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Would like to know how to spalt my own wood?

Joined
May 6, 2004
Messages
628
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Location
Sonoma, CA
The general idea here is that I would like to spalt my own wood. I saw the receipe in the last AAW Journal. I just made up a batch of this receipe and it did not come out paste like as described. I used it anyway. But, I have a few questions for the rest of you that do spalt your own wood. What is your receipe? Is it a paste or a liquid? How do you store it while it is spalting? How long do you leave it (I know this is going to vary with temp, etc.)? What kinds of wood do you spalt? What happens to burl wood? Do you spalt logs, blocks or rough turned bowls? I just happened into some Big Leaf Maple wood and want to make try it. If I do not answer your message for a week or so it is due to the fact that I am off to Orlando for the Symposium. But I will check in after I return. Thanks ahead of time for the help.
Hugh
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
117
Likes
1
Location
Southwest Missouri
Website
www.hiltonhandcraft.com
Hugh,

Yes, I read the spalting "recipe" in the last AAW Journal too. It was, well, ...... :) .

I spalt wood commercially. I run 2 to 3 batches a year (the outdoor midwest USA climate only allows that) of around 200 logs each batch. This is a small operation that I've been doing for just over 10 years now. There's a LOT of confusion, heresay, magic, and maybe a little voodoo in some peoples' minds related to spalting in specific, and just plain wood coloration in general. I've had to answer a lot of questions over the years from woodworking and woodturning people so I wrote a small article to, hopefully, answer most of them for the target audience. There's far far more to the topic than what I cover in the article and if you're interested, a web search will turn up a lot more technical details.

I do not give a "recipe" for spalting wood in the article. If that's what you're looking for, you'll have to look elsewhere. Sorry.

Here's the article.

If you have specific questions, contact me privately and I'll be glad to answer them.
 
Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
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0
I've just left it on the exposed earth in a shady spot with some leaves over top of my rough blanks. Takes a while, but it's no magic.
 
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
995
Likes
2
Location
billerica, ma
Thanks for the article link, Andrew. Was a good one.

I've tended to find that birch, in particular, doesn't need any help. The bark tends to hold in alot of moisture and stopping the rot is tougher than starting it. Also gets lots of blue stain.

Good luck, Hugh
Dietrich
 
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