lacewood

[gear jammer]

I got a piece of lacewood for a vase. I touched the piece with my hand once I got the outside roughed. Now I'm digging slivers out. Nine so far and they are nearly impossible to see. Is this normal for lacewood.

[Angus]

I can't speak to the splinters but, will offer this warning. I have a friend that did a run of lacewood pens. He ended up in the emergency room from developed allergies. It was the first time he used lacewood and only took a few hours. He used a respirator but it was so bad any where he had exposed skin he developed a rash and swelling then he had respiratory problems. Doctors told him not to enter his shop until it was dust free from the lacewood Friends had to clean his shop from top to bottom and every one of them suited up like a bio-hazard team.

I hope, and you may not be as sensitive but lacewood is listed as skin irritant. Maybe those aren't splinters and your having a reaction? Either way I encourage everyone to bookmark this and review it whenever you work with unfamiliar woods. wood allergy database

[Bill Holt]

Lacewood did not bother me.  I turned one small bowl, 6x3 maybe and had no problems.  At that time I was not using any protection other than glasses.  Mahogany dust, on the other hand, tares me up!

Good luck!

[Mr Eddie]

I call it splinter wood.  The black seems worse than the red.  Sometimes you just walk by and the splinters jump into your fingers!

Lonnie

[Arlin Eastman]

Like Bill I have turned several pieces of Lacewood and last Nov was a 5x5 bowl with a lid or box and it did very little splintering on my.  I of course sharpened it several times so it would not and even on the last cut I sharpened before it.

[clovishound]

Lacewood did not bother me.  I turned one small bowl, 6x3 maybe and had no problems.  At that time I was not using any protection other than glasses.  Mahogany dust, on the other hand, tares me up!

Good luck!

Probably not mahogany, likely Spanish cedar. Looks just like Honduran mahogany. Had a fellow in my old turning club ended up in the hospital twice with lung reactions to it. Nasty stuff to breath in. I worked some with table saw and it really irritated my throat. Thought it was mahogany and turned out to be Spanish Cedar. I still have some in the shop. Haven't found anyone I dislike enough to give it to.