Hello to all...
Like anything in cue building, everything we use is toxic from the wood, glues, clear coats and to Nelsonite or Resolute. While I'm not a doctor, I can't see how immersing an arm in either Nelsonite or Resolute would cause blood in ones urination. I would seek medical care. I have, on many occasions either by choice, accident or stupidity immersed my arm in both. Up until a certain point, we'd constantly lose the hooks in the dipping tank. I would see an employee using all sorts of ingenious methods to try and retrieve the hook from the bottom of the tank. Being anal, short tempered and just liking to get things done, I've reached down into the tank with my arm (not recommended). Of course, I immediately washed off by scrubbing. I've never had any reaction to that or one that I know of.
I will say that the fumes of Nelsonite does make me sick and nauseous and has caused headaches. We don't get that feeling from the Resolute. When using the Resolute, we dip wood outside on a beautiful day and leave the wood sit outside until close of business. We then bring the wood inside to sit overnight in a well ventilated room with air filters moving the air. The next day, the wood is taken outside again to air out. It is once again brought inside where it remains for the duration. Now, when we say we're dipping wood, we are dipping 500 to 1,000 shafts at a time! Of course, if you are dipping a few or a dozen these extreme precautions may not necessarily need to be taken. Personal use and methods are best determined by one's own use, common sense and to what extent the product is being used. Of course a quick dipping need not be aired out although it can't hurt.
As the seller for Resolute, our opinion my seem one sided but we'll offer up the following information based on records and not personal preference or opinion. We sell almost 1,000 gallons of Resolute a year which amounts to almost 200 five gallon pails. Our client list reads like a who's who of cue building and we can safely say that a majority of 1st and 2nd tier cue builders are using the product. Other's are still using Nelsonite and don't care to switch. Some of the present Nelsonite users have expressed interest in using Resolute as soon as their Nelsonite supply runs out. When we came out with the Resolute many just purged their Nelsonite supply and went directly for the Resolute.
Some choose to not use anything and other's swear by it. We do. We've experienced cue building in one extreme to the other when residing in Boca Raton, then Vegas and now New Smyrna Beach. All three climates vary greatly and we can safely say that the treatment has definitely helped with stability especially if you are shipping cues into different climates.
We ran some tests when we were in Vegas with Resolute (prior to making it available). We shipped shafts to a friend in Florida and asked him to expose the wood to humidity. Some shafts were treated with Resolute and some were not; other's were just sealed with a wood sealer. Two weeks later he shipped the shafts back. Most shafts moved and some substantially. The Resolute shafts were fine. We did another test where we shipped shafts overnight; let them sit in Florida for two days and overnighted them back to Vegas. Basically the same results. If you want to test the quality and performance of your work, ship it to Vegas or Florida. I'm sure there are many similar climates but those are the ones that were available to us. Oh, and one more observation worthy of mentioning here. When we moved from Boca to Vegas we had about 1,000 purpleheart shafts in various stages. The breakdown was something like 500 squares, 250 dowels and 250 cones or tapered that were treated. When we got to Vegas and started unpacking, we threw out every single purpleheart shaft dowel. The treated cones or tapered ones were fine. The untreated squares were fine.
Resolute and Nelsonite dry to a solid so evaporation over the years in a treated product is non-existent. As far as a sticky or gummy substance bleeding out of the wood, well this is caused by stale or unmixed product. If you care for it and use it frequently, you won't have any problems.
Resolute or Nelsonite, as Chris Hightower has stated, replaces the open pores with a solid which does not allow moisture to escape or penetrate; or at least less moisture escape or penetrate which is the culprit in most woods movement.
As far as not using it and controlling the woods "destiny" while in one's shop may be great, once that product leaves the builder's shop, they no longer retain that 'control' over the finished product. One has to expect that the product (in this case a cue) will be mishandled and abused so any help in protecting the wood is a great benefit. Nelsonite and Resolute both penetrate to the core where other sealing methods do not penetrate as deep.
Resolute, in our experience has definitely helped keep wood and especially shaft wood straighter which allows for a greater majority of usable shaft wood from one's supply. And, we cut and have the supply to prove that. We have noticed that once a shaft is treated, movement is highly unlikely in most instances when properly applied. It also helps in all other aspects of cue building as well, such as: handles, fronts, sealing the end product just before clearing and we even have cue builders using it on elephant ivory.
Here's what we have determined as to who uses Nelsonite and/or Resolute. Many 1st and 2nd tier cue builders have their own shops outside of their homes. To a great extent all these cue builders use either products. Those who tinker, newbie's or part timers, most of which work from their homes, don't want the smell permeating their house choose not to use the product. Not that we have any statistical analysis to make this statement but it comes from years of experience and talking with just about every cue builder out there. Some who have shops in their homes use and like the Resolute because it doesn't smell anywhere near as bad as the Nelsonite.
So, while the majority choose to use either Resolute or Nelsonite fewer choose not to. This is strictly a matter of personal choice or experience.
I hope this helps and our best to all.
:thumbup: 
