Is this spalted?

[Dan Masshardt]

I cut up a maple tree a year and a half ago for firewood - before I was doing any turning.

There was a crotch peice with a foot of trunk that couldn't be split so I left it aside. Spotted it today and I wanted to see if the cracks went deep. Sliced a couple inches off and found this.

Is this what you call spalting? Is it typical in every maple?

[Jerry Marcantel]

Not only is it spalted, but in my humble opinion, it's fantastic spalting.... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Ken Glass]

I would call it extreme spalting. Not worth a dime, send it to me right away......

[David DeCristoforo]

We only wish that was "typical"! What you have there is extraordinary. I would beg you to get this wood cut up into blanks and sealed ASAP. If you are unsure how to get the best yield from it, just ask. There are many who would offer suggestions on how to process this wood. That is wood most turners dream about having. It is exceptional.

[Aric Krueger]

yup, sure looks spalted to me. It happens in maple, birch, aspen and a few other species when water, temperature and oxygen are right for the various fungi that cause the coloration and patterns. Flat saw an edge off that thing so you can see it better; not just looking at the end grain. I'd like to see another picture! Maybe even a rough turned or finish turned object! Looks like a beauty! Spalted maple with crotch plume/feather figure! Wow!

How to cut crotch wood for figure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCR_lwQvsjk
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?58537-how-to-cut-crotch-wood
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?164081-Crotch-Turning-Dilemma
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=17293.0

[Reed Gray]

If there are going to be any problems with that wood, it would be that maybe it is too far gone to be easy to turn, as in really soft and punky. Nice score.

robo hippy

[Dan Masshardt]

Well, to start with I have the 2" biscuit I sliced off before I new it was anything interesting.

Then I have the piece here that is 8" thick and 14" across. It is not round though.

What do you recommend for this piece? I'll get a pic of the rest of the crotch when I go back.

I really have no interest in hollow forms. I like small / medium bowls / platters, spindle work like small vases, and pens.

[Dan Masshardt]

Side view.

[Dan Masshardt]

Should I just cut two thick blanks for two sides and them two spindle blanks? Or 4 thinner?

[Thom Sturgill]

Others can chime in with their ideas, but I suggest that you lay it on its side and cut it through the pith such that both pieces are fairly balanced with the pith as centered as possible. You can get 2 8" bowls, either one natural edged or not. Once you figure out what will be part of the bowl, you can cut some off the edges for spindles.

[Aric Krueger]

I really have no interest in hollow forms. I like small / medium bowls / platters, spindle work like small vases, and pens.

Well, a lot of ladies like vases with a glass or plastic water tube (with a flower stuck in it...and some form of chocolate accompanying it). Spalted wood would be excellent for that. Also a twig pot, lidded box or a small bedside table lamp would show off the spalted wood nicely.

If you can mill the crotch piece so that the plume/feather figure shows up with the spalting, a bowl or platter would be ideal with the plume figure centered across the middle of the piece. If the spalting is rich enough, smaller objects like pens would probably show it off.

Maybe even just a lathed art sculpture, such as a sphere perched on a decoratively lathed, stemmed pedestal made of a contrasting colored wood like walnut. A nice spalted sphere would probably draw attention and start some conversation.

Have you sliced a flat piece of bark off the side yet so the spalted side grain can be seen?

[Thomas Canfield]

You might consider cutting pie segments instead of just splitting down the center or cutting wide of the pith for a normal bowl and leaving the larger segment for 2 natural edge bowls. That would give you 3 bowls at least, and the natural edge will likely not hold the bark, but barkless is still a good look. 8" wide and 14" D should even give you enough surface for 4 NE if you went that way. Nice to have your problem with that piece of wood.

[Dan Forman]

However you decide to cut it, I'd get it roughed out right away, before it gets too far along in the spalting process. Looks like it should be exceptional if not punky yet.

Dan

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, wish you were closer...I'd help you cut it up.

Here are a couple ways you could cut it. The first will give you the best (most consistant) grain direction in the finished bowls, with a bunch of excess for pen blanks. The second will give you more bowls with little waste. Hope that helps.

BTW, the red dot is the pith. You want to cut that out. It will only cause cracks if you leave it in...

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[Dan Masshardt]

Thanks for taking the time to do that mike. Thats very helpful.

[Dan Masshardt]

I'll post a pic of the rest today. If anyone is local to me and wants to trade a bowl blank for something interesting, let me know.

[Dan Hintz]

If there are going to be any problems with that wood, it would be that maybe it is too far gone to be easy to turn, as in really soft and punky. Nice score.

You can stabilize the real punky stuff, which gets you the best of both worlds... heavily spalted wood, and a solid piece that finishes well.




Dan, I believe you said you wanted spindles, too? If so, consider cutting a couple of inches to either side of the pith... you'll get a bowl either side, along with two spindles. Spalted Maple spindles make for beautiful salt/pepper grinders.

[Prashun Patel]

I second Mike's recommendations. I am partial to his first picture. I think the wide, shallow platter (2) in the first pic will showcase the spalting well. The 2nd pic may yield more bowls, but (2), (4) will be imho unremarkable, and the normal striping from the QS orientation of (3) will be muted in maple, and will play 2nd fiddle to the spalting.

[Timothy Mann]

That is beautiful. I would love to find some like that.

[Mike Cruz]

Prashun, just remember that the log is only 8" long (if I read his post correctly). So, I don't think there will be any...platters. Plates, maybe, but no platters.

But, Prashun is certainly right that the first pic will give you the best grain pattern, at least the most uniform...

[Dan Masshardt]

I got some spindles out if the other piece as well as some small bowls. There were some rotten ends to cut off. Then I have the center crotch.

Still have to cut the piece I mentioned yesterday.

[Mike Cruz]

That crotch piece will, again, yield only as wide a bowl as the log (though last time, it was about the length...the shorter of the two will determine the diameter of the bowl). So, it, again, looks to be about 8". And in the second pic, those pieces look awefully thin. Did you cut them, or did someone else?

Here's a hint, Dan. You should, for bowls, always cut the log as long or a couple of inches longer than the diameter of the log. That way, you'll get as little waste as possible. As for those thin pieces, looks like you just might have a bunch of pen blanks, which isn't all bad, either...

[Dan Hintz]

Then I have the center crotch.

I bet you could get some really nice bottle stopper blanks out of that crotch... some great figure in that area, perfect for spindle work that needs figure on all sides.

[Dan Masshardt]

Thanks. The crotch part was not very wide in total actually and once getting ye pith out there was not much option.

The biggest issue was that the price had been hacked up and tossed aside as firewood reject so I'm lucky I got anything decent.

The promising thing is that as I look at this stuff, I have an indication that there may me some more nice spalted pieces.

[Dan Masshardt]

I don't have any special sealer. Should I go to woodcraft for anchorseal or something or just use latex paint for now. I appreciate all the help.

[Dan Masshardt]

I got 4 decent 8-9" bowls, several little face turnings, some big spindles, a bunch of peppermill size, a bunch of pens....

Gonna put the pens in a DNA bath

Still trying to decide about how to seal the other stuff. Paint, thinned glue or fun to woodcraft for anchorseal?

Gonna try to rough the bowls in the next couple days.

Thanks for the help!

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, Anchorseal is best but expensive. Paint is okay for the short term, but won't last long...better than nothing. 50/50 glue is okay, too. Post some pics!

[Dan Masshardt]

Lots of small spalted pieces in the rest of this pile. Lots of pen blanks !

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, be sure to cut those in all different directions. Meaning not just lengthwise. Cut some cross grain and some diagonally. Both of those latter ones tend to show more spalting, as even heavily spalted wood often doesn't have too many lines going within pen sized (smaller than the blanks that you cut out) pieces of wood...especially if you end up turning thinner pens like slimlines. Cross and diagonally cut pieces, however, will show much more spalting.

[Dan Masshardt]

Thank Mike. I appriciate all the advice.

[Neil McWilliams]

If you've got a Hobby Lobby in town, print off one of their 40% off one item web coupons and pick up a 5 lb block of parrafin. Outside, hold the block against the wood and play a propane flame very lightly just over the area where the parrafin is touching the wood. It doesn't take long to have a great wax seal for end grain. You can also pick up partially used candles from church for nothing...if you can stand the scent. Don't melt the wax inside on the range or on a hotplate. Parrafin burns hot if it reaches its flashpoint.

[John Daugherty]

Here's some spalted/figured maple I've been cutting into turning blanks over the last few weeks on and off. I've found that the better spalt figure tends to be toward the outside of the log. Like others have suggested, get it sealed quick! I use anchorseal.

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[Dan Masshardt]

Cool. At this point in going through and looking best spalting. There are a few dozen peices to cut into and see. I have a couple crotches to check out still.


No hobby lobby around here. I bought a gallon of anchorseal from woodcraft. Gave everything good so far two coats.

I could probably get some candles from church since I'm the pastor. ;-). Ours aren't scented though. Haha.

[Dan Hintz]

Dissolve the candles in some mineral spirits (it helps if you shred them first)... blam-o, your own Anchorseal for the cost of the spirits (no pun intended).

[Dan Masshardt]

Dan - good idea. Once this gallon runs out I may try that first. .

Although at about the price of a can of paint, I didn't find the anchorseal unreasonable.

[Dan Hintz]

If you get the candles for free, a gallon of mineral spirits will make you a couple gallons easily of sealant... really lowers the overall price per gallon.