Hi group,

Although mostly lurking, do I have a question now:
some 100 + year old peaces of boxwood are waiting to be turned into some
form. They do have a strong odour, like you can sometimes in old churches.
Does anyone have an idea if this is caused by age, or can it be some kind of
insecticide? Just to be safe before making al lot of dust...
--
Gerard

Excuse me for bad English, that and spelling mistakes are all put in by my
provider ;-)

Bezemsteel wrote:
Hi group,

Although mostly lurking, do I have a question now:
some 100 + year old peaces of boxwood are waiting to be turned into some
form. They do have a strong odour, like you can sometimes in old churches.
Does anyone have an idea if this is caused by age, or can it be some kind of
insecticide? Just to be safe before making al lot of dust...
--
Gerard

Excuse me for bad English, that and spelling mistakes are all put in by my
provider ;-)

Don't use a supposed non-toxicity as a reason to avoid wearing a dust
mask.

Found this link.
http://www.masksnmore.com/3mn95masks.html

If you find masks to be too hot then get this style. Well worth the
time and trouble to prevent breathing problems.

http://www.masksnmore.com/3m85duandpam.html

At $2 a turned bowl -- if you throw the mask away it seems a cheap
additional expense to me. I can use on for several days -- unless I
belt sand a dirty floor -- then it is one use of the mask due to the
heavy contamination of the mask.

---
willr
http://woodwork.pmccl.com

http://www.masksnmore.com/3m85duandpam.html

Hi Gerard,
I know you asked specifically re _OLD boxwood and I don't know where
your's lurked for a century, but I do know that English Boxwood
bushes/trees have a distinctive odor that's in the nose of the smeller;
either cat **** or old wine. The odor does seem to attract bugs so I
suspect there is greater risk from molds and wood dust than
insecticides.

Your 'smell of old church' description reminds me of the little
Protestant boy's answer when asked by the Catholic lad if they swung
incense in his church: "no we have to take a bath Saturday night and the
church has a big air conditioner".


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

"odor does _NOT_ seem to attract bugs.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

On 31-12-2005 15:54, in article
, "WillR"
wrote:

Bezemsteel wrote:
Hi group,

Although mostly lurking, do I have a question now:
some 100 + year old peaces of boxwood are waiting to be turned into some
form. They do have a strong odour, like you can sometimes in old churches.
Does anyone have an idea if this is caused by age, or can it be some kind of
insecticide? Just to be safe before making al lot of dust...
--
Gerard

Excuse me for bad English, that and spelling mistakes are all put in by my
provider ;-)

Don't use a supposed non-toxicity as a reason to avoid wearing a dust
mask.

Found this link.
http://www.masksnmore.com/3mn95masks.html

If you find masks to be too hot then get this style. Well worth the
time and trouble to prevent breathing problems.

http://www.masksnmore.com/3m85duandpam.html

At $2 a turned bowl -- if you throw the mask away it seems a cheap
additional expense to me. I can use on for several days -- unless I
belt sand a dirty floor -- then it is one use of the mask due to the
heavy contamination of the mask.

Thank you for your reply.
I use a powered air-respirator.
If insecticides come free as gas, then a particle filter isn't any help I
guess. That's why I want to find out if the insecticide is in the wood or
not.
--
Gerard

On 31-12-2005 17:20, in article
, "Arch"
wrote:

Hi Gerard,
I know you asked specifically re _OLD boxwood and I don't know where
your's lurked for a century, but I do know that English Boxwood
bushes/trees have a distinctive odor that's in the nose of the smeller;
either cat **** or old wine. The odor does seem to attract bugs so I
suspect there is greater risk from molds and wood dust than
insecticides.

Hi Arch,
The boxwood has the same origin as I do: the wet Netherlands.
Old wine is more close than cat ****, but some churches come more close. I
wonder what boxwood, cat ****, old wine and churches have in common;-)
BTW: since I got infected by the woodturning virus, I found that:
- there's really a lot of information about woodturning on the internet,
- since most of that is in English, I am learning woodturning and English at
the same time,
- people in this newsgroup are of a special kind; could it be that working
with the hands and brains simultaneously has such a positive effect on human
beings?

Your 'smell of old church' description reminds me of the little
Protestant boy's answer when asked by the Catholic lad if they swung
incense in his church: "no we have to take a bath Saturday night and the
church has a big air conditioner".

That's a really good protestant who knows his protestant roots !-)


--
Gerard

Gerard, if you have learned woodturning as well as you have learned
English, this NG will insist that you stop lurking and start posting
regularly.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

"Bezemsteel" wrote in message
...
If insecticides come free as gas, then a particle filter isn't any help I
guess. That's why I want to find out if the insecticide is in the wood or
not.

Very good. Someone who realizes the volatiles are the real danger in wood
dust.

What insecticides were in use a hundred years ago? Heavy metals, perhaps.
Organophosphates, the really deadly stuff, was unheard of. Heavy metal
salts are poorly soluble, and are not actively transported by the plant, so
any residual amount would be vanishingly small.

Simple dust mask would do. Now, as to the products of damp and neglect,
they present a greater, though still small possibility of allergic reaction.
The molds and their chemical by-products are the common smell in affected
organic matter.

On 01-01-2006 15:38, in article
, "Arch"
wrote:
Gerard, if you have learned woodturning as well as you have learned
English, this NG will insist that you stop lurking and start posting
regularly.

You're right Arch,

I will do as the NG commands, but there are other things as well that need
my attention: friends, family, some rebuilding at home...




--
Gerard

On 01-01-2006 15:39, in article , "George"
George@least wrote:

"Bezemsteel" wrote in message
...
If insecticides come free as gas, then a particle filter isn't any help I
guess. That's why I want to find out if the insecticide is in the wood or
not.

Very good. Someone who realizes the volatiles are the real danger in wood
dust.

What insecticides were in use a hundred years ago? Heavy metals, perhaps.
Organophosphates, the really deadly stuff, was unheard of. Heavy metal
salts are poorly soluble, and are not actively transported by the plant, so
any residual amount would be vanishingly small.

Simple dust mask would do. Now, as to the products of damp and neglect,
they present a greater, though still small possibility of allergic reaction.
The molds and their chemical by-products are the common smell in affected
organic matter.

Thank you for your very informative answer.
There are some woodworm holes in the wood.

--
Gerard