Milling Poplar That Had Ivy --- How To Clean First

[OffGrid973]

Hello Forum,

I am new today and wondering if there is a proper way to prepare the 20ft of poplar I pulled into the driveway over the weekend as it was covered in Poison Ivy.

Since I now have PI all over my arms, I was wondering what I can do prior to milling this weekend...Just purchased Tecnu to help reduce the breakout but wondering if I should powerwash the logs or something.

Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[slider]

first welcome to the forum. May be some one will chime in with input but the stuff gets worse after it dries .We sawed some 6 months after felling it and had a bad outbreak . dock said 4 years still active.

[dgdrls]

Welcome aboard,  I bet PW would help.

Any chance you can peel the bark off?

Good luck

DGD

[thecfarm]

Try some of Magicman's grits.   :D  Just an inside joke. Stick around and you will see.   ;D
cwimer973,welcome to the forum. That stuff is pretty nasty stuff. You can even catch it from a dog that has run through it. Don't ever burn the stuff. Anyone that the smoke lands on can catch it.

[mrcaptainbob]

A friend's BIL died from inhaling PI smoke. I'd wear gloves and long sleeves and pull the vines off. Bury them someplace until the urushiol decomposes. I also use Ivy-Bloc if I know I'll be clearing brush where there's poison ivy. Stuff works great! 

[Finn1903]

This happened to me with a big pine, I was the off bearer for the mill.  Best solution is not to be the off bearer, and just run the mill and get someone to off bear for you. 8)

I was willing to try anything, even grits

Try some of Magicman's grits.   :D  Just an inside joke. Stick around and you will see.   ;D
cwimer973,welcome to the forum. That stuff is pretty nasty stuff. You can even catch it from a dog that has run through it. Don't ever burn the stuff. Anyone that the smoke lands on can catch it.

I think the next time I get PI, I am going to try anything to dry out the skin quickly, rubbing wet concrete or lime on the affected area.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum from here too.

I'd approach the PI log, cutting as normal. But within two hours of working with it, remove clothes to the washer, wash hands good with soap, and jump in the shower for a good soaping. I get it easily, but if I work in it and wash good before two hours is up then I am ok and don't get any itching blisters.

Then remember that whatever had PI on it, will need to repeat the washing ritual.
By habit, whenever I put on my work boots, I wash my hands right after.
Same with handling firewood from a log that was thick with PI vines. Just the chips flying around from the chainsaw can get down the shirt and begin the "process".

Good luck with it.

[nk14zp]

Welcome to the site.  Dial soap will help clear up what got on you so far.

[Axe Handle Hound]

I would not pressure wash it.  That's just going to send the oil flying everywhere, including on you.  Mill it as usual and be careful to avoid contact with the bark as much as you can.  I'd recommend a long sleeve shirt or if you can bear it in the heat, a Tyvek suit.  Then do just as beenthere said.  Wash, wash, wash....

Best bet is to just avoid the stuff so it doesn't make you miserable.

[Riggs]

I would not pressure wash it.  That's just going to send the oil flying everywhere, including on you.  Mill it as usual and be careful to avoid contact with the bark as much as you can.  I'd recommend a long sleeve shirt or if you can bear it in the heat, a Tyvek suit.  Then do just as beenthere said.  Wash, wash, wash....

Best bet is to just avoid the stuff so it doesn't make you miserable.

+1

[bandmiller2]

If poison ivy really bothers you don't mess with it,log be DanGed.Myself I'am not really allergic to it just cut logs and wash bare skin after. Frank C.

[Delawhere Jack]

If you've come in contact with PI, within an hour or two get in the shower, wipe down with paper towels with bleach on them, then shower as normal. The bleach breaks down the oil.

Once the rash comes out, wipe it down with paper towel soaked in denatured alcohol every half hour for 2-3 hours. The alcohol will dry out the oil in the rash and stop it from spreading. I've done this and the rash is gone in 1 day.

[Bibbyman]

I guess I'm lucky in that poison ivy does not effect me.  I guess I had enough as a kid to built up my tolerance.  Mary got it real bad a couple of times and still gets it a bit. But she doesn't learn.  She weed eats wearing shorts then gets it on her legs.

I pull vines from logs with bare hands as I don't want to get the stuff airborne and in eyes or lungs. 

[Mountain State Farm]

Welcome to the Forum,

Ditto to all the above. Try to remember it is an oil. It will spread like oil, "a little dab will do ya". Once you have it on you, every thing you touch could leave trace amounts of oil behind. Examples: truck, tools, boots, gloves, couch, etc, etc.

Sounds to me like you have three options. Mill it, discard it, or remove the bark.

Also, very important, when the oil is on you, DO NOT rub your eyes or go pee. Don't ask how I know this but trust me on this one.
 
Good luck,
Dave.

[MattJ]

I am highly sensitive to it and always wipe down with bleach after touching it and that works.  The bleach will oxidize the oil and deactivate it (sorry I'm a chemical engineer).  What if you made a 10% bleach solution and rinsed it after pulling the vines off?  Give at least 30min contact time to ensure it has time to react.

Just a thought

Matt

[beenthere]

I guess I had enough as a kid to built up my tolerance.

I've had the opposite experience. As a kid and to early 20's, I played and worked in PI. Didn't bother me.
Later, when clearing land for home, I burned a lot of piles of brush and was in the smoke. I think that is where my tolerance broke down. Have needed to be careful around PI ever since.
So guess it can work either way.

And another note, the PI blisters do not spread when they are broken open.
That is what was thought, but new breakouts are from the original oil from the plants that didn't get washed off and are just later to react.

[MRowsh]

If you got one of those propane torch from Harbor Fright, it can do a number on almost anything. I have used them for many things, to include that. I attached it to 15 lbs of propane tank and went to town.

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html

You can torch one side, then turn and do the other side.
Good luck.

[Tim Lea]

The best thing to do is pill the bark and ivy from the log. I would not burn it. if you got it already it you burn it you could get it in your lungs from breathing to smoke so I've heard...

[Magicman]

First, Welcome to the Forestry Forum, cwimer973.   

When logs are covered with PI, like this;


 
I try to avoid actually cutting through the vines, but use these to shell it off.


 
Not the brushes, just the other tools.

[Axe Handle Hound]

I've had the opposite experience. As a kid and to early 20's, I played and worked in PI. Didn't bother me.
Later, when clearing land for home, I burned a lot of piles of brush and was in the smoke. I think that is where my tolerance broke down. Have needed to be careful around PI ever since.
So guess it can work either way.

beenthere is correct.  PI is something that you can actually gain increased sensitivity to over time with repeated exposure.  So more exposure is not necessarily a good thing.  I have low sensitivity to it right now and I do my best to avoid it whenever possible so I don't lose that perk.