Horn Dust

[digger]

I am really enjoying messing with horns, and the question of safety has come up several times now. How bad is horn dust for you? The Artificer book speaks about its detrimental effects, as have several others I've spoken with. I didn't notice anything in the Sibley book about dangers of horn dust. I've started wearing a dust mask whenever I am filing and creating dust. My question to all of you is this, how hazardous is inhaling horn dust? What precautions do you take when working on them? What about eye protection?

[b bogart]

It gives me a severe headache (allergy type). Thats all I know!

[Collector]

Several times, you say? 

As with any particulate that is very fine in size and durable/persistent in composition and that may enter the lungs, there is always the potential of it embedding in and causing scarring of the lung tissue.  Spend a few bucks more and get a half-mask w/cartridges, unless you think that breathing is over-rated. 

Eye protection?... did I ever tell you the story about the time I stuck my head in an open manway of a 210,000 BBL storage vessel while apparently, just 'one' of the welding crews were wire wheeling their welds?  Nah, it was nothing.  Missed having a rusty piece of steel wire, thrown off a wheel, stuck in my eye by a fraction of 'mere' millimeter.  (Sometimes a war story has more effect, than just well meaning advise.) 

Enjoy your hobby.     

 

[Tim Crosby]

 Have never given it any thought. I work in it almost every day, sawing, filing, turning and sanding. I do use a dust collection system but it doesn't get it all. Eye and hearing protection are a given.

 Tim C.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I have never done too much about it.  One thing filing does not get it too stirred up.  But as has been pointed out any particle can cause damage.  I have never heard a specific threat on it.  I have heard from older scrimshanders that ivory dust should be avoided at all cost. 

Flip side, I was engraving a horn once and the needle broke and stuck in my glasses.  True story.

Coryjoe

[Mark Elliott]

As long as the horn was sterilized,  any kind of protection never crossed my mind.   I have always worn glasses so I don't normally put on any other type of eye protection unless I am welding or grinding.  I only wear my respirator when I am working with asbestos.   I guess that I should probably wear it more, but I really don't want to have to wear one for everything I do that is potentially hazardous.     

Tim,  I was wonder why you need ear protection when doing horn work?   Files and scrapers don't tend to make too much noise     The noisiest thing in my shop is generally the radio.

Mark E.

[Mark Elliott]

I just checked my artists' handbook of hazards.  By the way, according to this book, just about everything is hazardous.   Some things that I have been working with my entire life (lead and turpentine) are supposedly so hazardous that you should never use them.   Anyway, the book say the following about horn.

"... bone, antler, and horn dusts; and shell dusts may cause respiratory irritation and allergies and are usually slightly toxic by inhalation." 

Ivory and mother of pearl dust may cause a pneumonia type illness and worse in the young.  It would seem that most plant fibers are highly toxic if inhaled.  Also, oak and beech dust are known carcinogens.

So,  in the grand scheme of things,  horn dust is about as harmless as anything gets.   That is, as long as it is sterilized and cleaned.   Unsterilized and uncleaned(with a degreaser), it can harbor all kinds of nasty things.

Mark E.

[Tim Crosby]

Tim,  I was wonder why you need ear protection when doing horn work?   Files and scrapers don't tend to make too much noise     The noisiest thing in my shop is generally the radio.

Mark E.

   I should have said hearing protection as needed i.e.: chop saw or table saw.

 Tim C.

[J.D.]

Tim,  I was wonder why you need ear protection when doing horn work?   Files and scrapers don't tend to make too much noise     The noisiest thing in my shop is generally the radio.

Mark E.

   I should have said hearing protection as needed i.e.: chop saw or table saw.

 Tim C.

Or when trying to avoid listening to the wife.

[Old Ford2]

To JD,
" Trying to avoid the wife", that works for me!
You got that right!
Wait a minute.......I think she's comming..............................yes dear, no dear....wasn't referring to you....nooo never.
I'll get back to my horn, and shut my own horn at the same time ( that's what she  tells me any way ( shut my horn )
Old Ford

[Tim Crosby]

Tim,  I was wonder why you need ear protection when doing horn work?   Files and scrapers don't tend to make too much noise     The noisiest thing in my shop is generally the radio.

Mark E.

   I should have said hearing protection as needed i.e.: chop saw or table saw.

 Tim C.

Or when trying to avoid listening to the wife.

 I would never put that in writting.

Tim C.