Fungus and black mold on blanks? what to do?

[Adrian Anguiano]

I have some spalted silver maple blanks I got off a tree that was cut a few weeks ago. A week ago I waxed with with anchor seal. Now some of them have some green fungus and a few have some tiny black mold spots.

What should I do?
Thx

[Aric Krueger]

I just anchor seal the end grain and space the blanks apart with 1" stickers to allow free air movement.. I don't know about the green fungus ( I've never had that problem) but tiny black mildew spots appear often on my blanks. It occurs when the wood is still very green/wet and stops growing more as it becomes more dry. The black mildew is only on the surface and does not degrade the wood's strength or change the color. The black surface mildew is harmless in my experience, but the green fungus, I don't know about.

[Pat Scott]

I occasionally get green fungus and black mold dots as well on my silver maple blanks. I don't do anything, its all on the surface and easily turns off. Make sure there is enough air flow around the blanks while they dry.

[Dennis Ford]

Since the wood was already spalted before you sealed it, I expect that the spalting process is continuing. Once the wood drys to some point (< 20%??), the fungus will stop growing. The green and black on the surface will turn away and you will have ?? on the inside. Think of it as a wrapped present and hope for the best. Keep the sealed wood in a relatively dry area and try not to worry about it.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Living in the wetter part of the country (Upper left hand corner), I quite often get mold and mildew on wet blanks early in the drying process. As has been mentioned, it hasn't had an effect that's apparent when finish turning the roughouts, but it can seem to 'infect' a whole run of wet roughed blanks when it appears. Whether the spores are airborne from the rough turning or already present in the wood I'm working with, once it starts it can spread to all the wet blanks from that days work.
Stickering or stacking and providing all surfaces with some gentle air movement helps., but there's a point where drying the outside too fast creates too much of a differential from the wet interior of the blank and promotes movement and cracking. You can eliminate the spots and keep them from forming again by spraying with a boric acid solution (about 1/2 cup powder to a quart of water. Chlorine bleaches seem to make the problem worse. I've heard that the bleach evaporates and leaves the water behind to feed the mold/mildew. Vinegar will also work here, but can leave the shop smelling like a pickle barn.

[Mike Cruz]

Adrian, I've been playing around with TRYING to get stuff to grow on roughouts. Once, while a (well a couple, but it is a long story) roughout was stored in its own shavings in a black plastic bag, the green mold that grew on it actually spalted through the piece. I got some really beautiful blue/green spalting! So, either just let the blank dry and the mold/fungus will die, or keep it wet purposefully for a couple of months and you might like your results. ;)

[Adrian Anguiano]

Okay I took some pictures of one of them, but they all about look the same. Happened after just a week. Tons of black on it, a little white, and a little green. On the end grain and on the top face.

I know the ideal place is "cool and dry" but im in texas and its "hot and humid." Im not bringing them in the house, and currently they are in the garage (no AC), where its even more humid, just not as hot as outside. What do you suggest under these conditions?

Also when picking these things up, moving them around, or if i turn on a fan in my garage do I need to wear a dust mask because of the mold? And if so do I wear a paint respirator, or a dust particle respirator.

Thanks all!
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[Mike Cruz]

Adrian. First of all, this is fungus growing on your logs. Fungus is not inherently harmful to you, as long as you are healthy (no lung diseases). The worst that you have to worry about is if you are allergic to molds/fungi. It is not "toxic". So, you can relax a bit and take a deep breath (literally and figuratively).

Now, fungus growing on your log is not horrible. If you turn it soon enough, you won't even know it was there. The wood is wet. That is why the fungus is growing. If you were to turn it right now, and the fungus on the shavings were spread out, allowing the shavings to dry out, the fungus will die. It needs moisture. My understanding is that when the moisture content of the wood falls below 20%, the fungus can no longer survive...but don't quote me on that number.

Are you familiar with spalting? Spalting (in a simple explanation) is any discoloration in wood caused by fungus. This could be white areas. It could be what looks like a grey stain. It could be areas with colors (ranging from pinks to blues and greens). It could be stark black lines (which, IIAC, is actually two separate fungi...fighting for territory). Fungus WILL aid in the decay of the wood. So, there is a line that you are walking with getting spalting in wood and not letting it get "punky". But, you could simply put one of those logs in a black plastic bag (don't completely close the bag, the fungus needs air...just enough to allow air in, but allowing it to stay moist) and put it in a dark (out of direct sunlight for example) place. Let it sit for two months or so, then turn it. See what happens. You might actually like the results!

Now, if you don't want any spalting, I suggest (since you can't get it away from moisture) you turn it sooner rather than later.

To answer your question about a mask/respirator, again, unless you have a lung disease, or are allergic to the fungus, you ought not need one. If you are either not "healthy" or allergic, I'm not sure which one would be best for you. Maybe the best thing would be to pour bleach on the ends of the logs (outside, of course). But now, you are talking about toxic stuff...