Have I Put My Health At Risk?

[Santah]

Recently I have been working on a strat body, stripping back the paint to the wood.

I usually wear a dust mask when I am sanding but this time I never really got around to getting one out, so I've been sanding for the last few days without a mask.

Yesterday my brother was here and he went into my working space for a very short time. No work was being done or anything but he seemed to breathe in some of the dust and was coughing the rest of the night. It kind of made me worried.

I will be wearing a mask again from now on and today I am going to vacuum my work space to get rid of the dust built up. You guys think there is any possibility I may have done some long term damage to myself?

[jaycee]

My initial opinion is no. But it's allways safer when doing that much sanding to wear a mask, have plenty of ventilation and work outside if possible..

If your worried enough go and see a doctor

[Nitefly SA]

He could have a sensitive throat or be allergic to the wood you're using. I don't usually wear a mask while sanding and I'm okay (coughs violently)

[Southpa]

Everything catches up to you eventually. Don't make a habit of not wearing the proper protection. I'm sure we're all guilty of just forging ahead. I can't wear those little white dust masks, my glasses get steamed up too quickly. But I have a 3M half mask with organic cartridges. Used to work at a boat building shop and they gave us new filters every day, even when the filters are good for a week or two. So I just hoarded them.

[prs man]

I don't think you have to worry if it only been a few days.

I have worked building furniture for over 20 years and I don't have any trouble.

your brother might just had a reaction to the dust or the smell of wood alone might cause some of us to cough.

if your going to be doing a lot of sanding you might want to get a few dusk mask and keep them on hand.

I can't stand to have one covering my mouth but I love the smell of wood.

[MP63]

Get a respirator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have athsma now and have to be very careful on which wood to use.

Mahogany is the worst wood for me now. I never use it anymore.

It wasn't before, but now it is just too harsh for me.

If a wood is giving you health problems now, it'll only get worse.

Stay away from that wood and find another.

Maples are good for me, but I still use a respiraor and not those cheap paper masks.

The contant exposure will eventulaly catch up with you and then you're screwed.

Be safe, becasue no wood-working is worth you health.

My advice from experience.

If not, keep Benedryl handy.

[Desopolis]

it depends alot on the space your in as well. going from a room to a garage has a affect.

friends that dont work arround wood just arnt used to the smell or the fact dust is there

i still try and wear a mask as much as I can, but sometimes I cant breath with my mask on.. so I take it off.

[Mattia]

Get a respirator, wear it when you're making dust. One, two, even ten minor exposures may not do it, but the effect is cumulative; the damage to your lungs too serious to be repairable. Dust is dangerous, wood dust doubly so (some is classed as carcinogenic, even). Pro shops have better dust collection, need to adhere to OSHA-type regs, and are thus generally safer than hobbyist shops with no dust collection or safety equipment whatsoever.

Protect yourself. You've only got the one pair of lungs, and pulmonary wards? Not that much fun to lie on.

[Sambo]

You'll be fine. Just treat it as a smacked wrist and don't do it again.

In terms of sanding dust that we guitar makers produce, some of it is indeed carcinogenic, but then so are brazil nuts. Its all about how much you inhale. How, taking it that you breathe most of the time through your nose, the likelyhood of any particles reaching your lungs are small (why your bogies go wood coloured ). So chill.

As for pulmonary wards, no not much fun to be in. But try working on one

S

[SoundAt11]

Get a 3M respirator from your local hardware or home improvement store, $20-30, worth every penny. I cut wood several times a week with it on and have even used it with painting and autobody work and never smell the fumes or cough up sawdust.

Here's one thing most people don't think about. When you're done working on the wood and you're putting up your tools and heading back home/going in side. Most people just take off their safety gear when they're done with the sanding/cutting/planing and then inhale tons of fine dust afterwards. Always leave on your respirator and dust off your clothes and arms (I use a water hose for that), and your piece of wood. A paintbrush or handbroom works well for that. Don't take your respirator off until you are out of the dusty area and have dusted your clothes off. Then ditch the clothes and immediately take a shower.

And of course, dust off the guitar wood to, you'll probably be taking it back indoors.

I've cut a ton of wood over the past year and am OK so far, thanks to the safety precautions. Cocobolo slightly irritates me, from my first exposure, but that's it.

[sexybeast]

You should get a respirator. I have a cartridge type and it's the best. I was cutting some yellowheart/purpleheart one day and I was nauseous, dizzy and exhausted for two days. You're probably fine, but it's a good practice to protect yourself because some things we work with are just plain toxic.