Working antler sheds in wood shop

Woodshop
#1

Found a few neat deer antler sheds and want make knife handles. Any restrictions or etiquette for working with this stuff?

On the belt sander I caught a whiff of the sanded material and it stinks (smells like tooth debris when the dentist is drilling). Also turns out you can bend antler after boiling it. One internet person says the smell is like a decomposed weasel that had toenail fungus.

So obviously dont do the boiling indoors, and clean off the sander area and belt after sanding.
Dremel work might be a bit harder keep the smell down - but perhaps in the wood shop area next to good vacuum vent.

Thank you for your time and advice. Following the rules is a strong first concern, but not being the stinky guy takes a close second.

1 Like
#2

I don’t know of any specifics at Makerspace. I do know you want a good respirator. Not just a mask. Good idea to warn people around you as well. Bone dust is bad for the human body. Don’t breathe it in.

3 Likes
#3

Thank you! Im thinking any sanding / dremel portions are something I will just do in my backyard, if at all.
Some clips from a decent link:

The particles that are <100µm are a different matter though. These are what is considered to be “inhalable dust” (can be inhaled through the nose and mouth during normal breathing) and can be dangerous. Once the particle size gets down to <10µm it is known as “thoracic dust” (can pass through the bodies various defences and enter the lungs), and given that bone dust does not naturally live in your lungs it can be safely assumed this is not a good thing.

Even worse than thoracic dust is the “respirable dust” (particle size of less than 5µm) as these particles can even penetrate into the gas exchange areas of the lungs and potentially cause all kinds of trouble.

The easiest is sorting out some decent PPE. There are many different grades of face mask on the market and even the most basic of these is better than nothing. However, if you are going to engage in frequent or heavy dust producing operations, it is better to get something more serious. In striving for a balance between saving money and, well, not dying of bone filled lungs, the best option for most people would probably be a FFP3 (European) or N100 (US) rated mask.

( https://halldorviking.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/keeping-safe-while-bone-working-respiratory-issues/ )

3 Likes
#4

Not that you shouldn’t wear a respirator but I would bet using a spray bottle of water to keep the dust from being airborne would go a long way towards mitigating any inhalation.

3 Likes
#5

I wouldn’t recommend it. Adding water to that dust makes it slurry/past like.

1 Like
#6

Even wet I’d bet you can smell it when you power-sand it. If you can smell it, it’s getting inside you. Respirator FTW.

2 Likes