Sick from working yew?

[Aksel]

Hello, as I wrote in the "Yew Sapling bow" tread, Iīve recently cut 7 saplings (April). Peeled bark of green, split them and kept working on all these blanks simultaneously, so quite a bit of work over last couple months. Iīve never worked yew before but have heard about Taxol (and have researched this topic a bit now as well). So I have been aware it is potentially very dangerous but at the same time had this feeling "Nah I'm just making another bow, donīt over react, a little but of dust isnīt going to kill me, Iīm working out of doors" etc...

I have during last couple of months also on and off had this wierd feeling Iīm about to get sick which is unusual for me. Mild head aches, buzzing head, snot, tingly hands etc. Last two days I did work a few hours per day, chopping, shaving and scraping, BUT NO SANDING and now this strange feeling of about to get the flue is back and I start to suspect there IS a connection there so wanted to ask other bowyers experience, if this sounds familiar, and what precaution you take?

 

[meanewood]

Even though you are not creating dust, you are exposing yourself to the toxins anyway.
If you can smell the wood while working on it, you are breathing in vapours from the wood.
Also, if you have no gloves on while working, especially if you are touching the fresh sap, then you are absorbing the toxins through your skin.

[Hamish]

I would have thought it unlikely that yew being worked without saw or sanding dust being generated would cause issues, but then again some people are very sensitive.

Any type of sanding, or sawing from any wood, let alone yew I use a P2 rated mask. Regular nuisance masks are practically useless. I have been very sick from wood dust in the past, a hairs breadth away from being hospitalised and put on a respirator, so health and safety is no joke.

If you don't want to wear gloves, try barrier cream. Wash your hands thoroughly before eating and reapply afterwards if you're going to continue work.

[George Tsoukalas]

Are you wearing a mask? There are various grades...even respirators

I always wear one when working with any wood...even when mowing the lawn. LOL.

Jawge

[bownarra]

Be aware most masks are more or less a waste of time. Buy quality. Sata make a great mask with replaceable cartridges.
ipe isn't any good for me anymore.....around 500 elbs and it makes my nose tingle at the merest hint of dust.....osage starts me sneezing....I stay away from yew now despite yew elbs being very popular.
Sensitivities can get worse the more you work with any wood.

[Hawkdancer]

Reckon I will test the respirator mask!

[Aksel]

Thanks for the replies,

I wear a simple mask when sanding and I try do it out doors, but the mask is pretty crap (cheap) so Iīm wondering if it does anything at all as it leaves small gaps around nose and sides. Maybe I need to work with gloves and get a good mask.

It seems very individual how sensitive people are to this stuff. I hear some saying they get "high" from just stroking a yew branch. I used to laugh at it but not so sure any more. Maybe not for nothing it was a sacred tree in the past "the tree of life & death".

Maybe leaving it to dry first is a better idea.

[simk]

I have never got any reactions to yew, not from dried, not from fresh stuff - but it really seems individual. Also it seems these allergic reactions to yew and other woods can be triggered even after a longer period of regularly working. I would like to avoid this and installed a air cleaning system in my workshop and using a dust ectractor on my machinery.

[Del the cat]

I've worked with Yew for many years and suffered no ill effects until fairly recently I found I'd be choughing and wheezing. I think I'd become sensitised over the years (allergies can switch off and on like that). I bought a good ventilated helmet/mask, which works well and I've had no trouble since. I don't use it when using drawknife/spkechave, just when sawing, rasping or sanding.
https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2021/09/adjustment-work-and-airshield.html
Del
PS. I subsequently customised the helmet, removing excess weight and fitting lighter batteries (all in the blog)

[bownarra]

I have never got any reactions to yew, not from dried, not from fresh stuff - but it really seems individual. Also it seems these allergic reactions to yew and other woods can be triggered even after a longer period of regularly working. I would like to avoid this and installed a air cleaning system in my workshop and using a dust ectractor on my machinery.

I also have an air filtration system and a big extractor.....trouble is these things don't eliminate dust. I had absolutely no issues for about 13 years - it will get you in the end. Toxicity builds up over the years. Mind i've spent the last 15 years making bows almost non-stop. At a 'normal' rate of bow making I reckon I wouldn't have had any issues for most of my life haha

[simk]

these things don't eliminate dust[/quote]

it depends on the type of filter installed. of course even the best system does not remove dust to100% but; for sure its better than no system 

[Eric Krewson]

For me it was walnut first, then osage, now just about any wood dust will make my eyes and nose run like a faucet for the next 12 hours or so. Like George I get the same from mowing the lawn. I finally started wearing a 3M cartridge respirator for both wood work and lawn mowing, this completely eliminated my dust problems but takes some of the joy out of wood working, wearing the mask is cumbersome.

I have read that there is an acupuncture procedure to reverse the allergic reaction response to red meat caused by an Alpha Gal infection from ticks. When I looked into it it appears that the procedure may reverse the bodies response to other allergies as well. I met a guy at lunch the other day who had a friend that had the procedure, I asked him to ask his friend how it came out but haven't heard from him.

[stuckinthemud]

I’ve been ok with most timbers except blackthorn. Only made one blackthorn bow. I thought I had gone down with a chest infection. First question the doctor asked was what dust was I being exposed to? Finished the bow, all the symptoms disappeared.  Threw out all my blackthorn….

[bownarra]

these things don't eliminate dust

it depends on the type of filter installed. of course even the best system does not remove dust to100% but; for sure its better than no system 
[/quote]

Not really it is arguably the 1 micron stuff that is the main problem. Very few filters actually remove this stuff. A shaft of sunlight reveals a lot
What I'm saying is don't think you are protected 100%. you would have to spend a serious amount of money to eliminate dust. The cheaper options aren't really worth it to me.
I have filtration systems in my workshop and am talking from experience....I also know a few micro-biologists who have a serious amount of knowledge on room filtration.

[Aksel]

interesting discussion. But the yew Iīve worked with was wet and I didnīt always work with sandpaper and saw, but I still got these hay fever symptoms so maybe it isnīt allergy from dust only but poisoning from the poisonous sap containing Taxol. Iīve taken a break now for a few days and all symptoms has gone away.