Tickle in the chest?

[D. Tiller]

Any of you get a tickle in the chest after knapping? I was outside knapping last night and this happened. I will be using a mask from now on. I want to live!!!! Suggest all of you do the same!!!

David T

[Hillbilly]

Silca dust is one of the eleven essential vitamins.

[D. Tiller]

That! My friend shall be chiseled in as your epitaph! 

[Sparrow]

 Yep ! I knapped indoors for years (probably about ten ! ) without regard to wearing a mask and using a fan to push the stuff away from my breathing,(and I was mostly knapping obsidian.The worst) I did'nt realize the damage I was doing to my lungs.I did realize when I left the dry air of eastern washington and moved to the humid air of southeast alaska.It could have killed me.I started having asthma attacks ! I had never had asthma or allergies or any of that respiratory crap !. It took me over a year to re-cover and my lungs are still not as strong as they were. The doc that was treating me asked me if I was an underground miner because my lungs were a mess from breathing in silica dust. He put me on inhalers and pills and said that I would likely need them for life. I got on the inter-net and educated myself and went on a year-long program to clear myself up.I don't use any drugs at all now but I am sensitive to dust and pollen and too much smoke and occasionally I get short of breath climbing the hills and mountains around here. All from breathing knapping dust. Now I knapp outside with a side breeze blowing.(It has really cut back on the amount I do). True Story.   Frank

[mullet]

  I knap outside with a strong Hurricane Fan blowing on me.I have to have the fan for the dust, heat and mosquitos.

[D. Tiller]

I have a sealed mask with small particulate filters on it. I thought since I was outside knapping these days I would be ok. No WAY! This stuff is way to dangerous.  I think I have learned a major lesson but I think I have done a bit of damage to my lungs. I just hope its not very much. I am knapping mostly obsidian too and feel it more in my right chest than anywhere else.

How should I get the doctors to check my lungs for this type of damage? I dont feel winded but I do feel this tickling that makes me cough at times. It was really bad after going to a knapp in a couple months back with lots of people knapping. Dang it! Why did I not start with the filter respirators before now? Man have I been dumb!!!!

[Otoe Bow]

I only knapp outside, and here in Oklahoma, that means in the wind.  Sometimes I have to anchor my rocks with horse shoes, (and vice versa) to keep them from blowing away.

Stay safe David.  Hope you don't have any long term problems.

Mike

[D. Tiller]

Thanks! Me too!!!!

[Wolf Watcher]

Silicosis just sneaks up on us!!  In the 60's I met a master knapper named J. B. Sollberger.  He went to various Universities in Texas and Europe teaching knapping techniques. He was, to my knowledge, the first modern man to reproduce Folsom and Clovis points.  I have a collection of his that demonstrates all the major Southwest type points and blades and also some of his notes as he was very scientific about his knapping.  Solly smoked and that with the silicosis he died of emphysema.  Was a great loss.  He knew all about flint knapping, but took no precautions about the dust!  The very worst material for dust is fiber optics materials.  I have made many points out of it.  Its pure silicon and makes the most beautiful points.  Not worth anything as true hunting points or blades.  Its my opinion that more dust is created during percussion that pressure flaking.  Makes me wonder is some of the knappers from thousands of years ago really died young because of silicosis!???  Watcher

[cowboy]

I always have tickles and thumps and bumps going on in my chest David - don't think it's my lungs though . I don't knap indoors anymore however due to the dust from abrading ALWAYS floating right into my face .

[D. Tiller]

I can taste the dust in my mouth after I'm done. Think the mask is just a necesary percausion Paul. Though in your part of TX the wind is so strong, from what I hear, that you dont need to use one but need to hunker closer to the ground to keep from flying away!

[Justin Snyder]

Sounds like you need to build up the muscles in your chest a little more.  That rock from Cowboy will give you more than a tickle. 

[stickbender]

     Yep, just look at it as micro, micro blades in your lungs.  Breathe in, slice, slice, breath out, slice, slice.  Sometimes in some years, Eddie doesn't have to plug in his Hurrican fan, to keep the dust, and insectavores away......of course, he can't sit outside either, without taking a chance of getting clocked by debris coming off of his neighbors house.  Course, his knapping tools, and rock, will be come debris also.  His neighbor, will be wondering where these arrow, and spear heads stuck in the side of his house, and trees, came from.  And that stick with a piece of copper on the end......

                                                                                       Wayne