Restricted to plastic?

That is not good! Not sure if its possible, the dust is more a irritant than a allergen.

Worst case scenario use better ventilation or do the wood work outdoors. Wearing coveralls for just wood work will help keep the irritant out of your home.

Another tip for allergies is to remove all carpet from your home. Area rugs are alright as they can be removed for cleaning. The floor mat clips at the local car wash works good, hang dry as they do not stand up to machine driers if small enough to fit.

Symptoms of allergies include:

Sneezing, itchy eyes (avoid rubbing!) Congestion of sinuses to the point breathing out of your nose is difficult.

Allergy attacks are serious when breathing is difficult! Hot shower & leaving the source of irritants is my solution. Usually a house with a pet cat. Trust me the inconvenience is nothing when your next breath is your only worry.

Don, I do more woodworking than I do plastic. Have you determined to WHAT wood(s) you’re allergic? (I had a BAD reaction to some exotics.) You might want to contact Fine Woodworking for help.

TomZ2

Don, I do more woodworking than I do plastic. Have you determined to WHAT wood(s) you’re allergic? (I had a BAD reaction to some exotics.) You might want to contact Fine Woodworking for help.

No exotics- mainly reacting to basswood, but I suspect pine is getting to me too.  Also getting some reaction to particle board, even.  Yesterday I put on a dust mask as soon as I entered shop, left it on till I left shop.

Coveralls sound like a good idea. I sneezed a lot after I left shop- I suspect I carried sawdust upstairs with me.  Maybe in hair (what little I have left) and eyebrows.

This may be just grasping at straws, but northern white birch is relatively splinter-free and can be sterilized (we make tongue depressors out of it). It’s the nearest thing to a hypoallergenic wood.

Another choice (technically not a wood): bamboo.

TomZ2

This may be just grasping at straws, but northern white birch is relatively splinter-free and can be sterilized (we make tongue depressors out of it). It’s the nearest thing to a hypoallergenic wood.

Another choice (technically not a wood): bamboo.

I can't imagine bamboo being a good carving wood, but I can see birch being a good carving wood.  Where does one buy Northern white birch?

Might be time to invest in a good exhaust system to collect and discharge the dust outside of your working environment. Several companies produce such equipment at a variety of pricepoints.

Some don't require venting outdoors, they use filters to collect the particles to clean the air being discharged.

I helped set up a homemade system for a friend, we simply used his existing paint booth and installed a second higher capacity exhaust fan. This allows him to sand and the dust and debris is sucked up and out of this shop. It has a collection box which is made up of furnace filters (cheap) to catch the bigger particles. It works great. When he needs some additional ventilation after spray painting, he turns it on.

It does require him to clean his paint booth after sanding operations are done, prior to painting but it works and he doesn't have to wear an uncomfortable respirator.

Don Stauffer

 

TomZ2:

 

This may be just grasping at straws, but northern white birch is relatively splinter-free and can be sterilized (we make tongue depressors out of it). It’s the nearest thing to a hypoallergenic wood.

Another choice (technically not a wood): bamboo.

 

 

I can't imagine bamboo being a good carving wood, but I can see birch being a good carving wood.  Where does one buy Northern white birch?

Bamboo may surprise you; inexpensive laminated bamboo chopping blocks are available in any home goods store (including the eponymous “Home Goods”).

Don’t put the cart (source) before the horse (sensitivity). The cheapest experiment I can think of: go to a medical supply store and buy a single pack of tongue depressors. After you’ve proved your tolerance, then you can look for sources (what lumberyards are near you — ones that don’t spell “wood” as “fir/pine”). Don’t confuse northern white birch (Betula pubescens) with other birches, they’re lots of distinct species with different properties (and different chromosome numbers).

Have you investigated anti-hystamines to control your allergy. You will have to experient to find one that works for your allergy and does not make you drowsy. Ask your doctor for some suggestions.

vespa boy

Have you investigated anti-hystamines to control your allergy. You will have to experient to find one that works for your allergy and does not make you drowsy. Ask your doctor for some suggestions.

Yeah. I was taking something pretty good, but they came out with a non-prescription version. Insurance will now not pay for prescription version and dr will not write a new prescription.  NP version does not work as well (lower dose?) and the things are about a buck a pill, and need to be taken two pills a day.  Not worth it.  For sixty bucks a month I'll stick to plastic.

I have other allergies but the sawdust is by far the most bothersome, it really gets me down.

Hope this is O.K. to post, I use this site to locate various spices of wood, for my Scroll Saw projects.

http://www.woodfinder.com/

I have heard that the oil from mostly nut bearing woods is often the culprit. Every time I sand pine, I sneeze like crazy! Dave.

Well, I am going to try once more. I have cut the hull laminations for a Great Lakes schooner, the Lucia Simpson, last commercial sailing ship on the lakes.  I will have to get in the habit of putting on a mask before I start work every day. If I wait till I start sneezing it is too late.

Don : You are not alone .I do woodcarving as a side hobby (Icarve life sized hummingbirds ,both in feathered form and modern (no feathers and mainly form .) I found I CANNOT use two woods that I get a lot of requests in .Those are BUBINGA and CALIFORNIA REDWOOD . I also seem to be a little sensitive to (of all things) BASSWOOD lately . I was doing a Forties era speedboat (I give those away if I don,t sell them all ) and the dust from sanding had me coughing real bad . Oh well , I found that as we gather more age and experience that sensitivities are just looking to plague us . Soooo , I use a Mask similar to the one I used for oil spill work . You just have to find what works for you .      tankerbuilder

Don Stauffer

Well, I am going to try once more. I have cut the hull laminations for a Great Lakes schooner, the Lucia Simpson, last commercial sailing ship on the lakes.  I will have to get in the habit of putting on a mask before I start work every day. If I wait till I start sneezing it is too late.

Hi Don,

         Well befor you start you modeling session "Do" mask up ! Always mask up I do it's part of the safety Osha/Niosh Get a better 3M mask that is for smaller particals.If this is non agreeable plastic has to suffice.

TomZ2

 

 

 

Bamboo may surprise you; inexpensive laminated bamboo chopping blocks are available in any home goods store (including the eponymous “Home Goods”).

Don’t put the cart (source) before the horse (sensitivity). The cheapest experiment I can think of: go to a medical supply store and buy a single pack of tongue depressors. After you’ve proved your tolerance, then you can look for sources (what lumberyards are near you — ones that don’t spell “wood” as “fir/pine”). Don’t confuse northern white birch (Betula pubescens) with other birches, they’re lots of distinct species with different properties (and different chromosome numbers).

Isn't bamboo brittle?

I'll try birch. I know basswood, my favorite carving wood, really gets to me, as does oak.