However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.
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.
Health Hazards:
Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, there have been no adverse health effects specifically reported for Chakte Viga, other species within the Caesalpinia genus have been shown to cause skin irritation. The most common reactions include simple eye and skin irritation.
It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.
Appropriate protective equipment is therefore 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 did not experience any adverse effects while working with Chakte Viga.
My Personal Experiences:
I have added Chakte Viga to my short list of favorite woods with which to work. Chakte Viga cut cleanly and required little sanding aside from some rough spots along the cross grain areas. No one likes to sand but it is especially important that Chakte Viga not require it since it rapidly loads traditional sandpaper and rewards the use of Abranet screens instead.
Chakte Viga 1 4.5″ x 1.5″
The orange color is pronounced and my shop looked like someone had shaken out a giant bag of Cheetos. The color is also highly variable and one piece of Chakte Viga might have colors from bright reddish orange to white side by side.
Chakte Viga 2 5″ x 3″
I thought myself lucky to have pieces that included interesting inclusions and in one case an actual knot. I think these add character and interest to the finished pieces.
Chakte Viga 3 5″ x 3″
All major cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool system on my Robust American Beauty lathe, although I do use Robert Sorby bowl gouges for light final passes before sanding. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs as well as Abranet screens from Packard Woodworks. Final finish is Shellawax.