How toxic is ipe

[bowur]

I was just wondering from experience what people think of working with ipe? Has it ever made anyone sick or where they had an allergic reaction. I have asthma and allergies and am hoping that it wont affect me. I always wear a dusk mask, gloves, and long sleeves, and I leave the windows open in my barn. Is this good enough?

[Apex Predator]

I've worked with quite a few exotics, and ipe has been the worst for me.  I'm normally not sensitive to anything, even poison ivy!  Ipe will irritate my skin, nasal lining, and cause me headaches.

[bdawg]

ipe and cocobolo tear me up.swell my eyes and wreak havoc on my sinuses.take as many precautions as possible,cant be too safe.good luck.greg

[jsweka]

Having heard so many bad things about it I was a little nervous when I used it for a hickory backed bow about a year ago.  I didn't have any side effects, but I'm usually not sensitive to any sort of things - except bee stings, swell up like a pumpkin.  I guess it's bad effects vary from person to person.  Be careful.

[Broke another one]

I have only used it once, never made a bow out of it though, I got a headache and my nose acted funny but it went away soon enough.

[Loren Holland]

i used it a couple of times and intend to again.  it was so dense that the bow was only 1 inch, vs the 1.75 i would use for red oak. its a great bow wood, i will definately use again, but i did have a couple problems...i got two serious headaches. One from the super fine, very heavy dust, and one from getting cracked across the nose when the R/D i was making exploded right below the fade. Ipe can have swirls in the grain (best way i can explain it) that aren't really visible, since its not ring porous.  you might also have trouble getting a finish on it, but Deft worked fine for me.

[jhg]

As a woodworker I wanted to throw in my 2cts worth on Ipe and any exotic hardwood.

If you are getting any of these into your nasal tract, eyes etc be careful. Today its irratation, tomorrow it could bloom into a full on hyper-alergy where you can't even be in the same room with the dust. Might not happen, but if it does, you won't be making bows anymore.

-at least not out of wood anyway.

Having to wear dust masks and use dust collectors is a drag I know. But at least you can keep doing what you love, for as long as you care to.

Joshua

[kat]

I have worked with Ipe with no adverse affects, so I am assuming that it varies from person to person.  To be honest; I have heard from more people that had trouble with it then not.
I wouldn't trust a dust mask to keep you safe.  Just my 2 cents.

[woodbender]

bolivian rosewood got me the dust that settled on my ears and fore head got extremly irritated. looked like sunburn, swelling in the ears looked pretty funny for three days.

[glenbo]

That nasty Ipe dust is the worst.I would wear a dust mask and it would still irritate my sinuses.That being said,it is beautiful when it is finished