I think I overdosed on Spanish Cedar dust...

[jerseynewbie]

Just spend 2 hours ripping 140 small pieces of Spanish Cedar with my new table saw, for my Edison-a-dor trays, and I learned a very important lesson. Get a true Respirator, not one of those flimsy facemasks that are $0.25 each.

The facemask was probably better than nothing, but I still feel like absolute . I've probably cut a few linear board MILES worth of #2 pine in my short construction career before I changed jobs, and that stuff has no affect on me. But this stuff is a serious kick in the stomach, my throat feels like my tonsils are infected, my lungs feel like they're full of hot coals, and when I drink water it tastes like chew spit.

So learn from my mistake, unless you want to take a few years off the retirement end of your life, kill your tastebuds, and give yourself a sore throat, get a tight fitting respirator with no gaps for air to come in around your cheeks!

[Ermo]

Man that sucks, but thanks for the heads up!!

Maybe some mucinex would get the woodchips out?!?

[daviddunn]

I'm glad you said something, because I'm in the construction trade, and I cut wood every day, so when I hear people say "wear a mask, the dust will irritate you" I don't pay them any mind. I'm about to cut some spanish cedar from my humi project, and now I will definitely invest in a proper mask!

[schnell987]

I'd see a doctor if I were you...I've read that the SC dust is BAD stuff..much worse than "standard" saw dust. See a doctor.

[jerseynewbie]

Originally Posted by schnell987

I'd see a doctor if I were you...I've read that the SC dust is BAD stuff..much worse than "standard" saw dust. See a doctor.

Actually, the initial effects were the worst of it. Now (5-6 hours later) it's pretty much all worn off. Luckily the exposure was not direct (it came around the sides of my ill-fitting mask) and I was only working with it for less than two hours.

But if anyone plans on doing an all day, or multiple day, project (or plans on using a belt sander or something that's going to kick up a lot of the finer particles), I'd definitely recommend a tight fitting ventilator and a well ventilated work area. I don't have a woodshop, I had the table saw in my driveway. But if I did have a woodshop I'd probably work on the cedar outdoors anyway, because I wouldn't want residual dust from it getting stirred up every time I swept the floor.

I was really surprised how much stronger this dust is than any of the other soft woods I've cut. It feels like having fiberglass insulation in your system!

[muziq]

Originally Posted by jerseynewbie

I was really surprised how much stronger this dust is than any of the other soft woods I've cut. It feels like having fiberglass insulation in your system!

True story, man. I didn't do anything as crazy as cutting tons of pieces; I had a shop cut my long boards to the right approximate length, then drilled holes and sanded them at home in my somewhat ventilated shop. Felt like a tall warm glass of hampster vomit for a few hours afterwards. Word to the wise--get a respirator or work on the sp. cedar out-of-doors on a windy day!

[raisin]

Originally Posted by jerseynewbie

I was really surprised how much stronger this dust is than any of the other soft woods I've cut. It feels like having fiberglass insulation in your system!

I really hate to ruin your day, but this needs to be said. Spanish Cedar dust is suspected to be a carcinogen.

[salimoneus]

Originally Posted by raisin

I really hate to ruin your day, but this needs to be said. Spanish Cedar dust is suspected to be a carcinogen.

unless you inhale the stuff on a regular basis i doubt there is much to worry about. i'd be more worried about the carcinogens in the cigars themselves

[Heliofire]

Originally Posted by salimoneus

unless you inhale the stuff on a regular basis i doubt there is much to worry about. i'd be more worried about the carcinogens in the cigars themselves

thats a very good point.

[raisin]

Originally Posted by Heliofire

thats a very good point.

Ya, we all whistle past that graveyard...