Spalted wood

[floorman]

Hi , has any one use or made spalted wood. will it work on oak?

 

[Blister]

Bit confused here ?

I don't think you can make spalted wood

it happens naturally as part of natures decaying process :wink:

 

[Calpol]

Don't quote me on this, but I think you can add something to the tree to give it the disease or maybe worsen it or something... Blame last years lecturer if it's wrong

 

[jasonB]

It is possible to encourage spalting of wood that is prone to it. Methods include adding liquid fertilizer, burrying in soil and seeding with shavings of spalted wood, whichever option you need to leave the wood in a damp enviroment and make sure you don't overdo it and end up with a soft pulp.

It is possible with oak but maple, sycamore, birch and beech are better, I'll try and get round to kaking a pic of some oak that has some fungal activity, though oak and ash can start to smell a bit farm yard like if you know what I mean :wink: in the meantime have a look through this album at some of the naturally spalted items.

Jason

 

[gidon]

You can make it apparently - there's an article in this month's FWW on it as it happens:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ ... x?id=30747
Never tried it myself though.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[floorman]

Thanks Gidon and Jason

 

[Gill]

Is this thread of interest?

Gill

 

[newt]

I have just cut up some sycomore that I felled 18 months ago and the spalting is just right. I left the logs facing south laying on the soil, about 6 months ago the bark started to peel and you could see some dark gray stripes forming.

 

[jonbikebod]

Fungal attack of oak produces ‘brown oak’ not sure if this is a different fungus (suspect it is). Equally prized so long as the wood hasn’t been significantly weakened (which has been the case for all wood I ferreted away inadvertently in a damp shed).
Some winch oak certainly spalted, along with some silver birch and sweet cherry.
Jon.