Spalted Maple Form (WIP) Updated

[Nate Davey]

This is a piece of the maple I gloated about earlier. This is 5"x5". It is pretty pithy, but when I saw the spalting I had to try something. It also has some bug holes that are pretty neat. The tear-out is pretty bad due to the pithiness, so I'm soaking it in a 50/50 white glue and water mix. Once I got it round, I wanted to show the spalting on the top so decided on this slightly domed shaped top. I plan on making a figured walnut collar out of a small piece of wood gifted me by a pen making friend of mine and some sort of finial. Any design thought would be appreciated.

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[Jonathan Smith]

Now THAT'S a piece of wood!

Jonathan

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nate that is going to be a nice one if you can get past that punky wood which the glue should work for you. You may have to have another go soaking it glue as you go along. I had one like it and had to soak then turn then soak again the turn to finish. My piece was pretty punky but the wood was beautiful so just had to try. It now adorns the mantel on my sisters fireplace. Sharp, sharp tools will be in order as you know. I like the form and a walnut collar should look pretty good on it.

[David E Keller]

Great looking chunk of wood! I like the domed top you got working there too... I've got something sorta similar drying out right now. I'm not sure about the walnut color wise, but that's hard to judge from photos... I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get that punky stuff under control!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nate - best of luck dealing with all that punky wood - it can be challenging! Seeing all the tearout got me to wondering if some sort of colored filler might work. Course, the wood has enough color going on already! Play around with wood colors before you turn anything. You can tell a lot just by holding the wood close together!

Looking forward to seeing the form once completed!

[Marc Himes]

That is a great form, Nate. The wood has some great features too. I hope itworks out for you.

[Baxter Smith]

Great colors but definitely a tough piece of wood! Good luck with getting it turned as smooth as possible.

[John Keeton]

Interesting form! Keep in mind that the walnut will lighten to an amber brown over time. The spalting appears to have some of that tone in it, but it is hard to tell without seeing it in person.

That thing is going to be a bear to finish! But, if you can accomplish it, the wood sure has character.

[Rob Sitze]

That is one purty chunk of wood.

[doug williams]

Very interesting piece, I really enjoy spalted pieces, the different configurations of mother natures work is amazing. Looking forward to the finished turning.

[Nate Davey]

I let this soak for 12 hours in the glue and, as the walls are about 1/2" and I'm only trying to stabilize the punky wood, I thought this should be enough. I was surprised at how little, if any,the color changed. There are some nice browns in the spalting, so I think the walnut collar and finial should look alright. More to come.

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[David DeCristoforo]

This looks like it's going to be a "killer" piece! I love the shape and the wood is awesome.

[Jim Burr]

I tried a form like that last year and got smacked down for it...you will fare better! Really nice form and keep up on the glue!

[Nate Davey]

Thanks Jim. Guess you were ahead of your time.

[Nate Davey]

Here is what I ended up with. The bottom is where the worst wood was, the top had a couple bad spots, but I like how it ended up. Kind of a "From order to chaos" feel. This has 4 coats of Deft Satin Brushing Lacquer. I may turn a simple finial for this yet, but haven't decided. Thanks for looking. Comments and Criticism appreciated.
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[David E Keller]

Such a pretty piece of wood! Looks like a few of the punky spots refused to cooperate... That's too bad, but I still think it was worth saving. The glue trick is a good one, but sometimes rotten is too rotten even for the glue. The walnut looks good in the photos, so I think my worries were unfounded. My only suggestion would be to use the photo editing software to straighten the turning in the finished photo... The second image makes my head tilt to the left a bit!:D

[Baxter Smith]

Pretty wood Nate. Its too bad the worse the wood gets relative to turning, the prettier it gets! From the looks of it, you did well to get what you did!