Wood Allergy

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Ok, this seems really bizarre but I think I have determined that I am allergic to Fish Tail Oak! I am serious. Stop laughing.

About two months ago I was building a picture frame out of fish tail oak for a bass fishing cross stitch. The following day I got really itchy. I mean really itchy. It was centralized to the back of my neck and opposite by elbow and my knee caps and my wrist. When hot water in the shower would hit it I would almost pass out. Dr. had no idea what the heck it was and it did not respond to prednisone, benedryl, etc.

Well I happened to pull out some FTO yesterday and while routing some edges noticed I got an itchy feeling. This am in the shower i could feel the sensitivity to my arms. Tonight, the back of my legs, behind my knee caps are killing me.

It is so darn odd. Nothing else bothers me. Red and white oak, hard and soft maple, poplar, mahogany, cherry . . . . but this FTO seems to be a real trigger.

Is this not the most bizarre thing?!>!>!!:!

Jeff (whose fish tail oak is still not for sale . . . . )

[jabe]

I don't know about your FTO but, we have silver oak here and found out that it's been known to cause alergic reaction to some people. My wood dealer said it was a distant cousin to poison oak. With that in mind, I stayed away from using silver oak in the school shop. Perhaps your FTO has some of the poison oak properties.

[JSUPreston]

Along these same lines...how about Spanish Cedar? I made a clock body for my wife for her birthday out of it, and whenever I am around it, I immediatly stop up and am unable to breathe comfortably for quite a while. I haven't finished the clock yet since she has yet to order the movement she wants, but I'm dreading finishing it because of my experience so far. Needless to say, I don't look forward to cleaning up the shop either.

[LinuxRandal]

stay safe, but another possibility.

As someone who has WAY too many allergies (runt of the family, unfortunately), I would clean your tools and try a completely different batch before you completely say your allergic to the wood. It could have been treated with something or had something sprayed on it, that if sprayed on other wood could cause the same reaction. If it is something ON or IN the wood (not the wood itself), then I would wonder about the mill or mill that supplies my store.

UNTIL then, stay away from it, use a different wood and start the project over. Anaflactic shock isn't fun.

[TheRic]

LinuxRandal, I was thinking the same thing. It might not be the wood but something on/in it. It's also possible that you might have carried it over to the other wood in your shop. From that piece laying against other wood, or carried by your tools. Could be something added to the wood, or it might be some kind of fungus, or something that started growing on/in the wood.

[Brian G]

Jeff,

It's not bizarre at all. I believe you. I didn't know what Fishtail Oak was, so I did a brief Google search. Some sites also call it Leopardwood, and others also call it Lacewood. It seems that, technically, Lacewood (Cardwellia Sublimis) and Leopardwood (Panopsis rubellens) are different. I noticed, however, some sites considered them the same because they look so much alike. Leopardwood is also known as Fishtail Oak.

I have the same reaction to Lacewood, which is a known irritant/sensitizer. The insides of my elbows, backs of my knees, and my face itch and burn. I have the same reaction to hemlock.

I don't use either, anymore, and I even have to be somewhat careful when I buy construction lumber. I have to avoid the hemlock/larch dimensional lumber.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Jeff,

It's not bizarre at all. I believe you. I didn't know what Fishtail Oak was, so I did a brief Google search. Some sites also call it Leopardwood, and others also call it Lacewood. It seems that, technically, Lacewood (Cardwellia Sublimis) and Leopardwood (Panopsis rubellens) are different. I noticed, however, some sites considered them the same because they look so much alike. Leopardwood is also known as Fishtail Oak.

I have the same reaction to Lacewood, which is a known irritant/sensitizer. The insides of my elbows, backs of my knees, and my face itch and burn. I have the same reaction to hemlock.

I don't use either, anymore, and I even have to be somewhat careful when I buy construction lumber. I have to avoid the hemlock/larch dimensional lumber.

When I acquired the FTO/Leopardwood I had asked a couple folks if it was the same as Lacewood and the answer was pretty much what you found, they are more similar than different.

You have NAILED the symptoms though! Behind the knees is really bad right now, but inside of elbows is catching up. I have no problem with face, but my neck gets bad.

I wonder, is this the contact with the wood or is it exposure to the dust. I mean I HAVE to finish my project.