Black Stain in Magnolia

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I recently finished turned a Magnolia bowl which had been coated with Anchor Seal and air dried for 5 months. It has a black stain through the center which I assume is a mold or fungi. Any suggestions on removing it or preventing stains in future bowls?

 

[Dick Sowa]

I have no idea what might be your cause...was it in the pith area? Last week I bucked up some storm damaged magnolia at my mother in law's. The center pith area was black...where it existed. But most of the pith had long since rotted away. I am not sure if that was unique to the damaged limbs, or is common with magnolia. I will be eager to see what others might say.

 

[Gary Chapman]

magnolia

Paul,
A friend of mine brought me a piece of magnolia,not a very big log, and I rough turned it and found dark stains throughout. The wood is really light and I personally did not like the looks. I tried keeping the pith in it for the piece was so small but It didn't hold very well. I also checked a bit even after I dried it.
Maybe if I had a much larger piece that I could avoid the center it would have been better . I find there are so many more varities of wood that I have access to that I choose not to use it. Gary

 

[Barbara Gill]

I have turned and sawn into boards a lot of Magnolia. The only time I found any black was when the tree was diseased. It usually smells bad too.
I put AnchorSeal on the end grain of bowls before they go into a paper bag. They never have come out black in the center.