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, Greenheart has been reported as a sensitizer, although severe reactions are quite uncommon. Greenheart has also been observed to cause a number of other health effects, such as wheezing, cardiac and intestinal disorders, severe throat irritation, and the tendency for wood splinters to become infected.
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 experienced no significant difficulties while working with Greenheart.
My Personal Experiences:
Greenheart was very dense and hard but it cut easily enough on the lathe and thankfully, it didn’t burn up my bandsaw blade either. The wood does have a distinctive green color that doesn’t really come through in photos. The sanding dust is very green and resembles green tea powder. Greenheart did have a tendency to be a bit splintery at times but it didn’t present a major problem in my experience. Unfortunately, Greenheart, unusually for a very hard wood, did not cut cleanly at all along the cross grain and it required a great deal of concentrated sanding to smooth it out. The areas along the grain cut extremely cleanly however.
Greenheart
This piece measures 5.5″ x 3″.
Greenheart was an interesting wood with which to work although I was nervous about working with it since I had read that it can be difficult to work due to its high density and hardness. Other than the need for extensive sanding I didn’t find Greenheart to be difficult to work with aside from the need for extensive sanding.
Greenheart is most famous, to the extent that anyone has heard of it, for being among the stiffest and strongest of the tropical hardwoods, and because of this it is most popular for its flooring applications.
I am happy that I had the chance to work with Greenheart as it is a wood that is difficult to find, but I don’t expect that I will be seeking it out in the future either.