Ron, The wood turner is definitely advised to use a mask, but I usually don't. I'd be perfectly happy to suck on a Laburnum lute peg, where I into a substitute for sucking my thumb (which I quit about 63 years ago).
When a wood turner should definitely wear a mask, and a good one, is when turning green wood. Well aged wood is unlikely to have the spores of fungi, but green wood is likely to be infused with them. If you are getting dust when turning wood then you either have bad wood or dull tools. You should be able to make the wood come off in "peels" if you keep you tools in shape. Poison needs to be absorbed or ingested (or injected, but avoid scorpians and venomous snakes). Either way it has to be loose enough, or floating enough, to get into your system. I'll lick that Laburnum peg, but I don't think I'll chew it up and swallow it (and my teeth aren't that strong anyway). Best, Jon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Fletcher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 2:06 PM Subject: FW: Do pegs get smooth and begin slipping? > Certainly the seeds of the Laburnum and probably the leaves and flowers are > well known as being poisonous. Most gardening books will say that these > shrubs should not be grown in gardens where children play. > > Whether the wood is poisonous is not so important. The wood-turner is > always advised to wear a mask to avoid inhaling poisonous dust particles. > The finished pegs are then unlikely to end up in someones mouth. The > heads can be varnished to seal them from suckling babes etc. > > Does anyone suck a string that has already been in a Laburnum lute-peg? > > Replies to the list - please! > > Best Wishes > > Ron (UK) > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ed Margerum [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 10 February 2004 13:56 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Do pegs get smooth and begin slipping? > > At 7:48 AM +0100 2/10/04, Matthias Wagner wrote: > >Hello Vance, > > > >pear for pegs is a little bit too soft. I don't use this. > >Furthermore I used another > >wood, but I could not find the translation. Probably someone in this > >list knows the > >name. It is called "Goldregen". It is a ornamental tree in the > >garden. It flowers yellow > >and theese are very poisonous. > > There are at least three trees that are called "golden rain tree" in > English. > > Laburnum anagyroides, which is also called "golden chain tree" or > "common laburnum", and Laburnum alpinum, also known as "Scotch" or > "Alpine laburnum or golden chain", would fit your description of > being very poisonous. Both these trees have pendulous chains of > pea-like yellow flowers. Supposedly all parts of the laburnum are > poisonous when ingested. The Laburnums are native of Europe. (Cystis > laburnum is an older scientific name for common laburnum.) > > In North America, Koelruteria paniculata, a native of China, is known > as "golden rain" or "golden chain" tree, and also soapberry, but this > doesn't have the reputation of being poisonous. > > Ed Margerum > > > > > >
