We have all heard about wood toxicity. Here is a table that would give you an idea of how toxic some of your favorite woods are. Some sort of dust protection should be used.

Wood	Reaction	Site	Potency	Source	Incidence
Beech	S, C	E, S, R	++	LB, D	C
Birch	S	R	++	W, D	C
Black Locust	I, N	E, S	+++	LB	C
Blackwood	S	E, S	++	W, D	C
Boxwood	S	E, S	++	W, D	C
Cashew	S	E, S	+	W, D	R
Cocobolo	I, S	E, S, R	+++	W, D	C
Ebony	I, S	E, S	++	W, D	C
Elm	I	E, S	+	D	R
Goncalvo Alves	S	E, S	++	W, D	R
Hemlock	C	R	?	D	U
Mahogany	S, P	S, R	+	D	U
Maple (spalted)	S, P	R	+++	D	C
Myrtle	S	R	++	LB,D	C
Oak	S	E, S	++	LB, D	R
Oak	C		?	D	U
Olivewood	I, S	E, S, R	+++	W, D	C
Opepe	S	R	+	D	R
Padauk	S	E, S, R	+	W, D	R
Pau Ferro	S	E, S	+	W, D	R
Purpleheart		N	++	W, D	C
Redwood	S, P	E, S, R	++	D	C
Redwood	C		?	D	U
Rosewood	I, S	E, S, R	++++	W, D	U
Satinwood	I	E, S, R	+++	W, D	R
Sequoia	I	R	+	D	R
Snakewood	I	R	++	W, D	R

Abbreviations

Reactions

I: Irritant

S: Sensitizer

C: Cancer (nasopharyngeal)

P: Pheumonitis

DT: Direct Toxin

N: Nausea, malaise

Site:

S: Skin

E: Eyes

R: Respiratory

C: Cardiac

Source:

D: Dust

LB: Leaves & bark

W: Wood

Incidence:

R: Rare

C: Common

U: Uncommon