Getting into pen turning, and spalting questions

[Trevor Walsh]

While at Rockler with my girlfriend, dropping off that surplus x-mas money that's been laying around, she asked me if I'd turn a pen for her. I was there picking up a Sorby Mirco spindle set (on sale), some ebony blanks (on sale), mahogany (on sale) that I had money to burn... I got the pen mandrel, several slimline kits, bushings, blanks, and glue. I picked up a black chrome slimline pencil kit with a stabilized spalted sycamore blank for me.

Not that I have a problem spending money on a hobby, but I'd like to cut my own blanks out of domestic hardwoods (not the difficult part), but I also really enjoy the fancy qualities that spalted woods have. I also don't want to buy/make large spalted pieces and wind up with dozens of a single type of blank.

Any tips for spalting/stabilizing pieces that are only 2-3 blank's worth?

[Jim Burr]

You can try burying the blanks in moist soil and check from time to time. There was a post recently about using beer as a spalting agent too. Remember!! Spalting is a mold and not to be inhaled. Respirator at least and dust masks dont count!

[David E Keller]

Spalting is such an experiment that you'd be better off scavenging hard woods that have been down on the ground for a while until you find some spalting that you like. You can always do large pieces then make bigger turnings and use the cutoffs for pens and stoppers.

[Nate Davey]

Wealth of spalting info here: http://www.finewoodworking.com/blog/woodworking-life/tag/spalting