Spalted Orb

Ray.....some of the light colored spalting looks like it might have been soft and difficult to handle. Did you use anything to prepare the wood here? Beautiful piece of wood, by the way!

-----odie-----

@odie Thanks, I like the looks of the transverse pith, and the various colors the wood takes on as Mother Nature tries to reclaim it. Sometimes I get reds and blues on such woods. I did not do anything special to prepare this wood for turning, and made sure my tools were very sharp. I did keep a careful eye on the log as it lay spalting, to make sure it did not get too punky.

Several years ago I had the pleasure of taking a class with David Ellsworth, and that's the kind of thing he does a lot of. Like you, he likes leaving the pith to do whatever it's going to do.

Nicely done piece. You've shown off the spalt to great advantage. Hope those pith cracks don't go any further.