Making a swing set for a nephew and family, an Xmas gift.... frame of cypress, slats made from salvaged telephone pole cross pieces. Pretty sure the slat wood is Douglas-fir. Porch swing type swing, hung from treated 4x4 framing.

Cutting the cross piece 4X4s, there was a slight odor, somewhat similar to the smell of oils and other mixed liquids in an auto repair shop. I didn't think too much of it, at first. Was wearing a dust mask.

I assumed these cross pieces had been vulcanized, not chemically treated, for their use on telephone poles. They weren't cresoted. The lumber didn't smell like "normal" wood does. Later, I began having symptoms of congested lungs, coughing badly. After 3 days, I'm still coughing.

There are no adverse affects from handling the wood, as would with cresote lumber, so I'm confident it's safe for use as swing slats.

I salvaged these 4x4s from the city's utilities department, when I asked them for a damaged metal light pole (to be used for steaming wood). Maybe some contaminate got on the 4x4s, when in the city's "trash" heap.

I've had and used (cut) other (different source) salvaged cross piece 4x4s, before, without having these breathing issues.

Advice: Be careful what woods you salvage and from where. Be alerted to unusual smells or other abnormalities.

Today, I spent some good time blowing out my shop, of any lingering dust from the cutting of those 4x4s. I'll re-evaluate my dust masks (quality), also.... might be time to upgrade.

The only other time I've had similar breathing issues, after cutting wood, was with cutting two storm-felled catalpa trees. From chain sawing the green logs to cutting the air dried milled lumber, that stuff was nasty for the lungs.

Will seal the slats with shellac, then apply outdoor poly. If the different woods look too different/contrasting, the swing might get painted. Hope to assemble the swing set Thursday or Friday.

Sonny

On 11/29/2016 11:46 PM, Sonny wrote:
Making a swing set for a nephew and family, an Xmas gift.... frame of
cypress, slats made from salvaged telephone pole cross pieces.
Pretty sure the slat wood is Douglas-fir. Porch swing type swing,
hung from treated 4x4 framing.

Cutting the cross piece 4X4s, there was a slight odor, somewhat
similar to the smell of oils and other mixed liquids in an auto
repair shop. I didn't think too much of it, at first. Was wearing
a dust mask.

I assumed these cross pieces had been vulcanized, not chemically
treated, for their use on telephone poles. They weren't cresoted.
The lumber didn't smell like "normal" wood does. Later, I began
having symptoms of congested lungs, coughing badly. After 3 days,
I'm still coughing.

There are no adverse affects from handling the wood, as would with
cresote lumber, so I'm confident it's safe for use as swing slats.

I salvaged these 4x4s from the city's utilities department, when I
asked them for a damaged metal light pole (to be used for steaming
wood). Maybe some contaminate got on the 4x4s, when in the city's
"trash" heap.

I've had and used (cut) other (different source) salvaged cross piece
4x4s, before, without having these breathing issues.

Advice: Be careful what woods you salvage and from where. Be
alerted to unusual smells or other abnormalities.

Today, I spent some good time blowing out my shop, of any lingering
dust from the cutting of those 4x4s. I'll re-evaluate my dust masks
(quality), also.... might be time to upgrade.

The only other time I've had similar breathing issues, after cutting
wood, was with cutting two storm-felled catalpa trees. From chain
sawing the green logs to cutting the air dried milled lumber, that
stuff was nasty for the lungs.

Will seal the slats with shellac, then apply outdoor poly. If the
different woods look too different/contrasting, the swing might get
painted. Hope to assemble the swing set Thursday or Friday.

Sonny


Where kids are concerned, you cannot be too careful. they will lick,
bite, or chew through anything.

On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

On 11/30/2016 1:05 PM, Leon wrote:


On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

There are benefits since the pallets have to be fumigated before
shipping. If you're slicing a tomato and there is a bug in it, the
cutting board will take care of it for you.

On 11/30/2016 12:31 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/30/2016 1:05 PM, Leon wrote:


On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

There are benefits since the pallets have to be fumigated before
shipping. If you're slicing a tomato and there is a bug in it, the
cutting board will take care of it for you.

LOL, Not so much worried about the bugs. ;~)

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message ...

On 11/30/2016 1:05 PM, Leon wrote:


On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

There are benefits since the pallets have to be fumigated before shipping.
If you're slicing a tomato and there is a bug in it, the cutting board will
take care of it for you.

As I understand it, for international shipments the wood in shipping crates
and pallets has to be heat treated... so you may have roasted bugs and bug
eggs mixed in with your sandwich!

On 11/30/2016 11:05 AM, Leon wrote:

On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

That's why I use ONLY American made pallets!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccLQgIs4NM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F5RO8ls7_k

On 11/30/2016 2:15 PM, Amanda wrote:
On 11/30/2016 11:05 AM, Leon wrote:

On another note, I watched a YouTube video yesterday of a guy that is
building cutting boards out of shipping pallets, the pallets originated
from India. Shocking!

That's why I use ONLY American made pallets!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccLQgIs4NM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F5RO8ls7_k





Well if you are the real Amanda, I sincerely hope you are doing more to
protect yourself from what you are breathing in from that circular saw
cutting that pallet. And I would certainly at the very least paint or
varnish over the finished project to prevent the crap that is in/on the
pallet from transferring to human contact.

Surely you must think about where that pallet has been, has been dragged
over/through, and or what has been spilled on it. Where the pallet
originated from has nothing to do with what the pallet has been expose to.

20-30 years from now when you are diagnosed with a certain disease,
think back to these days.