Are there certain woods that have a more irritating dust? Is there any information on more/less toxic wood dust?
Ebony and rosewood are known to be problematical. Rosewood dust and sweat can give you major skin problems and breathing the stuff is awful! Wear a dust mask and long sleeves. Have good ventilation and change your clothes and shower as soon as you can. Hascal Haile, maker of Chet Atkin’s personal acoustic guitars and inventor of the thin-bodied electric Gibsons that bear his and Chet’s names, had to give up making because of skin ulcers and breathing problems he developed from rosewood dust. Enough of it in your lungs can cause a condition similar to black lung disease. It’s not stuff to fool around with! And it’s certainly not benign. Visit Health Hazards & Wood for more information. Q: I have a parlor guitar from around 1890 made of Brazilian rosewood. On the back of the head stock it has an imprint of Henry L. Mason, Boston; this is repeated in the sound hole. Is this the same as Mason & Hamlin from piano fame? RM A: Circa 1880-1900 he was vice-president of Mason & Hamlin Piano & Or
