Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 14, 2004 07:17pm | #1

   UhOh......This topic comes up at least 2 or 3 times a year, so you're not alone.  I'll echo my own self and encourage you to be extremely careful to protect yourself when working with a wood that you are allergic to.  You can go from "Da*n, this is irritating" to a severe (read: hospitalized) reaction with little warning.  Trust me, I've seen it happen.

   I'll do a quick search and see if I can find a couple of prime discussions for your reference.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   forestgirl | Jul 14, 2004 07:46pm | #2

   Well, I guess the thread I was thinking of was in a different forum.  Anyway, the main point is:  your skin reaction is your body's immune system going on the offensive against this particular wood.  You need to protect your skin and your respiratory system against contact with this wood to prevent the reaction from getting much, much worse.

   This progression does not necessarily happen gradually, hence the importance of preventing contact with the irritant.  Otherwise, you could (a) end up extremely sick and (b) put yourself in a situation where you can't work with that particular wood at all.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

3. 
   WayneL5 | Jul 15, 2004 12:48am | #3

   I've had a reaction to Western Red Cedar.  It produces mild flu-like malaise in me.  It took me several sessions to make the connection.

   Someone publishes a list of woods and their tendency to produce a reaction in people.  Most of the woods high on the list are tropical hardwoods.  I think I saw the list in literature from Oneida dust collectors who obviously reproduced it from a research source.

1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 15, 2004 02:48am | #4

   Here's probably the most-often cited toxicity chart:http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic

   as far as the forums go, anyway.  Bibliography is at the end of the chart.

   What really matters, though, is what you are sensitive to.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   forestgirl | Jul 15, 2004 02:52am | #5

   Just ran across this web page.  First section, especially, is salient to this discussion:
   http://www.city-net.com/albertfp/toxic.htm

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)