sphalted maple question

[Ron Citerone]

Hey all,

Scored a nice batch of mixed lumber on CL this morning. In the pile were 4 pieces of maple that was labeled Sphalted Maple. I know what is is but never used any. It is 4/4 rough and when I looked at it I saw nice figure, but it looked like any other rough maple to me. Do you usually have to plane it to see the sphalted pattern or perhaps it is very lightly sphalted? Eventually I will plane some when I get a chance, but my curiosity is aroused. I had to store it at my /father in Laws so I can't plane it for a while.

thanks, ron

[Bryan Lisowski]

Spalted maple usually has blueish or blackish streaks running through the board. Usually it is due from sitting on the ground after the tree was cut down. Sometimes depending on the amount of the spalting, it can be softer than the area around it.

[Mike Cutler]

You should see colored veins spider webbing throughout.
It should be visible without much effort.

[Matt Day]

If it’s got good figure, the spalt will be easily visible in the rough.

Note that it’s Spalted, not Sphalted, unless maybe it’s impregnated with asphalt.

[Ron Citerone]

If it’s got good figure, the spalt will be easily visible in the rough.

Note that it’s Spalted, not Sphalted, unless maybe it’s impregnated with asphalt.

Everybody is a comedian. LOL I get the feeling it not spalted or sphalted since no real dark areas showing in the rough.

[Jim Becker]

Skim the surface to see what you got...I tend to always do that with rough lumber, both to allow categorization and to make it "less splinter prone" when handling it. A very light cut doesn't take away your ability to properly mill it flat later when it's time to use.

[Mike Henderson]

It might be ambrosia maple - it can look like spalted but ambrosia maple is sound while spalted maple is rotted. There will be small holes in ambrosia maple where the ambrosia beetle ate into the tree.

Mike