Got some sweetgum I want to spalt...looking for thread

[Chris Burgess]

So today I answered a CL add for some Sweetgum logs. I ended up w/ 4 +12" x 26" logs and 2 mid sized crotch pieces. I am going to clean out the pith tomorrow. I want to spalt some. I have a Home Brew article but I remember reading one on here where someone put some maple in a Tote w/ some fertilizer, leaves, and some coke/pepsi (could not bring himself to add the beer) It was recent as I have only been on a few months. I have searched the Sawmill Creek Heavens w/ no luck. If you know what I am talking about or you posted it can you point me to it?

[Donny Lawson]

I just put my wood in the weeds where it is damp and shaded and let nature do it for me. It takes about all summer but it works great.

[Chris Burgess]

I just put my wood in the weeds where it is damp and shaded and let nature do it for me. It takes about all summer but it works great.

I live in a subdivision on a small 1/3 acre lot. No weeds to lay them in.

[Marty Eargle]

Here you go

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?169911-Got-tired-of-plain-hard-maple&highlight=pepsi

[Chris Burgess]

Here you go

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?169911-Got-tired-of-plain-hard-maple&highlight=pepsi

That is the one..... I saw that in my search but when I saw the first pic I moved on. Thanks Marty!!!

[Joe Watson]

Thats a pretty interesting thread.

Good luck with your project.

[Bob Bergstrom]

G9 here great articles on spalting.http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=32484

[Cody Colston]

Save yourself the trouble of the soda and ammonia (and beer). They do nothing for the spalting process. It's caused by fungal spores which require moisture and warmth to grow.

If you are spalting boards, lay them in a tray/pan and cover with some vermiculite. You can also place some fungus from a decayed log in there if you want. Keep the vermiculite moist and warm. The Sweetgum will spalt pretty readily.

In warm weather you have to do nothing more than store them outside in the shade. Even in an urban area, the fungal spores needed are everywhere in the air.

Sweetgum is similar to Hackberry in that the time between spalted and rotten isn't very long. You need to keep an eye on it.

[Cory Norgart]

Hey Chris, I have just layed the wood on the grass and covered it with plastic for a couple of months. I have also made a spalting pit before, dig a hole in the ground and bury it, I found this to be faster and more efficient, in black dirt, the bacteria from the ground mixed with the moisture can really make some nasty stuff:)

[Greg Just]

Here are a couple of sliver maple bowl blanks I roughed out this morning. I spalted the wood in my back woods this summer for about 3 months and all I did was to bury them in the mulch pile. Once they dry. I'll finish turning them.

[Lee Koepke]

The key to burying the wood is not forgetting about it. I am about to come into quite s bit of sweetgum, so I wool try spalting some too.

[Marty Eargle]

From a scientific standpoint, beer really doesn't do much good for spalting other than keeping the environment moist, as the yeast in nearly all beers is dead. The sugars from soda will certainly accelerate fugal growth. But I can't agree that ammonia isn't good for spalting. Ammonia and nitrogen are very important in the decaying process.

[Dave Ogren]

Beer does a lot for the spalting process. It is the order in which it is applied to take advantage of the yeast and ammonia. A person should drink it first. Then apply the resulting liquid to the mulch bunched up around the wood to retain the moisture. Good luck, and remember that this could take a 6 pack or possibly more.

[Greg Just]

I personally think it is better to drink the beer! :D

[Chris Burgess]

So here is what I did. I cut out the piths....duhhh. Then I threw some of the shavings in a black contractors bag, went to an old Oak Stump and pulled some 'shrums off of it. I rubbed the 'shrums on the endgrain of the wood, placed said wood in the bag. Took some 'hasta-gro' and poured 30ml in a plastic cup. Filled the rest with beer. Poured all over the wood. Poured one more beer in the bag. Covered with more shaving and layed the bag over. I plan to pick up some ammonia today and pour a bit in there. Once that is done I will let it cook about 6-8 weeks and check progress. Will report back then.