I recently learned that cherry wood contains a precursor ton cyanide. The cyanide if formed upon chemical reaction with an acid. This is how cherry kills farm animals following ingestion. My questions are 1. Do you take any special precautions when working with cherry wood? And 2. Is there a risk for cyanide production if using epoxy resin on cherry/ need for special precautions?
thank you!
Replies
Having never heard of this I do not take precautions. I have always done my best to not ingest the boards I am working with, whatever the species. Cocobolo does look delicious though...
What's your reference for this? Cyanide is actually pretty common in a lot of natural things.
No. I never eat any. Avoid the pits, don't breath the dust and you will be OK.
I take precautions for dust -- any kind of dust. But I don't do anything while working with hand tools. And I've never heard of any issues with cherry, and I use that more than any other wood.
I do find it goes well with a nice remoulade.
It is the leaves that are poisonous. In theory a few handfuls of wilted leaves (which are rich in cyanide) can kill an animal.
Leaves of potato plants are poisonous, ditto eggplant and tomato.
Cherry wood is not the same as cherry leaves.
That is not so say that wood cannot be toxic by ingestion, though it's rather unpalatable nature tends to put people off eating too much, but these woods are relatively uncommon - Kowhai wood from New Zealand is pretty toxic, and Walnut shavings are not recommended as animal bedding for instance, but Cherry and Walnut have both been used extensively for food safe bowls and implements.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled