General Category > General Discussion
Help identifying this timber, please.
TWiG:
Yes I would agree it is almost certainly Laburnum , it is not poisonous , only the seeds are , It is from the Leguminosae family ( pea ) same as runner beans , it usually smells like it too if turned green , however if it is as old as you say I bet it is very hard ! It is great for small things fruit , eggs , finials, and lids and as you say takes a great finish .
woody:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
All parts of the plant are poisonous, and can be lethal if consumed in excess. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. In some cases, diarrhea is very severe, and at times the convulsions are markedly tetanic. The main toxin in the plant is cytisine, a nicotinic receptor agonist. It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the buff-tip.
A friend of mine turned some laburnum and his Grandson put it in with his pet rabbit it was died the next day also cats have been known to die after scratching the tree
Bryan Milham:
And the shavings make great weed killer.
TWiG:
--- Quote from: woody on April 14, 2013, 07:12:15 PM ---From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
All parts of the plant are poisonous, and can be lethal if consumed in excess.
--- End quote ---
this would all depend on what you mean by consumption (eating ?)and excess !! Bagpipe chanters are made from this wood , and I sure there have been no problems there ( apart from the noise !!!) But using it from a turners point of view there really is nothing to worry about . ie no specific extra PPE is required .
bodrighywood:
It worries me that so many people turning seem unaware of the dangers that are to be found in woods. I see goblets and food bowls at sales made of yew and laburnum, both of which contain toxins in all parts of the tree. Chanters usually have a separate mouth piece and you are not sucking or inhaling it. The wood is in fact one of possibly the ten most poisonous woods available containing a direct toxin. As I make a lot of goblets and food usable items this is something that I have had to research and I assure you that anyone using woods without having some understanding of the potential dangers is acting irresponsibly IMHO.
Anyone engaging in any hobby should really look into the safety aspects of the materials that they use. There are tables such as this easily available, print and pin on workshop walls.
Sorry, bit of a hobby horse of mine :-[
Pete
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