What species of wood has irritated you most?

[Bill Wyko]

I did a vessel out of Tigrillo and it down right locked up my lungs immediately. I almost always use a respirator but even a hint of the dust from this wood and I have to run outside. While it's absolutely georgous, it's almost deadly to me. Another wood that makes me itch and irritates my skin is White Oak. Feels like I've been working with fiberglass when I get near the sawdust. How about you all?

[Robert McGowen]

I would have to say red oak. I have never turned it, but there is a tree a couple of hundred yards from my house that has a huge burl on it, probably 3' across. It irritates me every time I drive past it.

[Robert Henrickson]

Walnut and cedar. I haven't tried any of the exotics/imports.

[Wally Dickerman]

I would have to say red oak. I have never turned it, but there is a tree a couple of hundred yards from my house that has a huge burl on it, probably 3' across. It irritates me every time I drive past it.

LOL...Your doctor would tell you...Don't drive by it...then he'd send you a bill.

[Ken Glass]

Bill,
There are two ways to answer this question. Colobolo seem to irritate my skin and throat as much as any other wood I turn. Big leaf maple irritates me because I like to turn it and it is not indigenous to Illinois and is sold at a premium price most places. I would trade some fine White Oak burl for some BLM...........

[Dennis Ford]

Mimosa irritates my sinuses a lot. It is very pretty wood but sanding it is a problem for me.

[robert raess]

Walnut,redwood,cedar and australian cypress.

[Bill Wyko]

Wally's words of wisdom LMAO. You're crackin me up.

[Marty Eargle]

Mimosa has done its damage on me...and the occasional Walnut is a pain in my sinuses.

[Mike Davis NC]

Ebony irritates me the most, I really like the way it looks and the way it turns. What irritates me is the price, I can't afford to turn big bowls of the stuff.

[Gary Herrmann]

Snakewood just because I've yet to get it off the lathe all in one piece.

Walnut today because my experiment with spheres failed. I got a sphere with a hat on it since the cone chuck slipped.

[Peter Blair]

Desert Iron wood. I start to cough about the time I get any between centres. I have quite a few pieces and now don't know what to do with it . . .

[Matt Owen]

Desert Iron wood. I start to cough about the time I get any between centres. I have quite a few pieces and now don't know what to do with it . . .

That's easy: send it to me.

[Thomas Canfield]

I had a Poison Ivy type rash develop very rapidly after turning a Kingwood pen blank several years ago. I then thought I got rid of all the wood in the Rosewood family to avoid a similar experience, only to find that I still had a couple of pen blanks that gave me an immediate itch/rash after only drilling one for the tube. I had an itching experience being 10' from a Silky Oak piece while visiting in the Big Island a couple of years ago and was told later that the Sliky Oak is in the Poison Ivy family. It seems when you have a bad reaction once, then you are more susceptible and have worse reactions with future contact. I tend to stay away from the African and "oily" woods for that reason.

[Brian Brown]

The wood that irritates me most is the russian olive tree across town that refuses to blow down in a storm. It is more burl than straight grain. It will probably out live me.