Klarinet Archive - Posting 000674.txt from 2000/08

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Cocobolo mouthpiece
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 09:29:28 -0400

Walter Grabner wrote,
>When I was at IMS two weeks ago to buy some
>eb clarinet mouthpiece blanks, I also picked up
>a cocobolo mouthpiece blank, also made by Zinner.

I've played on a cocobolo recorder occasionally for years with no ill
effects, and understand that people also use cocobolo mouthpieces and
clarinets happily, but if you're working the wood and making sawdust, watch
out! Woodworkers often develop a very severe allergic reaction to cocobolo,
similar to a poison ivy reaction. My husband could tell you all about it.
Kevin makes hand-turned walking sticks, fountain pens and various small desk
items. He did several projects in cocobolo with no problem. Then after
another project, he noticed a slight rash on his fingers. Next time he
worked in cocobolo, kaboom, the allergy hit him in a major way. (He doesn't
normally have allergies, BTW -- no food allergies, asthma or anything like
that -- but he has developed a fairly bad sensitivity to poison ivy.)

He wears a dust mask (the simple white paper kind) when he works on any kind
of wood. He wears glasses, but didn't put on air-tight goggles. I have an
industrial ventilating system (bought as surplus from a foundry, for my work
on leaded stained glass) installed in the workshop, but apparently he only
turned the ventilator on after he had already been working for awhile and had
started noticing a lot of dust. When the allergic reaction developed, his
eyes, throat and lungs became irritated and stayed that way for several days.
He got a severe, bright red rash, all over his arms and hands and around the
edges of the dust mask. The rash itched, swelled and took weeks to heal,
even with prescription medication. The next time he worked on cocobolo, the
reaction was much worse. He can't work in cocobolo *at all* now -- a shame,
since it's such gorgeous wood. He does still use things he made of cocobolo.
Apparently only the dust is a problem.

The man who sells Kevin his hardwood told him that many woodworkers develop
this allergy after only two to five exposures to cocobolo dust. Some people
manage to keep the dust off their skin and out of their ventilating systems
completely and are able to keep on working with cocobolo, so good luck and
please be careful!

Lelia

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