Well I did it again. I know when I sand Western Red Cedar it makes me feel horrible for a couple of days. This time I even wore one of those paper masks. Does anyone else have this reaction when sanding cedar? By the way, this was a lot of sanding of chair parts on a stationary belt sander. Is it time for me to invest in a real mask? Let me know if this has helped you.
Thanks
Replies
Yes
Hi Wolfman ,
Cedar is way up there on the list of woods that can cause problems for us . The splinters are not fun but as you found out the dust is the larger problem . What I do id place a vacuum or dust collector hose in line and close to pick up the dust before it becomes airborne , this helps about 90% or so a good mask in conjunction will keep your nose more happy .
good luck dusty
Thanks for your replies. I'm glad there is hope, I really like working with cedar, didn't want to quit working with it. Any recommendations to a quality mask manufacturer?
Are you using a dust collector? In industrial situations, a mask is only considered a back up to give an extra layer of protection for whatever gets by a well designed dust control system. Using a mask alone as your only protection is asking for trouble.
If you are using a dust collector does it have upgraded filter bags? Even with good bags, the dust collector should, if possible, be vented outdoors otherwise you are just recycling the dust and keeping it airborne in the shop longer.
To be honest, unless you absolutely must use cedar, you should stay away from it before you wind up seriously ill. There have been enough postings here from people who have suffered permanent crippling lung damage from various toxic woods that it just doesn't seem nearly worth the risk. My reading on the subject has convinced me to stay away from woods that commonly cause respiratory troubles. There are plenty of safe woods to use, why use a variety that you know from personal experience causes trouble?
John W.
Thanks John. I don't have a dust collector yet. I am in the process of relocating my shop and plan on getting some type of dust collection at the new place. Unfortunately, I think you are correct in that maybe I should use some other type of wood for my outdoor projects. White Oak or Cypress are looking pretty good now. Thanks for the advice.
Bob
Hi John -Could you give me a quick list of woods to stay away from? I don't have a large palatte of woods with which I work yet, but I might as well not get started with anything dangerous...especially with little ones in the house. I know to be careful with Black Walnut, and I know that the spalted woods are dangerous. I also know that Paduak is a nasty one. What should I not even bother with in your opinion?Thanks
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I feel much better today. If I work on any more cedar projects, I will certainly work a little smarter, proper mask, dust collection, maybe roll that sander outside. Did FWW ever publish a list of woods that seem to have the most reactions with woodworkers?
Bob
Bob: I did some looking into this by contacting the CDC. It is posted here at 25039.1. This is such a common subject among woodworkers it would be useful if the info was in a book somewhere, written in plain english, as a reference.
KDM
Kenneth Duke MastersThe Bill of Rights December 15 1791NRA Endowment MemberLEAA Life MemberCRPA Member
Edited 9/27/2005 10:04 pm ET by dukeone
I agree with you completely. Even if it was just a warning that certain woods were known to cause reactions, and to use extra precautions while working with them. I'm sure there is a list somewhere, the list probably keeps changing with all the exotic woods being imported.
Take care,
Bob
Bob, don't give up on WRC, just give up on the sanding. It planes really well, and no dust. Faster too.
Steve
Steve, I'm not going to give up on WRC. I will work with it a little more carefully however. I am making a couple of Adirondack chairs out of it, odd shaped pieces which are just easier to put on the sander. Planing would be an alternative for me on straight boards though. Thanks for the reply.
Bob
I use a resparator, air filtration unit on ceiling and a fan in front of the sanding table with the windows open.This does the trick for me, otherwise I'd have to sub out the sanding to another shop. Also, this won't apply to soft woods like cedar but a card scraper does a faster and better job of smoothing wood than sandpaper.
mike
The cheap paper masks are almost useless. I use a chemical respirator with good results, but moisture builds up inside the mask from just breathing in and out. I have to use Alegra on days I am doing heavy sanding (or cutting the grass). Keeping dust down is a real chore which I have only started in my home shop. I purchase a dust collector, but have not yet installed a overhead unit. I also am going to have to come up with a way to collect dust from the top of my table saw.
Jeff
Western Red Cedar is the only wood I've had a reaction to (though I haven't used many). I just don't use it anymore.
You could sand outside, still using protection. A simple dust mask is inadequate. You need a respirator equipped with a nuisance dust cartridge.
Use a mask with rubber face piece and cartridge dust filters and dust collection.We do not even use redwood in the shop as some have become so sensitized to it.Cedar is almost as bad, so tread carefully.You can become sensitized to it so each time the reaction will be a bit more
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