This report refers to ALL wood dust, not wenge specifically. :scowl:It's still a baseless rumor to claim that wenge was banned for being carcinogenic.
I'll admit, though, that I'm a bit surprised too.
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Wenge neck
- Thread starter miziomix
- Start date
This report refers to ALL wood dust, not wenge specifically. :scowl:It's still a baseless rumor to claim that wenge was banned for being carcinogenic.
I'll admit, though, that I'm a bit surprised too.
Agreed that wenge is not specifically named, but one would think that discretion is the better part of valor when working with any type of wood. And by connection, wenge dust should be considered to be carcinogenic if all wood dust is.
Warmouth had a specific wood (not wenge) that they discontinued a couple of years ago, citing the dust as being "very toxic," or something close to that. No mention of carcinogenicity, IIRC. This may have been the wood that prompted that previous post.
Warmouth had a specific wood (not wenge) that they discontinued a couple of years ago, citing the dust as being "very toxic," or something close to that. No mention of carcinogenicity, IIRC. This may have been the wood that prompted that previous post.
everything....
there's no cure ... there's no answer ... everything ...
I'm sorry if I opened a can if worms over the toxicity of woods. I'm not a pro luthier. I've built a single instrument (blogged elsewhere on TB).
I am a full time cabinetmaker and I work with a variety of temperate and tropical timbers every day in the UK. I'm lucky to work in a place with decent extraction, but I am aware that wood dust is dangerous. I wear a half mask respirator whenever I need to every day.
My point was that I'd heard that wenge was worse than most timbers for your health, and that I'd heard somewhere in the past that some builder may have stopped using it as a result of this. This was second hand info to me. I got this from the guy that was building me a guitar at the time.
I don't think that any timber has been banned domestically or internationally due to it's toxicity. I didn't say that. I'm also the biggest cynic when it comes to rumour and misinformation. I apologise if what I said was taken the wrong way.
I applaud your wood choice -wenge is cool. I love all wood. That's why I do what I do. I can't wait to see your finished build. I'm just cautious about health and safety in general (and my own health and safety specifically!)
Going slightly off topic, I did witness an old boy once routing a heavy cut into a board of MDF while wearing no mask and kicking up huge amounts of dust. When I mentioned that he should wear a mask, he told me that MDF wasn't dangerous any more because they'd changed the formula of the glues in it. He was adamant about this, and I had to let him get on with it.
Re previous question about suppliers in the UK for wenge, it might be worth giving John Boddy's in Boroughbridge a call. They have most everything under the sun.
I am a full time cabinetmaker and I work with a variety of temperate and tropical timbers every day in the UK. I'm lucky to work in a place with decent extraction, but I am aware that wood dust is dangerous. I wear a half mask respirator whenever I need to every day.
My point was that I'd heard that wenge was worse than most timbers for your health, and that I'd heard somewhere in the past that some builder may have stopped using it as a result of this. This was second hand info to me. I got this from the guy that was building me a guitar at the time.
I don't think that any timber has been banned domestically or internationally due to it's toxicity. I didn't say that. I'm also the biggest cynic when it comes to rumour and misinformation. I apologise if what I said was taken the wrong way.
I applaud your wood choice -wenge is cool. I love all wood. That's why I do what I do. I can't wait to see your finished build. I'm just cautious about health and safety in general (and my own health and safety specifically!)
Going slightly off topic, I did witness an old boy once routing a heavy cut into a board of MDF while wearing no mask and kicking up huge amounts of dust. When I mentioned that he should wear a mask, he told me that MDF wasn't dangerous any more because they'd changed the formula of the glues in it. He was adamant about this, and I had to let him get on with it.
Re previous question about suppliers in the UK for wenge, it might be worth giving John Boddy's in Boroughbridge a call. They have most everything under the sun.
Hopkins
Commercial User
Warmoth quit using cocobolo, because alot of people are sensitive to it, myself included. The dust is almost like rubbing pepper in your nose and eyes. I have a big slab of it that would make some very nice tops, but I will have to wait until i get a good dust collection.
Macassar and Asian Ebony just as bad....... it really feels like you're rubbing pepper. I can't even get close to those without a mask.
Hopkins
Commercial User
Ebony does get me a little bit, but not near as bad a cocobolo. For me coco is like getting hit with mace.
tru dat. I am currently shaping a one piece flat sawn wenge neck and the darker streaks are harder than the lighter brown wood and if you don't use some kind of block or stiff pad you get little ridges and valleys when sanding.
side note : this bass has a one piece wenge body as well and is the most resonant of any I've made so far. ( holding the bass by the neck near the headstock and tapping the body the tone is by far way lower than any other and noticeably more resonant. and it looks cool as well. )
so hopefully it's worth any extra trouble it may be.
Actually African Ebony's kinda OK. Macassar and Asian E are a PITA. But they are so beautiful I just don't care. Ditto for Cocobolo eh?
Just why great things always seem to come with unpleasant side effects?
Hopkins
Commercial User
Actually African Ebony's kinda OK. Macassar and Asian E are a PITA. But they are so beautiful I just don't care. Ditto for Cocobolo eh?
Just why great thing always seem to come with unpleasant side effects?
Mac Ebony doesn't bother me to bad. IMO its much nicer looking than African, and cheaper, so I use it often. I cant speak for African or Asian, I never used them. Yeah Ill use Cocobolo again, but Im sure Ill regret it
I'm sure that most of you know this anyway, but some might not. These different timbers are sensitizers. This means that the first time you work with one you might feel a bit itchy or have a runny nose. The second time you might feel you have a dose of 'flu coming on. The third time you think you've got full blown 'flu and/or a violent skin reaction. The fourth time you could be in hospital on a respirator. Cocobolo has the worst reputation.
What's so unfair is that some people have no reaction whatsoever, as with any allergy. I've been stung by wasps a few times. It made me swear quite a lot, but that's all. My son-in-law has to always have with him an antidote in case he’s stung.
I have a 7-foot board of 8” x 2” perfectly quarter-sawn padauk. I used some to make a bass body but I’m loath to use it again as the last time I came into contact with the dust I felt lousy for a couple of days.
What's so unfair is that some people have no reaction whatsoever, as with any allergy. I've been stung by wasps a few times. It made me swear quite a lot, but that's all. My son-in-law has to always have with him an antidote in case he’s stung.
I have a 7-foot board of 8” x 2” perfectly quarter-sawn padauk. I used some to make a bass body but I’m loath to use it again as the last time I came into contact with the dust I felt lousy for a couple of days.
