Woods to Work with Caution

Caution!! In our meetings, we have discussed that some woods should be handled with caution. Some woods are more potentially toxic than the norm. This page will list those woods that individuals indicate have caused problems while being worked. It does not imply you will have problems, but, indicates you might want to work with caution because they can tend to affect your health.

  • Cocobolo
  • Lacewood

Note: Any wood can be toxic or cause a person to have an allergic reaction in the wrong situation. We are not listing all woods. This is simply a list of those woods that have caused problems for people in our club. Absence of a wood on this list does not assure you will not have some toxic or allergic response to a given wood.

If you have had a bad experience with a wood, please let us know and we will consider adding that wood to the list.

If you are concerned about toxic or allergic effects of a wood, check the Wood Allergies and Toxicity Database