Exposure to walnut

[rich pierce]

I’m starting to sneeze around walnut dust lately. I don’t recall that happening before. Also it tastes nasty. I was blowing dust out of a deep trigger inlet by mouth and I guess some dust got on my mouth. Yuck!  I’m not sure if English walnut is the same or different. I don’t work walnut that often so am not sure why I’d build up an aversion to it.

[mikeyfirelock]

Do a search for walnut allergy……for SOME people who are sensitive it can be rather
serious.    Take precautions when working it , particularly to avoid breathing dust, and perhaps skin contact
( ie gloves)
Another free medical opinion from your local pharmacist…..
Mikeyfirelock

[WKevinD]

I have an air filter in my shop (ceiling hung) that is usually not on...unless I'm working with walnut.
I plug up and get all snotty and splinters fester within a day.
I'm fine with cherry or maple but dress in full combat gear for walnut; gloves, mask, apron and air filter.

Kevin

[T.C.Albert]

It’s an irritant for sure. Especially dust from sanding it.  Maybe high humidity makes it worse?
I never did, but even way back in the 1970s I believe some wood working publications
Warned about exposure to it and recommended wearing masks. And that was
Back when we didn’t even wear seat belts.
Tim A

[Jim Kibler]

As I understand it, you can develop this allergy over time.

[bama]

The dust can cause breathing problems, a mask is probably a good thing if you are working with it a bunch. Some walnut I have worked will turn my hands purple while I am working with it. I try not to use walnut for the above reasons but sometimes you just have to work it because the gun being built should be made from walnut. So, I bite the bullet and dive right in.

[taterbug]

as we all know, our bodies change over time.  One of those changes is how our bodies react to things that never caused problems before. 

yes, walnut dust is not a good thing to start with.  Best to avoid it as much as you can, either with dust mask, or with positive (active) dust control in your work area. 

I never had any trouble with seasonal pollen allergies until I was nearly 40.  And I was always outside, all times of the year.  Grass pollen is the worst for me now, but tree pollen and ragweed affect me too.  yay... I get it all summer long now.  

[Daryl]

Interesting as I've never heard of an allergy to walnut before.
Ron Fox, bowmaker from Oregon in the 80's and 90's had an allergy to yew wood, iirc.

[bobw]

Black Walnut effects me about the same.  I get really stuffed up for 3-4 days if I breath the dust and it’s really miserable. Rasping does not seem to bother me, just when sanding.  I don’t blow the dust with any air, just use a brush and vacuum the dust up.   I wear a mask when sanding and then have no symptoms.

English does not bother me at all. 

I have friends that their hands turn purple when working Black Walnut, but mine don’t.
Bob

[flatsguide]

I developed a bad allergy to Cocobolo after working with it for many years. My hands and face would swell. I get a small reaction to Black Walnut but none with the English or European variety.
Richard

[Habu]

Allergies to specific wood dusts are actually rather common in the woodworking trades, with walnut being a known problem.  Repeated exposure results in development of a sensitivity to the wood. 

Problems commonly range from a stuffy nose to asthma, with skin sensitivities also a possibility.  Other woods we might use gunstocking--ash, beech, cherry--can also cause problems but at a lower rate than walnut.  (Last time I checked, no one had noted  problems with maple.)

The problems seem to have become more common as we've moved to increased use of abrasives rather than cutting tools.  I haven't made a specific study of it, but anecdotally problems seem to have been mentioned more frequently after 1925.  This doesn't mean there weren't problems before abrasives were more common.  For example, any of the Dahlbergia species (rosewood, cocobolo, etc) can cause problems, and this was noted in the literature as far back as the late 1700s. 

[Hungry Horse]

 I never had much trouble with walnut, but a Myrtle wood stock  I was cutting out on my bandsaw made me think I was going to die. Even with a respirator to keep from breathing the dust my eyes would burn. It sure cleaned all the creepy crawlies out of the shop though.

Hungry Horse

[oldtravler61]

My good friend Jack Duprey warned me of working with walnut years ago.
  Good advice..

[Jakob]

I'm mildly allergic to walnut...guess what's also my favourite wood to work with? Severity varies alot. Nasal rinses helps a lot.

[rich pierce]

Thanks everyone. I’m going to mask up and stop blowing small inletting chips out of sear arm holes and trigger inlets.

[Eric Krewson]

I have always been allergic to walnut dust, after 20 years of working with osage, I became allergic to that as well, next it was maple and finally all wood dust. I have a dust collection system in my shop but it only gets the dust from my big wood working tools like my bandsaw.

I have to wear a cartridge respirator now or suffer the consequences.

[elkhorne]

I have had horses for many years and remember way back being warned by an old farrier to never use or accept walnut wood shavings to use in horses stalls. The warning was it can kill horses stalled in stalls with walnut shavings. Don’t know if it is something absorbed through their hooves or the horses actually breathing the walnut dust. Makes sense it could cause allergic reactions to sensitive people. Just an interesting side note!

[JBJ]

A fairly comprehensive list of wood species and their allergenic properties can be found at the following:
https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/#google_vignette

An explanation of the various reactions and codes used in the list is given following the list of references at the end of the table. Be sure and check out the properties of maple! I was surprised! Like several of you, I have developed issues with black walnut dust so I am careful with it now.

J.B.

[bpd303]

The older I get the more allergic I am to anything airborne. Fortunately an N95 dust mask usually keeps it at bay. Some of the allergens like walnut dust, I have to use my 2 cartridge respirator though. Such is life for me, as I live in the woods where everything imaginable gets airborne. I also have to take a daily allergy pill like Allegra.

[Bob Roller]

My hands were a light shade of purple from walnut but only one time.I used walnut for others later with no reaction.It did not itch or become painful but ir was noticeable.In the last 4 years I have become allergic to working.
Bob Roller

[Jacob_S_P]

I had no idea about this until recently. Ian Pratt apparently suffers from it in a horrible way and and after learning that I am going to implement measures to reduce exposure to the dust and take care so I hopefully never develop such an allergy.

[dadybear1]

MAHOGANY IS ALSO BAD!!!!!!

[smallpatch]

Hadn’t worked with black walnut in many years. When working on a new Kibler fowler, got a sore throat, itchy burning skin, everywhere any sawdust touched.
Not sure how I’m gonna finish it
Bunny suit?

[Hawg]

As I understand it, you can develop this allergy over time.

A DR. told me you can get or lose an allergy overnight.

[Stoner creek]

I’m working with a greasy black wonderful piece of walnut right now. I’m really excited about this one and happy that I am not having any deleterious effects from it. This is the first time I’ve really gotten excited about making a new piece in years. Will keep you posted.