Wood Turning - The Dangers of Sanding are Easily Controlled
Most of the work of turning generates shavings, long thin curls of wood that fall gently to the floor until they are removed, often with broom and snow shovel after a hard day's work. Sanding dust, on the other hand, is much finer and lighter. It tends to hover in the air and be breathed in and to a certain extent out. However, a person's lungs are moist inside and some of that dust gets caught up in the moisture and does not want to leave. It becomes a problem in two main ways for wood turners.
First it is simply the problem that the fine dust lingers in the air and gets breathed in. Lungs are meant to absorb oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide gas. They were not intended as filters of the environment. While the nostrils are so designed, the volume of wood dust generated by the sanding process can simply overwhelm the nose. Considering that many turners today sand as fine as 2000 grit paper while the normal wood worker will generally stop at 240, one can see that the problem is compounded quickly. The fine dust stays in the air longer and more easily escapes the body's dust defenses. These fine dust particles, which can enter deep into the lungs, are called 'respirable dust' and unlike the larger particles can not be coughed up, spat out or swallowed.
The body's own defense system takes care of cleaning a lot of the dust from your lungs by using large immune system cells called macrophages along with certain proteins. Some, unfortunately, gets through. This dust may cause allergic reactions, asthma, and even cancer.
Allergic reactions are most easily controlled by noting which species of wood cause the problems and avoid turning those woods. When using a type of wood for the first time it is good policy to turn a bit and note any reactions that may have occurred or be occurring. It is also noteworthy that some reactions accumulate over time and a wood that appears safe today may not be safe tomorrow.
Asthma is most often caused in wood turners by exposure to fine dust over time and again tends to be cumulative. It is best controlled by medication and lifestyle changes under a doctor's supervision. Hardwood dust in particular is now considered to be a carcinogen and any suspicions should be brought to your doctor's attention.
As in so many other things in life, the better part of cure is prevention. Note any reactions to particular woods and cease to use them. Use a good dust collection system at the lathe. It is best to collect dust at the source of the problem before it has a chance to flood the room. Some turners use a special workshop air filter system to remove even finer dust than the capacity of most dust collectors.
One of the best defenses against dust is to wear a dust mask. While the paper nuisance mask so often worn by home handymen is frequently seen and used, ensure that any mask you use has been certified by your local health or other government agency as a good filter for r prevailing workshop dust.
Good protection simply makes good sense and, in this case, it makes good lungs and a more enjoyable life as well.
Related Tags: health, tools, finishing, sanding, woodturning, lathe, wood turning, dust removal, shop safety
Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, http://aroundthewoods.com , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video. http://aroundthewoods.com You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog at http://roundopinions.blogspot.com as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.
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