Toxic stock wood! Watch it, guys!

[joshb]

I am in the process of making a stock out of Ipe'. It's commonly used for fancy decks, here in the East. I had started shaping this stock last winter, then put it aside to work on some others. No problems, then. A couple weeks ago, I started to work on it again. I came up for dinner and then a little tv before bed. About midnight, I started to "itch". By morning, I was calling the Doctor. At the appointment, I relayed the story and he thought I may have a "toxic mold" growing in my underground shop and prescribed some medicines. I aired out my shop and gave it a "spray bath" of bleach water. Problem solved, I thought. I came down to my beach house to do some fishing and brought the Ipe' stock and some tools with me. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon on the back patio, sanding and shaping the stock. It was sunny and I was working up a good sweat. I got covered in dust. Stopped working , went in to feed the dogs and sit for a spell before dinner. I started to itch, so I went to get a shower. Came out of a long hot shower and looked in the mirror. My whole upper torso was covered in hives and a red rash. It seems that Epe' has something in it that ain't good. I am strongly suggesting that it NOT be used for stock making. Josh

 

[paperpuncher]

Here is a reference on toxic woods http://library.davidtilson.com/materials/toxic.html
I built the front porch on my house with Ipe. I notices some irritation in my sinus when sawing but no rash. Tough stuff for sure, had to predrill and screw everything. Very heavy and dense.

 

[Ggmac]

I am in the process of making a stock out of Epe'. It's commonly used for fancy decks, here in the East. I had started shaping this stock last winter, then put it aside to work on some others. No problems, then. A couple weeks ago, I started to work on it again. I came up for dinner and then a little tv before bed. About midnight, I started to "itch". By morning, I was calling the Doctor. At the appointment, I relayed the story and he thought I may have a "toxic mold" growing in my underground shop and prescribed some medicines. I aired out my shop and gave it a "spray bath" of bleach water. Problem solved, I thought. I came down to my beach house to do some fishing and brought the Epe stock and some tools with me. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon on the back patio, sanding and shaping the stock. It was sunny and I was working up a good sweat. I got covered in dust. Stopped working , went in to feed the dogs and sit for a spell before dinner. I started to itch, so I went to get a shower. Came out of a long hot shower and looked in the mirror. My whole upper torso was covered in hives and a red rash. It seems that Epe' has something in it that ain't good. I am strongly suggesting that it NOT be used for stock making. Josh

Same thing here , I thought it was just me ! I'm allergic too almost anything green .
I hope you get feeling well . Remember don't scratch it .

 

[Fast14riot]

Snake wood does it to me too.

 

[joshb]

Sorry to hear, Gary! The weird thing about this is that I made a stock out of this wood before with no problems. I used it on my boat and sand it every year, no problems. Just like paperpuncher, I built a few decks with it, back in the day. Maybe because it was in the winter and my pores were closed up? Maybe my dust collection system was getting all the dust? I know that some of the exotics can be harmful. This kinda took me by surprise. I'm usually bulletproof. Maybe I'm getting old and my body says "enough!"

Paperpuncher: Thanks for the link!
My wife wants me to toss the stock.
I told her it's almost done!

 

[spclark]

Our bodies can become allergic to toxins at any time in our lives. One exposure is enough to sensitize some folks, others not as easily.

Many woods harbor risks to those using them for projects, some foreign ones (uncommon here until not long ago, if available at all!) are more likely to cause trouble than our domestic species.

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

My wife wants me to toss the stock.
I told her it's almost done!

haha! if you want to, go for it. however, i would suggest you wear a turtleneck and gloves and keep that crap off your skin. i had to do that working with composite stock materials. my skin does NOT like carbon fiber and glass dust. and then coat it so your skin never comes in contact with the chemicals. seems like more trouble than it's worth, but maybe it will still turn out ok.

edit: i knew a guy that handled a lot of pcp treated wood pallets when he was in his early twenties and developed a permanent reaction. his hands were constantly flaking and shedding skin almost twenty years later. some of those chemicals are nasty.

 

[Intheshop]

I can "smell" a pce of oak plywood from a looong ways off.Start getting sick.

Did a mill job with it 20+ years ago where we ran three hacks of it.Not nearly enough dust collection,since then....put it this way,there's a reason our DC systems are pushing state of the art.I can run oak ply,but only through our system and respirator.

After that exposure with the oak.....I started kinda getting sick with Walnut.Work on your DC systems.It makes a huge difference.Good luck.

 

[Eddie Harren]

http://ipedeckinginstallation.com/safety-tips-2/

 

[joshb]

Thanks for that link, Eddie. Just so you guys know, I've been working with wood my whole life. This is the first time I have ever had a reaction. Here's the offending stock. Almost done.

 

[spclark]

Just so you guys know, I've been working with wood my whole life.

You obviously do good work!

I've messed with wood too for many years, suffered from various allergies for even more. Love the smell of maple, birch, even oak (red or white) but elm? Not so much. Working with CFOH redwood 50 years ago was a pleasure, red cedar I know to wear a respirator. Worked for a fellow making repro decoys late '70's, he'd bought a bunch of what he said was white cedar, turned out to be juniper or maybe yew. Almost ended up in hospital despite using supplied-air respirator after sanding for a couple of days.

Plants make stuff to defend against insects & other threats. Much is still there when we work with woods, can negatively affect us too.

 

[Paul Seaman]

Thanks for that link, Eddie. Just so you guys know, I've been working with wood my whole life. This is the first time I have ever had a reaction. Here's the offending stock. Almost done.
View attachment 1017816
View attachment 1017817

Gorgeous piece of wood working!

 

[joshb]

Gorgeous piece of wood working!

Thanks. I'm showing everybody how to make these in the do it yourself stock making thread.

 

[ebb]

Not every piece of wood under the epe label is the same. Most of the lumber you get is a group of different woods that are close to the label they put on wood it sell it. You could have a sub spices that is just enough different that it bothered you. A lot of the carpenters I worked with in the past have had respiratory trouble after working with Mahogany for a period of time. My friend Rick used to love to dive but can't any more, he is sure it was the Mahogany. He may be right. I had an upper respiratory infection for almost a year, that the doctor and I decided was wood related. When you go to buy mill work ask for a MSD sheet on the milled wood. It will scare you.

 

[Ggmac]

Sorry to hear, Gary! The weird thing about this is that I made a stock out of this wood before with no problems. I used it on my boat and sand it every year, no problems. Just like paperpuncher, I built a few decks with it, back in the day. Maybe because it was in the winter and my pores were closed up? Maybe my dust collection system was getting all the dust? I know that some of the exotics can be harmful. This kinda took me by surprise. I'm usually bulletproof. Maybe I'm getting old and my body says "enough!"

Paperpuncher: Thanks for the link!
My wife wants me to toss the stock.
I told her it's almost done!

I use to handle poison ivy and all kinds of green shining leaves , now I can't even look at it without getting a severe reaction . I also have been told that we grow in and out of allergic reactions .

 

[Ggmac]

Josh , beautiful stock , as always . How many Pounds is it ?

 

[joshb]

Hi Gary: The wood sands out to be pretty. It's very hard but has a tendency to chip easily when cutting or routing. It's dense and heavy. I'll weigh it. I have another hunk of it in the shop. Want it? Free to you if you do. I'm going to finish this one, wearing a hazmat suit, and never use Ipe' again! The hives are finally going away, three days later.
If this ever happens with Walnut, I'm sunk.
I just weighed it on my bathroom scale. 6 pounds.

 

[joshb]

I spent the afternoon in the shop, finishing the killer stock. I was wearing a hazmat suit and respirator. When I got done, I took a long shower. I still got a small rash on the inside of my right elbow! I'm going to finish it tomorrow and never buy another piece of this wood.

 

[Ggmac]

Hi Gary: The wood sands out to be pretty. It's very hard but has a tendency to chip easily when cutting or routing. It's dense and heavy. I'll weigh it. I have another hunk of it in the shop. Want it? Free to you if you do. I'm going to finish this one, wearing a hazmat suit, and never use Ipe' again! The hives are finally going away, three days later.
If this ever happens with Walnut, I'm sunk.
I just weighed it on my bathroom scale. 6 pounds.

Thanks but I've got a supply .
I've got a lot of it . Not big enough for stocks , 12x4x16 4x8x20 . All leftover from decks . I used it for heavy nice wood load blocks /trays , milled reloading die boxes ( too much work) , nice heavy , real heavy wood , best suited to ?????

 

[joshb]

The piece I have left is 48" x 5 1/2" x 5 1/2". Free, Gary!! I got too stocks out of the other one just like it! I think it would make good firewood