How Toxic is your Selfbow / Arrow Wood

[perry]

Thought this was interesting Folks, a bit of a run down on the potential dangers associated with working with many of the Timbers we Aussies and others around the World use to make our Bows and Arrows

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/badwood.htm

I know I have been guilty of not paying enough attention to inhaling Wood Dust and not wearing Gloves when I work with a lot of the Timbers listed here.

regards Jacko

[longbow steve]

Hi Perry, good post. I at least wear a mask when working bows these days. Bamboo can be added to the top of the list as it is what has turned me off making lam bows. I get hay fever every twice a year now and have throat irritation whenever working any wood. I used a respirator from the start for lam grinding but was a bit slack putting the mask on for general sanding. Cheers Steve

[Roadie]

Ay Perry as Steve said Good Post, another Toxic Aust Timber is Cypress Pine, you do need to be careful when using this one. Cheers Roadie.

[lanky]

I work with wood everyday and I use the p2 respirator , not much fun in winter with the safety glasses fogging up but I don't want that stuff in my lungs!

[longbowinfected]

Bamboo flour and sawdust is extremely irritating, dessicating and definitely not good for your health.

Trees cannot go to the potty.
They store their wastes and toxins.
These are the materials which make some species more durable against insect attack and attack by wood decay fungi.
Trees that develop/naturally grew in areas where there are no termites species that attack trees tend to have less durable timbers because they did not need them.
I started out doing a trade as a cabinet maker. Once through I never worked as one as people were not buying fine furniture and because it really affected my health. I had to have multiple sinus operations.....and I wore full PPE including at the end a special helmet with forced air filtering. These things affect you dermally and your respiratory system.

A few years ago I warned Steve about the risks and was concerned that I had cruelled his love of making bows as his work is exceptional.

It is the reason why to date the only bow I have made was a non glassed but glued self bow. As soon as I started working the wood, my health declined.

I would be as equally concerned about fibreglass, resin, glues, sanding sheets and carbon. A lot of the components for these are extracted from timber.

I love timber and have a huge collection of specimens but unfortunately I have to accept that timber does not love me.

One lucky exception.......I do not mind the occasional dram.

Kevin

[perry]

That table lists some species of Tree's that procuce edible Fruit, an easy assumption to make would be that such Tree's would be less Toxic but when you think about it the Tree only wants Animals to eat the Fruit, not the Timber. Really Nasty Poisons like 1080 are produced by many Native Australian Plants for instance

I have not had a need to make a Selfbow for quite a while but recently did some Silver Quandong Arrows and struggled a bit with the Dust.

I'm Asthmatic and the Sawdust does get to me and much of the reason why I have long done the majority of the Timber reduction on my Selfbow Staves when the Wood was Green. It is perfectly acceptable to work a Stave to a Floor Tiller while the wood is green. This greatly reduces the amount of Sawdust obviously but it also minimises contact as the Timber is so much softer to work.

I also do a lot more scraping than Sanding and often my final tiller sanding is done with a combination of Boiled Linseed with Wet and Dry Sandpaper then a light Scraping, again something to reduce Dust but still not something I want to be doing day in day out. Add to this when I final Finish my Arrows and Bows I use a equal part mix of Boiled Linseed, Feast Watson High Gloss and Gum Turps. I have recently found out Gum Turps is quite a Nasty substance to be exposed to long term

I also love to Cast my own Projectiles for my Firearms, due to exposure to Lead from Car Wheel Weights I take many measures that very nearly eliminate risk but Bullet Casting is also a great way to dispose of the Sawdust I create when making Arrows. I use it as Flux, really cleans up the Molten Lead so it Casts better. There is another point of contact I had not thought of - naturally you do all one can not to breathe the Smoke.

No matter how you look at it everything I like is either Illegal, Immoral or will Kill me eventually

Of coarse it's an overreaction to stop all together as my exposure is minimal but I shall be a little more mindfull, getting more health conscious as I age

regards Jacko

[Roadie]

Ay Perry, not shooting this weekend. Yes now days we are more mind full of Health Issues from timber and other things. Back in the Dim Dark ages when I started my apprenticeship, Asbestos was all the go, but we never used angle grinders to cut the sheets. I still have my old asbestos cutters in the shed, and when we cut the sheets they were always watered down first. Asbestos sheets for walls and deep 6 sheeting for the roofs, Canite for ceilings, Masonite for the internal walls. Does anyone else remember this stuff. Cheers Roadie.

[alaninoz]

I remember them, but never used any of them. I didn't really start playing with wood until MDF was available - another one that's not real good for you.

[perry]

Before I knew about the dangers of Asbestos I had a Job where I drilled the Stuff regularly, Fibro's, Fibro's, Fibro's right ? well it was at the time. I must have breathed in the Fibres. No sympthoms and so far Lungs are clear but time will tell that story. Once upon a time even Carpets were backed with it.

Mum and Dads old Queenslander had Masonite lining in the Verandah when it was closed in and Caneite Walls throughout the rest of the House. The Ceilings featured Tin Sheeting that was pressed with gorgeous Floral Patterns. I well remember Dad laying on his back atop Scaffolding ALA Michael Angelo painting the Floral Pattern. Took him 3 months of his spare time. Result was Awesome !!!

I have often wondered if the next "Asbestos" will be Carbon Fibre !

Grant I've been meaning to ring you but every time I resolve too I read you are going away, did your Hunt fall through Mate, hope its not because the Knee is giving you Grief.

regards Jacko

[GrahameA]

Morning All.

.... I also do a lot more scraping than Sanding ....

There is a message there. Ever noticed how when you are 'cutting' timber with sharp tools there is a lot less dust around compared to when you use abrasives.

Over the years I have a number of articles in 'Wood" magazines that compare old workshops where the timber was planed/chiseled/scraped/shaped with hand tools compared to newer workshops where power tools reign supreme and abrasives are popular.

[longbowinfected]

spokeshaves, rasps, draw knives and straight edge scrapers.......way to go. I like Perry's ideas on working green timber and Steve's idea of self bows only.

Kevin

[Roadie]

Horse & Cart, and no mobile phones, and Grandmas home made Apple Pie with REAL Cream. Cheers Roadie.

[bigbob]

Now I know why I've been getting headaches! I wear a P2 respirator too but tend to lift it up at times and forget to replace it for a little while.