gone then its gone.
All wood is 'toxic', however that being said. your reaction will vary according to a large number of things, many of which you have little to no control over. In this matter experience is the best teacher. The one factor that should always be seen is dust in any form in a small micron size that is inhaled is very nasty for your body, just don't go there. Same with vapors, fumes and the like. Protect it as once its gone then its gone.
Penpal
Grand Master
A former President of our Wood Guild was a scientist with CSIRO found that the oil from Huon Pine was a great pheronome attractant to lure particular insects he was a world authority in his field was forced to withdraw this use by law it was declared Carcinogenic. This particular tree only grows mm,s a year is one of my favourites the timber was heavily cut and used for ship building, docks etc by the early pioneers in Tasmania, virtually insect free, the smell of the tree is strong, sweet and invasive. A mate here in Canberra bought some tons for fine furniture making but the smell in his workshop was so overpowering he sold off most of it.
Peter.
Peter.
Neil
Fellow
Ed, in that you have put toxic in parathensis it is difficult to be sure what you are trying to highlight. Regardless, your assertion that all wood is toxic is incorrect. The three assessments of toxicology, chemical, physical and biological are used to asses the degrees of toxicity and the manner in which is toxic, or which ultimately has the ability to kill the animal for which the toxicity is assessed.
Is wood chemically toxic to humans, no. Is it biologically toxic to humans, no and is it physically toxic to humans, again, no.
However, change its form and the answers change, dust is physically toxic to humans, but because it is dust. Wood is not toxic.
Unfortunately simplistic analysis has led to much unnecessary debate amongst woodturners about what woods can be used for many applications, almost entirely erroneously. The difference is important.
Lons
Fellow
+ 1 Neil, a very sensible opinion. 
The same can be said of most materials e.g. Asbestos (in certain cases), coal (perfectly harmless until breathed in as dust, my father was a miner and it contributed to his death!) , Plastics (dust and fumes are harmful).
I've just fitted a Mistral (corian) kitchen worktop which is very safe and hygenic but the dust when sanding and routing is horrendous.
The same can be said of most materials e.g. Asbestos (in certain cases), coal (perfectly harmless until breathed in as dust, my father was a miner and it contributed to his death!) , Plastics (dust and fumes are harmful).
I've just fitted a Mistral (corian) kitchen worktop which is very safe and hygenic but the dust when sanding and routing is horrendous.
Penpal
Grand Master
Using Camphor Laurel gives my sinuses a work out but a mate of mines nose bleeds freely when he carves it we used to make more money at our annual exhibition selling Muslin Bags with some in them also Huon Pine shaving fantastic in the back of a cupboard, I down loaded a Wood reference today a bit definitive my deepest use of words tells me to leave debate on this subject using these words well alone however the words to the wise tell me to give timber respect when working with it.
Peter.
Peter.