WWA Info Exchange

...than Douglas Fir splinters?

I'm working on a project that requires that I mill down several rough sawn Dougie Fir boards. These things are covered with tiny slivers, and each one has a remarkable ability to inflict pain disproportionate to their size. DF is splintery wood to begin with, but even the smallest sliver causes a painful festering that lasts for days.

There is some biochemical reason for this, probably something akin to formic acid and fire ants, but I don't know what it is, yet. I do know that even just a pair of rubber surgical gloves can save a lot of suffering. Unfortunately, I often fail to take my own good advice.

Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

It may be that you are allergic, or hypersensitive to whatever it is in the DF? I get that from some exotics, but never had any big problems with fir. WebMD suggests that a doctor could remove the inflamed area with a scalpel, so I hope you don't have a lot of them.

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

TMS,
That is why I have a tight fitting pair of leather gloves in my shop. While I am handling rough cut lumber the gloves are on my hands. While I know gloves are not normally a good idea while working around machinery I find a pair of driving gloves or golf gloves fit very tight and stop the splinters.

Give that a try.

_________________
C J K
in beautiful -
Oxford GA, USA

Hi Tom:

I can't recall having a DF splinter cause quite as much discomfort as you describe. Unless I don't get it out in decent time, then yes, it can be quite painful. But beyond that, I find it amazing that the tiniest little sliver of wood can and most often does make itself known.

I've been handling a lot of our NW cedar of late. 8/4 planks we've had milled from a few trees we had taken out. The first load we picked up at the sawmill I was bare handed. Lesson learned the hard way I'm afraid.

_________________
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis

Koa splinters cause a similar reaction for me... even little "dust" in my fingerprints caused a reddening and tingling in my hands... I tried a little benadryl on my entire hands (and a place on my face where I touched myself under an eye) and it cleared things up fairly quickly- it might be worth a try around the splinters?

Lawrence

I feel your pain Tom. I have been using tight fitting mechanix gloves for
the past 2 years for milling lumber. They are vented and I can
wear them all day long. $24 at Sears.

_________________
Bob Malone
WWASCAUX#1/WWAMDAUX#11

Redwood and some of the exotics are just as splintery, and the fester factor is greater because the wood has greater durability.

I won't use gloves around machinery, which means a day of red oak leaves my hands a bit furry, while a day with hard maple leaves me with a thousand cuts I never feel until I add soap.

Tom, evidently indoor palm trees are a problem for me. My right index finger middle knckle brushed up against the bark of one in Febuary. While I thought I removed all of the splinter, it became a sizeable painful lump. I had surgery last week to have it removed. The 7 stitches won't be removed until next Wednesday and I have to keep the finger dry, but well lubricated with Polysporin.

So believe me, I do feel your pain.

Verna

Not concerning wood, but splinters...
I worked in the sheet metal business for 15 years and got steel splinters as a daily thing. Some were big enough to pull out with a magnet!
The quick fix for infection was to stick your hand in a bucket of paint thinner. Yea, it burns like all get out but, the cut didn't get infected!
After I moved on from that job and started selling tools, I would still find steel splinters working there way to the surface of my hands for over 3 years!!!
I think they are all gone now.
As far as gloves, I didn't believe in them for use with steel. I couldn't feel the material slip or get enough grip to stop it and got the worst cuts when wearing gloves.

Rog

_________________
Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

Well Folks,

It turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks that Doug Fir is particularly nasty. I found the following in, Wood, written by the late Jon Arno.



Tom

_________________
"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

I'm with you Tom. When I'm turning Doug Fir I am always wearing long sleeves and gloves.

I've also found Wenge splinters to be particularly painful as well. As an added bonus, since the wood is so splinter prone, I've had some big ones. I'll spare you the details. Yuck.

peter