As many of you know, I turn reel seats as a hobby (I have one
customer who buys a couple of dozen a month which is about right to
keep it a hobby). I take any money I make and use it to buy more wood.
I bought some Cocobolo lumber and decided to rip off a couple 1"x1"
strips to covert into 1"x1"x4" blanks and see how it looked turned.
I have no dust collection for my little bench saw, I just take it
outdoors when I need to do some ripping. I also didn't bother to
wear a dust mask. After all, it was going to just be two quick cuts.
I managed to turned one reel seat, an interesting piece that has both
Cocobolo heartwood and sapwood.
Why only one? Well, all hell has broken out. I feel like I have
been rolling naked in poison ivy. My face is swollen, red and
puffy, I have-flu like symptoms and it hurts a bit to breathe.
Cocobolo is a perfect wood for reel seats because it is naturally
water proof and rot resistant. But it is a known to have oils in the
wood that can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. I have
had itchy skin before but nothing like this.
Here is a link
http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/archives/
000096dont_inhale_the_coco.html
which has some interesting information about Cocobolo.
You might want to avoid Cocobolo if you ever decide to start turning
your own reel seats.
Tom
Home Page: http://homepage.mac.com/tsmd
Webshots Albums: http://community.webshots.com/user/tsmdav
