Severe eye allergies

[JC]

I have been working on some improvements on my saw machine and yesterday I got the final pieces and re assembled it in it's new and improved version.

I got so excited when it was done I turned some squares round and didn't wear my full face respirator. Three goncalo alves, two cocobolo, two ebony and a couple tulip woods. I ran a jinky little dust collector hooked up to it with a cloth bag for my testing inside the shop. Pretty stupid because I know I get eye allergies from dust. But never quite this bad.

Last night before bed my eyes were itchy. This morning they would barely open. Take this stuff serious folks this is no fun! Be ever diligent with your personal protection!

On a better note I learned something very useful by accident. I reversed the head stock with the motor and the tailstock so the chips would be blowing at the tailstock instead of the spindle motor. Having made no changes in mach 3 the wood was now rotating into the blade the opposite direction. My blade is slightly off center from the spindle. When I started cutting the first square I thought the saw blade was below the wood because I didn't hear it cutting but my eyes told me it was turning it round. At first I didn't realize why it was cutting so much more efficiently than it ever has until it clicked that the wood was turning the opposite direction of before. So I switched it back to original in mach and instantly it was back to a noisy as hell cutting with shorter chips. Like a chainsaw that's dull compared to sharp. And it's always been like this I just didn't realize it until it wasn't by accident. So if you have a saw machine try running the spindle the opposite direction and compare which is better for your machine.

Now for the shocking hostage photo I took a little while ago.

 

[Toxictom]

Wow that looks uncomfortable. Hope you're back to normal in short order.

 

[JC]

Wow that looks uncomfortable. Hope you're back to normal in short order.

I have had it almost this bad before yet I was too damned lazy to protect myself yesterday. How soon we forget.

Hope I finally learned my lesson it would be a drag to have to retire from building cues just when I'm starting to learn some things.

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

Probably the coco. Some people feel like they'll die from breathing the dust.

 

[Sheldon]

Hope you feel better soon. Be more careful!

 

[JC]

Probably the coco. Some people feel like they'll die from breathing the dust.

The other time I had anything close to this was African Blackwood a few months back. I think as time goes on it will only get worse. Fortunately it only seems to be my eyes and not my respiration. Well my whole head itches too.

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

The other time I had anything close to this was African Blackwood a few months back. I think as time goes on it will only get worse. Fortunately it only seems to be my eyes and not my respiration. Well my whole head itches too.

One time I sold a guy a coco cue. Now I remind you it was sealed and clear coated. Every time he played with it his hands and arms broke out in a red itchy rash. First and last coco cue he ever owned. He sold the cue, never had the got the rash again from any other cues I sold him.

 

[CLAUD]

I don't have an enclosure (next on my list). But I do have two dust hoods mounted vertically on the lathe and an air filtration unit near the ceiling. I wear a dust mask and sometimes a respirator and face shield depending on what I'm doing. Several months ago a friend came by while I was tapering some tulipwood, I turned the dust collectors off and my mask off so we could talk, while I continued to cut the tulipwood. It hit me that night. Tore my sinuses and head up. I was sick for weeks. Won't be doing that again.

 

[whammo57]

many people do not realize the toxicity of wood............ cocobolo started giving me a rash after 3 years of using it.............. it got worse each time I used it.......... got rid of all of it in my shop.............. as time went on ... I got a rash from camfer burl and then from bacote................. not so bad with those 2 but still not fun......................... and purple heart dust makes me sick to my stomach for half a day..................... wear a respirator when you cut or sand any wood............

 

[Zagiflyer]

Cocobolo did that to me years ago, I can’t touch it anymore. I can’t say for sure that is your problem but it is the most likely suspect.

 

[JC]

Cocobolo did that to me years ago, I can’t touch it anymore. I can’t say for sure that is your problem but it is the most likely suspect.

Now that is a revolting development

 

[JoeyInCali]

Dust cyclone .
Wash the vacuum filter often if it's linen.
And sell me some of that cocobolo for handles.

 

[JC]

Dust cyclone .
Wash the vacuum filter often if it's linen.
And sell me some of that cocobolo for handles.

I have my dust collector outside the building but didn't have it properly plumbed in to my saw machine when I cut those rounds and was using this little 1hp one with a cloth bag when I got smoked.

Those are just my squares. I have almost that many already turned round. I love coco but it doesn't love me back. Like my first two wives.

 

[j2pac]

The other time I had anything close to this was African Blackwood a few months back. I think as time goes on it will only get worse. Fortunately it only seems to be my eyes and not my respiration. Well my whole head itches too.

Protect yourself at all times, you stubborn old mule. Hope you reverse course soon my friend. Your cues are looking sharp!

 

[thoffen]

Hope you're feeling better. I also want to thank you in general for your contributions here. A lot of practical advice and information (e.g. tapering machine builds) that is not common to share.

 

[conetip]

Lucky that you are not going to anaphylaxis and need to be hospitalised. Hope you can sort out what is causing this for you.
I can't work on any of the rose woods, and cocobolo is totally out for me. I can only hold a cue of cocobolo if it is really well sealed
with epoxy first. Any of the oiled cues , will give my hands a rash within minutes of just holding the handle. If I don't take a large
dose of antihistamines then, around 20 minutes latter I need the EpiPen and call and ambulance. Severe allergies are no fun and
need to be taken very seriously.

 

[It skid]

I have my dust collector outside the building but didn't have it properly plumbed in to my saw machine when I cut those rounds and was using this little 1hp one with a cloth bag when I got smoked.

Those are just my squares. I have almost that many already turned round. I love coco but it doesn't love me back. Like my first two wives.

Get more wives...no I mean get well soon JC.