Wooden/bone dust - how much is toxic

[Roman Pekar]

Hi,

I need to adjust a slots on mandolin nut (bone) and bridge saddle (ebony) a very little bit. I remember reading somewhere that ebony/rosewood dust is toxic, but is it really harmful even in small quantities like this?

[G7MOF]

Anything that can be breathed in to your lungs that shouldn't be there can be toxic, I'd wear a mask just in case!

[Bernie Daniel]

Hi,

I need to adjust a slots on mandolin nut (bone) and bridge saddle (ebony) a very little bit. I remember reading somewhere that ebony/rosewood dust is toxic, but is it really harmful even in small quantities like this?

An afternoon raking leaves on your lawn would expose you to orders of magnitude more dust and particulates --but if you wanted to wear a mask it could not hurt. Personally to adjust nut or bridge slots i would not bother with a mask -but to sand a neck or a top board i certainly would wear one

[pops1]

Sanding makes fine dust, filing makes a courser dust. I would not worry about the small amount of courser dust you are going to make filing slowly and lightly on either.

[sunburst]

So far, I agree with everyone here. All dust is toxic to breathe, but I don't bother with a dust mask for a small job like bone nut slots or ebony saddle slots. I get more dust exposure mowing the lawn, sweeping the floor, driving on gravel roads, etc. etc..

[allenhopkins]

Rosewood's the bad one, I've been told, 'cause of the inherent oils.

No direct experience, just hearsay.

[jim simpson]

Yes to Rosewood. I've previously recounted the nasty reaction I got from routing out for new block inlays in a guitar fingerboard. Itchy eyes, etc. I've gotten better with using the mask.

[Timbofood]

Dust=bad! Mask, better than no mask regardless of the irritant.
A PROPER FITTING MASK IS KEY! The best mask on the planet isn’t much good unless it fits. I have a friend who has a big beard and masks are pretty much useless with that lack of “fit”. He’s developed COPD after his years in woodworking environments. It’s sad, much of the issue would have been avoidable had he used proper equipment and not decided that his beard was more important than his lungs!
If you are going to do a lot of work with dust, get a good respirator and a clean shave!

[DHopkins]

Over the years, I've worked with a variety of woods (leopardwood, ziricote, lacewood, holly, etc., plus the usual ones). I've found that the dust from almost everyone can cause problems and some are worse than others. Most all are breathing irritants.

Pre-existing conditions such as asthma, emphysema and maybe some allergies, will certainly be exacerbated if the dusts are inhaled.

On the other hand, mother-of-pearl is reportedly very toxic but, short of a pre-existing condition, I've never heard of anyone ever having problem with it when they used dust masks.

The bottom line is, use a quality, snug-fitting dust mask when doing anything that produces a potential irritant.

[MikeEdgerton]

...On the other hand, mother-of-pearl is reportedly very toxic but, short of a pre-existing condition, I've never heard of anyone ever having problem with it when they used dust masks.

I knew this would come up. The "very toxic" portion of mother-of-pearl was based on the fact that they used to wash the pearl used in making buttons in arsenic (if I recall). The pearl isn't any more toxic than any other dust. It's the accumulation in your lungs that will cause a problem.

[violinvic]

The first and only time I sanded ebony without a dustmask, I got the worst throbbing headache that I have ever experienced. Now any time I have sandpaper in my hand, I have on a dustmask. Don't take the chance.

[pops1]

Again sanding is different than filing, and filing a nut and saddle slot, you are not in a hurry, you are not raising dust, but a coarser material and not enough to breathe in. I wear a mask when sanding if it is any amount and run the shop vac with a very small micron filter, but I don't worry when filing a nut or saddle slot. I also prefer to scrape instead of sand whenever I can as I don't have to worry about the dust.

[Nevin]

I worked for many years in the hazardous waste investigation and cleanup business. I am a certified hazardous waste site workker and supervisor as well as trainer, which leads me to a few observations on this thread. First paper dust masks offer little protection. There are some that have special intake valves that are better but the last I checked none of them were OSHA approved for hazardous atmosphers. If you do wear a filtering respirator you have to use the correct filters and it has to fit correctly. There are easy field tests to check on fit but they are field tests and the respirator should be properly fit before you use it. Filters for particulates get clogged. I breathing seems to require more effort, get fresh filters. The last is a frequently overlooked concern. Using filtering respirators puts a strain on your lungs and heart. If you are going to do so, make sure you get your physicians OK first. If anyone has any questions on this I will be happy to answer either here or in a PM. Stay safe.

[fretman314]

I've worked with a few wood types having done some amateur woodturning projects. Rosewood was the only one that gave me a rash on my hands from the dust.

[amowry]

My rule of thumb (which I read somewhere, sorry I forget who deserves credit) is that if I can smell it, it's probably killing me.

[MikeEdgerton]

The scary part is that the stuff you can't smell will kill you faster but that's a pretty good rule to follow. I lost my sense of smell a few years ago. That really sucks although sometimes it is a blessing as well.

[DHopkins]

My rule of thumb (which I read somewhere, sorry I forget who deserves credit) is that if I can smell it, it's probably killing me.

And that even applies to that steak I had last night. My doctor insists that I cut down on them because.... Well, you know.

[gweetarpicker]

An electric saw or grinder can produce incredibly small bone dust particle sizes (down to 3 microns) that stay suspended in the air for long periods of time. I'm with Mr. HAZMAT above. Dust particles below 10 microns can get deep in your lungs. Particles below 5 microns are "respirable" and can get right down in the gaseous exchange areas in your lungs. I am not aware of any studies indicating that bone dust is toxic per se (except where there are other biological contaminants being carried by the dust) but I tend to be cautious with fine dust. I would use a dust mask (maybe an N95 or N100 spec) especially when using power tools.

[pops1]

The OP is going to file nut slots and saddle slots, I don't think power tools are necessary, nor will there be enough particles flying around to worry about. Should you feel uncomfortable wear a mask, for this I don't and haven't for decades. So far no problems, but then that means nothing in reality.

[MikeEdgerton]

I worked for many years in the hazardous waste investigation and cleanup business...

Unfortunately I worked for a company that used to create that stuff. That probably will remove a few years from my life.

[sonic]

I work in construction. In particular water treatment plants mainly pure water. As a result I work on and am inducted on to a variety of different sites. One of the major changes I have seen in the past five years. Is the emphasis on dust, it falls behind falling from heights and vehicle pedestrian safety.
Face fit dust masks along with vacuuming rather than sweeping. Dust suppression with water on larger sites as well.
What relevance you might ask. Well as part of these inductions they tell you the hazard and why. Basically dust is the new asbestos, with great efforts to minimise workers exposure.
I never used to bother and to be fair wouldn’t under the circumstances of the OP. But for most things I now reach for my twin cartridge mask, it’s just not worth the risk.