Saya Restoration Question

[nihonto1001]

I will be attempting to restore a saya. Do I have to be concerned with lead based paint when sanding? Just curious for obvious reasons.

 

Thanks ahead of time,

Jon

[Grey Doffin]

Jon,

Sayas aren't painted (unless they've been messed with by an amateur); they're lacquered. The lacquer (urushi) is toxic to the touch before it cures. Don't know if the dust created by sanding lacquer would be toxic to your lungs; hate to find out the hard way that it is.

Are you sure you know what you're doing?

Grey

[Basho12]

I've only done one saya restoration so far, so I can't say if my experience was typical, but the old cured lacquer didn't bother me. Still, there's always a chance of an allergic reaction to any fine organic particulate and a dust mask is a good idea. Also, you have to be very careful about not letting any grit/debris get inside the saya. Mask off the koiguchi during sanding and use horsetail rush as your abrasive if you can get it. No power tools, though that should pretty much go without saying.

[Ted Tenold]

Lots of things that can be a concern with lacquer aside from the preliminary concerns of urushi. Any dust in the lungs is bad, but urushi often has other things in it for coloration or decoration that are also hazardous such as Cinnabar used for red color. Cinnabar is the mineral from which mercury is obtained. Also, Mother of Pearl aka; Aogai (Abalone shell). Dust is hazardous.

 

Some folks are more sensative to this stuff than others. I have a friend whose hands swell up like ballons if he works with Samegawa for extended periods. So it's hard to tell what might happen even a material might look benign at first glance. Even with old materials it's not out of the question for lead or other heavy metals to be present as their hazards weren't known.

 

Consider your pursuit carefully.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

Beware, urushi is made in part with the oil from poison ivy. The sanded dust could very well cause problems, even severe reactions.

[Kevin]

Beware, urushi is made in part with the oil from poison ivy. The sanded dust could very well cause problems, even severe reactions.

 

Hmm! Not quite. Poison Ivy isn't used at any stage in making urushi, which isn't surprising, given that Poison Ivy isn't native to Japan.

 

Urushi is made from Toxicodendron vernicifluum, which is native to Japan, not Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy). That said, the oil of Poison Ivy and the sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum both contain urushiols, and urushiols cause an allergic reaction in lots of people. OTOH, some people just don't react to urushiols.

 

Raw urushi can cause bad rashes - technically, it is a form of contact dermatitis. However, when urushi dries the urushiols polymerise by reacting with moisture in the air. It is a chemical reaction that consumes the urushiols that cause the allergic reaction. Consequently, once hardened, urushi is very unlikely to cause any allergic reactions, although it is theoretically possible since there might be a trace of unreacted urushiol in the lacquer. Mind you, this is possibly extremely unlikely with old urushi, since it will have had several centuries to polymerise any remaining traces.

 

It would still be an idea to use a facemask. It's not a brilliant idea to go round inhaling fine dusts.

 

Kevin

[nihonto1001]

My mind is at ease. I will take some before and after pics. I feel confident tackling this project.

 

Thanks for the info folks.

 

Jon

[nagamaki - Franco]

Greetings,

 

Urushi is made from Toxicodendron vernicifluum, which is native to Japan, not Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy). That said, the oil of Poison Ivy and the sap of Toxicodendron vernicifluum both contain urushiols, and urushiols cause an allergic reaction in lots of people. OTOH, some people just don't react to urushiols.

 

Thanks for clarifying the differences. more reading http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=1133