I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.
Dalmata Bowl
Health Hazards
According to some expert sources, there has been no negative health effects associated with exposure to Dalmata. However, other expert sources report that the dust from Dalmata is well known to cause skin and respiratory irritation among South American mill workers who process the raw green wood. Perhaps the effects are diminished with smaller exposure doses from wood that has dried to some extent. Regardless, the long-term negative effects of exposure to sawdust of any species are well documented.
Appropriate protective equipment is always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.
Complete information about health hazards associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.
Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Dalmata, aside from a certain degree of frustration.
My Personal Experiences
I purchased my piece of Dalmata from West Penn Hardwoods in April of 2014. I allowed the waxed piece to dry for over a year before cutting it, confident that surely it would have air dried over that period of time. I marked a round on the 6” square by 3” thick blank and cut it on the bandsaw as part of batch process of cutting various blanks to size, after which I stacked them on my workbench awaiting turning.
At the time I cut the Dalmata it was obvious that it was hard but it was also a beautifully streaked piece of dark wood. I was apprehensive about turning it because of the hardness but also excited to see what it would look like when turned as it has been my experience that even the most unpromising pieces of material can experience a magical transformation once turned and this piece was already attractive.
However, when I later checked the piece of Dalmata that I had cut, I was dismayed to discover that it was heavily checked around ¾ of the round. Although I had not detected any moisture when I cut the blank, clearly the piece was NOT dry and the accelerated drying that happened once the waxed surfaces were removed by cutting caused the wood to check extensively.
I do not know of any certain way to determine if any one piece of exotic hardwood that is purchased waxed, and therefore presumably in some state of greenness, is dry. Moisture meters, including one that I have, can only detect surface moisture to the very limited depth of small pins that are inserted into the wood. I have heard of modified meters that use nails of multiple inches in length to detect moisture in the interior of thicker pieces of wood, but the resulting hole would have to be resealed to prevent excessive moisture loss and, depending on the ultimate purpose of the piece in question, such invasive measures could ruin the piece anyway.