I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse
rather than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the
skin. A cool shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react
to this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood
I've had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants.
You can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%.
You can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Normal long sleeves don't help. You need to have waterproof sleeves or fine
dust can get through. You may need gloves too. I am just repeating what I
heard on a video by John Timby. He became allergic to many exotic wood
dusts. I am not personally allergic.

Derek

"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather
mild. Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much
worse and I don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought
I was being extra careful by showering quickly, but apparently this
was not enough.



IIRC, subsequent exposures to something you react to can be much worse than
the first. You might want to ask the doc, or consult an allergist before
you turn any similar wood.

Hope you clear up soon.

Thanks for the kind words...........and the advice. You know, I'm going to
break down and try it again.........just a matter of how long it takes me to
forget how bad the itching was.

Of the woods you mentioned, I've only turned cocobolo and kingwood, which I
also like very much. Wood just doesn't get any prettier than those two
woods. I have a small piece of African Blackwood, but haven't tried it yet.
I probably won't be turning any lacewood.

The trip to the doc was just a minor aggravation. Got a shot and my very
own prescription for Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. Are you allergic to the stuff
too?

I guess my carefree days of turning in an old T-shirt are over. Maybe I'll
just try a large garbage bag. Maybe I will try the Ivy Block. I must not
be terribly sensitive to the stuff................yet. The only places I
have a rash are the insides of my elbows where skin contacts
skin........with sweat and wood shavings in between. And a bit under my
watch. I don't need a watch to turn.........although it's easy to lose
track of time. Thanks again.

Barry

PS You know, I wasn't even using my Stubby at the time........my old
trusty Jet Mini instead. The Stubby is nice though.


"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. ..
Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse
rather than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the
skin. A cool shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react
to this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood
I've had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants.
You can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%.
You can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather
mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
Thanks for the kind words...........and the advice. You know, I'm going
to
break down and try it again.........just a matter of how long it takes me
to
forget how bad the itching was.

Of the woods you mentioned, I've only turned cocobolo and kingwood, which
I
also like very much. Wood just doesn't get any prettier than those two
woods. I have a small piece of African Blackwood, but haven't tried it
yet.
I probably won't be turning any lacewood.

The trip to the doc was just a minor aggravation. Got a shot and my very
own prescription for Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. Are you allergic to the stuff
too?

I guess my carefree days of turning in an old T-shirt are over. Maybe
I'll
just try a large garbage bag. Maybe I will try the Ivy Block. I must not
be terribly sensitive to the stuff................yet. The only places I
have a rash are the insides of my elbows where skin contacts
skin........with sweat and wood shavings in between. And a bit under my
watch. I don't need a watch to turn.........although it's easy to lose
track of time. Thanks again.

Barry
===========================
Barry,
One of the bad things about allergic reactions is that no matter how long
you've been immune to a particular allergen, once you've passed a certain
point (called a sensetizing level), you can expect to have a reaction at any
time in the future when you come into contact with it. A good example is
exposure to poison oak/ivy/sumac. A person may contact these for years, then
after an exposure that causes a problem, you'll have the problem from then
on. One problem you may want to be aware of that if you inhale the dust, you
may have a reaction in your respiratory tract. That would make your arm
exposure a picnic in comparison. Better to pick more benign woods in the
future. Good luck!!

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

You can get a full coverage "non-woven" coverall with hood and booties for
about $3.50 each in boxes of 24 from Kimberly Clark. I buy these 10 cases
at a time for work. Check at your local safety or asbestos supply house.
If you tape all seams, wear latax gloves, and use a powered mask, it should
protect you from the dust. When you are done turning, vacuum or damp wipe
off the suit prior to removing. Remove the suit outside of the shop.
Dispose of the suit ($3.50). Take a cool shower.

Wear a suit and mask every time you enter the shop until you have completly
cleaned the shop. More than likly the next exposure will be much worse.

Good luck

Henry

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Barry:

The only wood which bothers me is lacewood and it is no great loss.

We have a member of the St. Louis club, a woman, who is so allergic to
cocobolo that they had to almost disinfect their shop. She and her
husband both turn. When a show-and-tell piece is passed around at a
meeting, if it is cocobolo, she won't even touch it.

Bill

Barry N. Turner wrote:
Thanks for the kind words...........and the advice. You know, I'm going to
break down and try it again.........just a matter of how long it takes me to
forget how bad the itching was.

Of the woods you mentioned, I've only turned cocobolo and kingwood, which I
also like very much. Wood just doesn't get any prettier than those two
woods. I have a small piece of African Blackwood, but haven't tried it yet.
I probably won't be turning any lacewood.

The trip to the doc was just a minor aggravation. Got a shot and my very
own prescription for Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. Are you allergic to the stuff
too?

I guess my carefree days of turning in an old T-shirt are over. Maybe I'll
just try a large garbage bag. Maybe I will try the Ivy Block. I must not
be terribly sensitive to the stuff................yet. The only places I
have a rash are the insides of my elbows where skin contacts
skin........with sweat and wood shavings in between. And a bit under my
watch. I don't need a watch to turn.........although it's easy to lose
track of time. Thanks again.

Barry

PS You know, I wasn't even using my Stubby at the time........my old
trusty Jet Mini instead. The Stubby is nice though.


"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. ..

Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse
rather than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the
skin. A cool shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react
to this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood
I've had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants.
You can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%.
You can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:

I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a

piece

of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I

got

out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows

and

applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area

under

my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather

mild.

Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being

extra

careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget

about

turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper

is

beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Hello Barry,

You may what to try an antihistamine before you work with some of these
woods if they do not make you sleepily. Unfortunately, you will need to
clean up very careful as dust just lying around could case another reaction.
Your body may not react the same again, but it could be worse. I would
suggest you see an allergist and you may want to keep an epipen handy. I am
not sensitive to woods but have had similar reactions to other things one
summer but never had it again. Some people get worse with more exposure,
chemical, like the solvents in some glues can make it worse. I have heard of
a few turners who will not touch some of these woods for the reaction they
can get. Be careful and remember that some of the spalted woods can cause
similar problems, protect your lungs and be safe first.

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

I really appreciate all of the helpful tips and the concerns expressed. You
know, I know all of these things about sensitizing exposures and subsequent
exposures being potentially much worse. I have worked in the environmental
section of a health department for over 30 years and have actually given
some of the same advice that I have received here.

I think I will take much more precautions before I ever attempt turning
cocobolo again. Thanks to you guys, I think I have enough info here to
justify a dust collection system to my wife. Before I try it again, I'll
have a Tyvek suit, dust collection and a good dust mask. Or, maybe I will
just skip it altogether. Thanks everyone.

Barry



"F Maresca" wrote in message
...
Hello Barry,

You may what to try an antihistamine before you work with some of these
woods if they do not make you sleepily. Unfortunately, you will need to
clean up very careful as dust just lying around could case another
reaction.
Your body may not react the same again, but it could be worse. I would
suggest you see an allergist and you may want to keep an epipen handy. I
am
not sensitive to woods but have had similar reactions to other things one
summer but never had it again. Some people get worse with more exposure,
chemical, like the solvents in some glues can make it worse. I have heard
of
a few turners who will not touch some of these woods for the reaction they
can get. Be careful and remember that some of the spalted woods can cause
similar problems, protect your lungs and be safe first.

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather
mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

Thanks to you guys, I think I have enough info here to
justify a dust collection system to my wife.

I am constantly amazed at the levels to which folks will stoop to justify
the purchase of new tools or equipment.

Fess up! You rubbed the dust on you, right? )

Barry

I got your email this AM, but was feverishly getting the Newsletter together
and did not have the opportunity until now to respond - sorry

I have no experience with rashes from cocobolo - maybe it is common - I have
only turned the stuff once! That's right only once about 3 weeks ago. No
rash on me, but I was covered pretty well - mask and all!

I hope you are not itching any more - except the itch to turn some more!

Ray


"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

I heard recently of someone dieing from Silky Oak - so I would suggest we
all steer clear of that stuff!

Ray


"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. ..
Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse rather
than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the skin. A cool
shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react to
this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood I've
had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants. You
can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. You
can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Shhhhhhhh...............only a little.

Barry


"Lobby Dosser" wrote in message
news:M9o3e.2007$Jn2.13@trnddc09...
"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

Thanks to you guys, I think I have enough info here to
justify a dust collection system to my wife.

I am constantly amazed at the levels to which folks will stoop to justify
the purchase of new tools or equipment.

Fess up! You rubbed the dust on you, right? )

I don't have any problem with lacewood but silk oak got me good. I used the
rest room with with out realizeing I was contaminated and had dire results.
My lesson is if I leave the shop I go scrub my hand with soap and water
before eating or rest room breaks. At least working on the car you can see
the black grease and know to wash. With turning you can't see the oils.

Bruce
"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. ..
Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse rather
than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the skin. A cool
shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react to
this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood I've
had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants. You
can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. You
can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

Well, the itch has finally subsided and the redness almost gone. I finally
resorted to good, old-fashioned calamine lotion (poison ivy remedy)
yesterday, It worked better than the prescription cream my doctor gave me.
I'm guessing he hasn't treated very many cases of cocobolo allergy. Thanks
to all who responded to my dilemma.

Barry

PS I vacuumed up all traces of shavings and dust from my cocobolo
winestopper gone bad, apparently without causing any further exposure.
Now, I have to remember to be careful emptying the shop vac.


"Ray Sandusky" wrote in message
...
Barry

I got your email this AM, but was feverishly getting the Newsletter
together
and did not have the opportunity until now to respond - sorry

I have no experience with rashes from cocobolo - maybe it is common - I
have
only turned the stuff once! That's right only once about 3 weeks ago.
No
rash on me, but I was covered pretty well - mask and all!

I hope you are not itching any more - except the itch to turn some more!

Ray


"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather
mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

We had a dear friend and fellow club member recently pass away from a
respitory infection...Is name was George Snyder, who was pictured in the aaw
mag displaying some of the tools he made for physically challenged
folks..The doctors stated the infection was directly related to turning
silky oak...In another case we had a member donate his lathe,tools and a
collection of blanks,never to turn again because of his reaction to silky
oak..I won't mess with the stuff as there are too many nice woods out
there..Rick
"Ray Sandusky" wrote in message
...
I heard recently of someone dieing from Silky Oak - so I would suggest we
all steer clear of that stuff!

Ray


"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. ..
Barry:

Sorry to hear about your allergy to cocobolo -- one of the really
beautiful woods of the world and also one of the nicest turning woods
there is.

If you took a nice hot shower, that may have made the problem worse
rather than better. It does a good job of opening the pores of the skin.
A cool shower would have been better.

At this point, all true rosewoods are to be handled with care. African
blackwood is one of them, Honduras rosewood, kingwood... Lacewood, also
called silky oak, is to be handled carefully since so many people react
to this one although it is not a rosewood. Lacewood is the only wood
I've had trouble with and it was hell.

Another word to the wise... Either turn in a smock which is long enough
to go below your belt line or pull your shirttails out of your pants. You
can guess why.

If you want to chance it again, cover up and try using Ivy Block
(Walgreen's) on hands, arms, neck, face before you turn. It has helped
many.

And when it is too late, get a prescription of Triamcinolone Cr 0.1%. You
can guess how I know how to spell it.

Bill

P. S. We want you well enough to keep that Stubby humping.



Barry N. Turner wrote:
I just came from my doctor's office. I turned one winestopper from a
piece
of cocobolo yesterday.

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

I awoke this morning with raised welts and itching. Also, on the area
under
my watch. I applied more Cortisone 10.

I went on to work, but left at noon to go to the doctor.

I had a minor reaction with cocobolo once before, but it was rather
mild.
Actually, I had forgotten about it. This reaction was much worse and I
don't think I will forget for quite some time. I thought I was being
extra
careful by showering quickly, but apparently this was not enough.

Would long sleeves and dust collection help? Or, should I just forget
about
turning one of my very favorite woods? What other exotic woods should I
avoid? I'm guessing all of the rosewoods. By the way, the winestopper
is
beautiful, but it's gonna be an expensive one!

Barry

"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

Well, the itch has finally subsided and the redness almost gone. I
finally resorted to good, old-fashioned calamine lotion (poison ivy
remedy) yesterday, It worked better than the prescription cream my
doctor gave me. I'm guessing he hasn't treated very many cases of
cocobolo allergy. Thanks to all who responded to my dilemma.

With apologies to the Stones:

You're gonna need an ocean
of calamine lotion
You'll be scratching like a hound
the minute you start to turn it round

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes a creeping all around

Maple make you bumpy and oak'll make you lumpy
and lacewood'll make you jump and twitch
A common elm'll cool you and spalted cherry'll fool you
but cocobolo's gonna make you itch

Groooaaaaannnnnnnnnn! :-)

Barry



"Lobby Dosser" wrote in message
news:WFW3e.1705$%b1.1476@trnddc08...
"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

Well, the itch has finally subsided and the redness almost gone. I
finally resorted to good, old-fashioned calamine lotion (poison ivy
remedy) yesterday, It worked better than the prescription cream my
doctor gave me. I'm guessing he hasn't treated very many cases of
cocobolo allergy. Thanks to all who responded to my dilemma.

With apologies to the Stones:

You're gonna need an ocean
of calamine lotion
You'll be scratching like a hound
the minute you start to turn it round

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes a creeping all around

Maple make you bumpy and oak'll make you lumpy
and lacewood'll make you jump and twitch
A common elm'll cool you and spalted cherry'll fool you
but cocobolo's gonna make you itch

In article ,
"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

A few years back I cut and screwed drywall to form the room that is now
my Lathery. It was sweaty, dusty work but I persevered until it was
finished. That night, red welts began appearing on the inside of my
elbows, armpits and behind my knees. Seems my sweat and the gypsum dust
weren't playing well with my skin and I had a reaction (I'm prone to
skin sensitivity). I thought I might have to avoid drywall dust from
then on, but have since worked with it on a number of occasions with no
reaction - the difference being that I don't allow myself to get as hot
as before and I shower and change clothes as soon as possible afterward.

Maybe the cocobolo dust is causing a similar reaction on you - the
redness appeared where both perspiration and dust would gather. Long
sleeves may very well be the solution, protecting your skin from direct
exposure, plus shower or wash immediately afterward and work where
there's ventilation.

As to dust collection - yes. If you can see particles floating in the
air then use the DC to try to catch as much of that as you can. Position
the pickup as close to the work as possible - I place a small rare
earth magnet on my lathe bed so that it grabs a metal hose clamp on the
hose end. I can position the hose anywhere along the lathe quickly and
easily. (This assumes you have a good DC filter on the unit so that you
aren't just broadcasting the dust via the DC.)

This spawns another "problem" * that of emptying the DC... Wear a good
quality dust mask, only open 'er up outside, and stand upwind -- or get
your M-i-L to do it for you.

With apologies to the Stones:

The Coasters did Poison Ivy.

You're gonna need an ocean
of calamine lotion
[snip]

--
Sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to this account incurs a fee of
$500 per message, and acknowledges the legality of this contract.

Hmmmm. I would have figured drywall dust was fairly inert. I guess you can
be allergic to most anything.

I agree with you about the dust and sweat intensifying the problem. The
areas I had problems with were the insides of my elbows where when you bend
your arm at the elbow, skin meets skin with sweat and whatever dust trapped
in between. I didn't have a reaction anywhere else, except under my
wris****ch, another area with dust and sweat trapped against the skin. That
gives me a degree of comfort............and hope......... that maybe I'm not
terribly allergic to this stuff.

I have done some research on woods that have been known to cause
reactions.........the list consists of most every wood that I have ever
turned!

I may get brave enough to try cocobolo again some day, but probably not
without long sleeves, a mask and dust collection. (I only had on a favorite
old T-shirt and jeans........and a dust mask) I had plenty of other skin
that was exposed and unprotected. But, I only had a reaction where there
was sweat and dust trapped against the skin.

I had a very minor reaction once after just emptying the shop vac which
contained some cocobolo dust. I did not take a prompt shower afterward.
Thanks for responding.

Barry



"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

A few years back I cut and screwed drywall to form the room that is now
my Lathery. It was sweaty, dusty work but I persevered until it was
finished. That night, red welts began appearing on the inside of my
elbows, armpits and behind my knees. Seems my sweat and the gypsum dust
weren't playing well with my skin and I had a reaction (I'm prone to
skin sensitivity). I thought I might have to avoid drywall dust from
then on, but have since worked with it on a number of occasions with no
reaction - the difference being that I don't allow myself to get as hot
as before and I shower and change clothes as soon as possible afterward.

Maybe the cocobolo dust is causing a similar reaction on you - the
redness appeared where both perspiration and dust would gather. Long
sleeves may very well be the solution, protecting your skin from direct
exposure, plus shower or wash immediately afterward and work where
there's ventilation.

As to dust collection - yes. If you can see particles floating in the
air then use the DC to try to catch as much of that as you can. Position
the pickup as close to the work as possible - I place a small rare
earth magnet on my lathe bed so that it grabs a metal hose clamp on the
hose end. I can position the hose anywhere along the lathe quickly and
easily. (This assumes you have a good DC filter on the unit so that you
aren't just broadcasting the dust via the DC.)

This spawns another "problem" * that of emptying the DC... Wear a good
quality dust mask, only open 'er up outside, and stand upwind -- or get
your M-i-L to do it for you.

I had a very minor reaction once after just emptying the shop vac which
contained some cocobolo dust. I did not take a prompt shower afterward.
Thanks for responding.



This spawns another "problem" * that of emptying the DC... Wear a good
quality dust mask, only open 'er up outside, and stand upwind -- or get
your M-i-L to do it for you.

indeed! It was 6 weeks after my bad reaction to Cocobolo that I
needed to empty the DC bag, and it hit me all over again. Given the
problems of being sure you collect ALL the dust, and getting it out, I
have simply kept my one VERY nice Cocobolo project to remind me not to
try again. Fortunately, there are many lovely woods which don't
bother me...I 'can' even turn Silky Oak if I have to....but the oily
sorts of Rosewood are bad news.

Fire code drywall has fiberglass embedded in the gypsum, maybe you reacted
to that.

Junior

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
Hmmmm. I would have figured drywall dust was fairly inert. I guess you
can
be allergic to most anything.

I agree with you about the dust and sweat intensifying the problem. The
areas I had problems with were the insides of my elbows where when you
bend
your arm at the elbow, skin meets skin with sweat and whatever dust
trapped
in between. I didn't have a reaction anywhere else, except under my
wris****ch, another area with dust and sweat trapped against the skin.
That
gives me a degree of comfort............and hope......... that maybe I'm
not
terribly allergic to this stuff.

I have done some research on woods that have been known to cause
reactions.........the list consists of most every wood that I have ever
turned!

I may get brave enough to try cocobolo again some day, but probably not
without long sleeves, a mask and dust collection. (I only had on a
favorite
old T-shirt and jeans........and a dust mask) I had plenty of other skin
that was exposed and unprotected. But, I only had a reaction where there
was sweat and dust trapped against the skin.

I had a very minor reaction once after just emptying the shop vac which
contained some cocobolo dust. I did not take a prompt shower afterward.
Thanks for responding.

Barry



"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

After I finished turning, I was in the shower within an hour. When I
got
out of the shower I noticed some redness on the insides of both elbows
and
applied some over-the-counter Cortisone 10 cream.

A few years back I cut and screwed drywall to form the room that is now
my Lathery. It was sweaty, dusty work but I persevered until it was
finished. That night, red welts began appearing on the inside of my
elbows, armpits and behind my knees. Seems my sweat and the gypsum dust
weren't playing well with my skin and I had a reaction (I'm prone to
skin sensitivity). I thought I might have to avoid drywall dust from
then on, but have since worked with it on a number of occasions with no
reaction - the difference being that I don't allow myself to get as hot
as before and I shower and change clothes as soon as possible afterward.

Maybe the cocobolo dust is causing a similar reaction on you - the
redness appeared where both perspiration and dust would gather. Long
sleeves may very well be the solution, protecting your skin from direct
exposure, plus shower or wash immediately afterward and work where
there's ventilation.

As to dust collection - yes. If you can see particles floating in the
air then use the DC to try to catch as much of that as you can. Position
the pickup as close to the work as possible - I place a small rare
earth magnet on my lathe bed so that it grabs a metal hose clamp on the
hose end. I can position the hose anywhere along the lathe quickly and
easily. (This assumes you have a good DC filter on the unit so that you
aren't just broadcasting the dust via the DC.)

This spawns another "problem" * that of emptying the DC... Wear a good
quality dust mask, only open 'er up outside, and stand upwind -- or get
your M-i-L to do it for you.

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
Hmmmm. I would have figured drywall dust was fairly inert. I guess you
can
be allergic to most anything.

I agree with you about the dust and sweat intensifying the problem. The
areas I had problems with were the insides of my elbows where when you
bend
your arm at the elbow, skin meets skin with sweat and whatever dust
trapped
in between. I didn't have a reaction anywhere else, except under my
wris****ch, another area with dust and sweat trapped against the skin.
That
gives me a degree of comfort............and hope......... that maybe I'm
not
terribly allergic to this stuff.

I have done some research on woods that have been known to cause
reactions.........the list consists of most every wood that I have ever
turned!

I may get brave enough to try cocobolo again some day, but probably not
without long sleeves, a mask and dust collection. (I only had on a
favorite
old T-shirt and jeans........and a dust mask) I had plenty of other skin
that was exposed and unprotected. But, I only had a reaction where there
was sweat and dust trapped against the skin.

I had a very minor reaction once after just emptying the shop vac which
contained some cocobolo dust. I did not take a prompt shower afterward.

How's the old vaudeville routine go?

"Hey doc, it hurts whenever I do this. What do you recommend?"

"Don't do that."

Here's my take. Your trouble was a reaction to the water - soluble portion
of the extractives in the wood. Urticaria ("hives") are not just histamine
reactions, they can be as simple as what many call heat rash
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~aair/urticaria.htm The full histamine
reaction is the one that causes full-body urticaria, swelling of bronchial
passages, and possible death. You can get these after one exposure, or a
period of sensitization, so you've had a warning. There are other paths -
ingestion, inhalation - which provide an opportunity for really rapid
reactions, so "don't do that."

I would expect the drywaller had a reaction to some poorly slaked lime
contained in the gypsum board - more a burn than a reaction.

Bruce Barnett wrote:

With apologies to the Stones:

The Coasters did Poison Ivy.

You're gonna need an ocean
of calamine lotion
[snip]


So did the Stones.

Coasters did it earlier with Motown sound.

Coasters were pre Motown.

Ralph wrote:

Coasters were pre Motown.



Motown dates from 1957. They recorded Poison Ivy in 1959.

On Fri, 1 Apr 2005 21:55:03 -0600, "Ray Sandusky"
wrote:

I heard recently of someone dieing from Silky Oak - so I would suggest we
all steer clear of that stuff!

Geez, Ray, I've heard of people dying of peanuts, too, but I think
I'll take my chances! A more reasonable idea might be, "If you've
experienced strong reactions to any woods, or are generally prone to
allergies, you might want to take extra care when exposing yourself to
woods that are notoriously reaction-inducing, like silky oak, or the
dalbergia familiy." Seems a little less overcautious. Particularly
to those who have no allergies at all.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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You could try TYVEK jump suits with masking ....

e.g. treat it like a threat you have to face.

Martin
--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

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