Spalted Maple

R

Richard Smith

Guest
I was in to my local Woodcraft store this afternoon.I may be the last person to know this, but I'll share anyway. The man at the counter was telling a customer that he would not turn spalted maple because it would cause brain cancer. The customer thought he was pulling his leg, but no the man was serious. He said the fungus in the spalting was bad news. So if you turn the stuff, wear your air filters.
 
Whooaaa, that's a bit over the top :eek:

Sure, the fungus isn't good for you and I'd recommend you wear a respirator, but brain cancer? We're not talking enriched uranium here. Folks have been working spaulted wood for a good long time. I don't recall hearing, reading or seeing droves of woodworkers dropping dead from brain cancer.

Now that you mention it, alot of those turners are a bit off center, think maybe we're on to something? :huh: :huh: :huh:

Mike
 
Not so sure I believe the brain cancer bit. I will attest to spalted maple able to make you sick. I was very carefull when making a box for a friend. Went to touch up the top with wome sandpaper and before you know it, I'm sick as a dog. Took a couple of days to get well agian. Made this:
open.JPG

More pics here.
 
???

I would like to see his sources for the acusation. I'm sure it is prudent to err to the side of caution, but ??? brian cancer! i will not turn cedar without a respirator. I had a real bad reaction to cedar dust/oil when turning it for a day or 2. Severe vertigo and spiking temps. The symptoms went away after a few days. I found out that cedar is listed in it's own class for toxicity by OSHA.
A cyclone dust collector is at the top of my need to purchase list. I do process lots of spalted maple, and I've heard it is not good for you. I wonder if the guy is confusing the black spalting fungus with the black fungus that attacks damp framing/construction materials? I don't know if they are the same fungus. To be sure, mushrooms/funguses can be real toxic. I once fell on an orange colored fungus while chasing the whiley trout and had a smear of the stuff on my arm. I washed it off in the trout stream and didn't give it a second though until it burned the skin off my arm later that day! :eek:
 
That is very interesting, I do wonder about the whole "Brain Cancer" thing though....?

I do worry about the spalting, I did some Keyaki that was spalted, and I wore a respirator the whole time, and ran the cyclone.

My Simpson Sanding attachment works very well for keeping the dust in the cyclone, and not in my lungs! :thumb:
 
I'm going to call "BS" on this one. We live with fungi all around us, in our food, air and environment all the time. I'm unaware of ANY EVIDENCE to suggest fungal exposure from normal environmental sources can cause a malignancy (of any kind).

PS: this is a prime example of getting "expert information" from someone that lacks any qualifications. This is like going to your plumber for a physical...
 
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TOXIC WOOD: Is it really a danger?

CAUTION USING TOXIC WOODS ---- TAKE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

DANGEROUS FUNGUS IN ANTLER & BONE (also spalted maple)

A dangerous fungus is contained in antler and bone which if gotten into the lungs grows overnight to suffocate its victims. So if any of you are dealing with antler use a vapor mask.
from: Robert Autison

I went through the internet looking for info on spalted maple. Everyone quotes an article in the 1990 issue of American Woodturner. It states that SM is a potent( +++ out of ++++) cause of pneumonitis. Be sure to use a mask.
 
TOXIC WOOD: Is it really a danger?

CAUTION USING TOXIC WOODS ---- TAKE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

DANGEROUS FUNGUS IN ANTLER & BONE (also spalted maple)

A dangerous fungus is contained in antler and bone which if gotten into the lungs grows overnight to suffocate its victims. So if any of you are dealing with antler use a vapor mask.
from: Robert Autison

I went through the internet looking for info on spalted maple. Everyone quotes an article in the 1990 issue of American Woodturner. It states that SM is a potent( +++ out of ++++) cause of pneumonitis. Be sure to use a mask.


Who is Robert Autison? What are his credentials? I know many hundreds of people, myself included, who work with antler without a mask. Have never heard of anyone suffocating from fungus growing in their lungs overnight. And at rendezvous, where folks are camped in close proximity, we would probably lose a dozen people a day if that claim were accurate.
 
I guess I'm dying quite soon then. I have and turn tons of the stuff. And I haven't gotten sick from it either. I do wear my respirator when sanding, but I do that for everything anyway. Sawdust can be nasty stuff, spalted or not.
 
Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Excuse me, have we met before?
 
Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Been working with some lately - a little irritation in the nostril, but no detriment to my brain activity.

Excuse me, have we met before?
Dang it Rennie, ya beat me to it. :rofl:

I do agree that breathing dust from spalted wood is not going to be particularly healthy, and should be avoided to a reasonable extent.
 
TOXIC WOOD: Is it really a danger?

CAUTION USING TOXIC WOODS ---- TAKE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

DANGEROUS FUNGUS IN ANTLER & BONE (also spalted maple)

A dangerous fungus is contained in antler and bone which if gotten into the lungs grows overnight to suffocate its victims. So if any of you are dealing with antler use a vapor mask.
from: Robert Autison

I went through the internet looking for info on spalted maple. Everyone quotes an article in the 1990 issue of American Woodturner. It states that SM is a potent( +++ out of ++++) cause of pneumonitis. Be sure to use a mask.


First, a little science lesson; we are exposed to fungi of many types every moment of our existence and except for a very few people who have developed antibodies to specific molds, they have no untoward effect. In fact, most of us eat mold regularly and intentionally, it's called mushrooms. There is no known fungi that will "grows overnight to suffocate its victims" and such a statement is without evidence of support. Please let me know which issue of AAW contained the above quote, as an AAW member I would like to see that for myself. Second, even if all of what you say was true (and, it's not) how does this tie into your original post about it causing brain cancer? This is the kind of tripe that drives doctors crazy... A mask is a great idea but not for the reasons you have stated. Wood dust has been identified as a potential carcinogen by several occupational safety groups.
 
oh come on guys.......something tells me that spraying lacquer inside cabinets just might be a little more unhealthy that even eating moldy wood.
i`ve probably ingested quite a few board feet of various species over the last few decades and so far my one functional cell is still pluggin` along and i havent grown a third eye in the middle of my head......and my son was even born naked:rolleyes:
if you notice that you`re having an allergic reaction to one of the species you`re cutting then either take precautions to protect yourself or don`t work that particular product....but a blanket statement that a fungus will cause anybody to exibit adverse reactions is going a bit far......tod
 
I guess I have been put in the position of defending someone else's statement. I'm just the messenger. I tried to look for more info on the 'Net, but decided that it would just cause more friction. If you would like to, you may contact the Woodcraft store in Palatine, IL. Ask for the salesman that made this remark.
 
I guess I have been put in the position of defending someone else's statement. I'm just the messenger. I tried to look for more info on the 'Net, but decided that it would just cause more friction. If you would like to, you may contact the Woodcraft store in Palatine, IL. Ask for the salesman that made this remark.

Richard, I am a little sensitive to people throwing out scare messages. The internet is filled with them. And, since I work with antler and know many people who do, and have for many decades, I question the accuracy of that statement. I'll be checking with an expert source today and will post his response later.
 
Fair Warning

Trust me the subject of mold can get quite ugly.
This subject has been brought up many time on my local discussion board.
As long as we have people throwing out scare messages, there is
An equal number of people ready to eat it up. Your expert can be
countered with another experts opinion. And around and around it will go
Where she will stop nobody knows!
 
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I think it's prudent to wear a respirator but folks....the old adage...don't believe everything you hear or read........and that applies especially on the internet!
 
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