Rosewood reaction

[denis tuomey]

A few years back I bought 52bf. of some beautiful Honduran Rosewood to make an entertainment center. Helped load it in the truck. Was cool weather so I was wearing a thick long sleeve sweat shirt. About 30min. into the hr. ride home my arms started getting really itchhy. When I got home, (after un loading n stacking the wood) I had a red rash all over my arms. Next AM I had a rash all over, I looked it up on line and found out how toxic it is to some people. I was able to take it back (loaded it up wearing a rain suit n rubber gloves) and exchange it for 35bf. of Honduran Mahogony. Wish I could of used the rosewood, it sure was a beautiful wood but not worth the consequences.

[John Bare]

I'm thinking that cocobolo is in the rosewood family and I am allergic to it and have similar reactions as mentioned above.

[Damon Stathatos]

I live in the stuff (cocobolo), day-in and day-out. 'Thank the creator' I don't react to it. Probably about 5% of the guys who walk into my shop have related to me that they have had a reaction from it at one time or another. Another 25% or so are concerned about it because of what they have previously heard about it. I had one guy work for me that, as time went on, couldn't work around it any longer as the reaction got progressively worse.

I have around 12k board feet of cocobolo and mill it almost every day. Cocobolo stretches a full spectrum of colors, from almost ebony-like dark to lightish-tans, with reds, purples, oranges and all shades of browns in between. Every once in a great while, usually when cutting the real dark stuff (ebony-like dark and oily stuff), I get a burning sensation right up in my sinuses. As soon as I get away from it or put my dust mask (back on), it usually goes away, but that's just me and again I thank my 'lucky stars' it's nothing worse, otherwise I'd be out of business.

[Bob Feeser]

I wanted to say as a general rule working with any kind of wood I do the following;
1) Put a fan in the window and create a negative air flow dispelling all ariborne dust outside.
2) When I am using the table saw, and any time I am generating dust I have a 3M mask draped in front of me, and when the dust flies it is on my face. As soon as the air clears in the shop which only takes a couple of minutes the mask comes off and drapes in front of me at the ready.
3) Sometimes I run the two dust collectors on the ceiling in order to rid the air of heavy dust particles while I am working. Whenever they are running my dust mask is on my face. Those things put out ultra-fine particles in the air anytime they are running. A false sense of security they put out. It is the ultra fine stuff that does all of the damage and doesn't come out through spitum/phlegm. I don't get any spitum at all because of due diligence in not inhaling wood dust which the government has labeled as a known carcinogen.
4) I run the JDS Dust Force vac to collect as much of the dust as possible, and the bags are right next to the window that is sucking the air outside because those bags, just like the ceiling mount dust collectors emit a ton of fine stuff.

So in the middle of the rough tough crowd here is this guy wearing a mask. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So skin reactions to certain exotic woods be warned, but getting a reaction deep in your lungs is another whole story.
These above methods do not get in the way of my enjoyment of wood working at all. The tunes are playing, the fan in the window of my basement shop is purring, kind of like keeping me company, and with the lower clasp of the 3M mask keeping it like a bib in front of me always at the ready is no nuisance at all. I had a high end body shop for 20 years and got used to wearing one. My lungs are clear. By the way this is a real mask with a charcoal and pre filtration system. It form fits to your face. No beards. Its about 25 or 30 dollars at Home Depot to get one. Worth it's weight in gold.
The one in the picture is $24.97.

[Dave Zellers]

No beards...

But, you seem to have a beard. At least I hope that's a beard.

I have a beard too. What do you do? Just strap it on tight?


That thing would make you look like a Storm Trooper from Star Wars.

[Harvey Pascoe]

Not all Dalbergia contains the compound responsible for allergic reactions in the same degree. I developed a horrid reaction to cocobolo, which is the worst of them all. I still use coco, but now I wear a tyvek suit and respirator and that works out well. None of the others affect me very much tho I make an effort to keep the dust off my skin. Eye problems are another effect.

[Jack Briggs]

I get dermatitis from working with cocobolo (dalbergia retusa). It is a strong sensitizer,defined by OSHA as "a chemical that causes a substantial proportion of exposed people or animals to develop an allergic reaction in normal tissue after repeated exposure to the chemical."

Anytime I work with cocobolo I wear long sleeves and always....always......always wear a dust mask and run the air filter.



Cheers,

[Mike Cruz]

Ray, I would just avoid spreading the Rosewood on my cheeks, neck and the back of my hands....but that's just me. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if you reacted to it. There are plenty of woods out there that give people allergic reactions...especially the exotics. Walnut is another big one. Personally, no, I am neither allergic to Rosewood or any other wood that I've worked with. But that you got a reaction is actually not a surprise. Sorry... Hope it doesn't keep you from using it. Maybe you could just make sure you cover yourself as best as you can, collect the dust as much as possible, and be vigillant about cleaning up yourself AND your shop when you are done working the Rosewood. Best of luck to you...

[Trent Shirley]

As Mike was saying lots of types of wood cause reactions in some people. Apple wood is well known for causing reactions. I recently cut some up and ended up with sinus problems for two weeks. Of course it could have been coincidence and the apple wood not what set me off but given how well known it is for causing reactions I will treat it carefully.
Just about any kind of wood dust aggravates my sinuses though I have not tested allergic to anything but molds.
It could be the fungus in the tree that caused my reaction rather than the wood itself but if the two come together it makes little difference.

[Mike Cruz]

MDF dust set me off BIG time a few months back. I knew better, but was a bone head. That won't happen again...