Mold Help

[Paul Heely]

I need help, with among other things the mold that keeps growing on some of the wood I've been getting lately.

I have a batch of maple that I've been cutting up and either sealing for future use or rough turning into bowls. The stuff that gets sealed is both spindle stock and round bowl blanks. I keep finding the white cotton looking mold stuff on both the unturned and turned stock. I keep spraying it down with Lysol and that seems to kill it on that piece but the mold seems to keep cropping up anywhere I didn't spray. The wood itself has been on the ground outside for who knows how long and is spalted, but not yet rotten.

Is mold just something we have to deal with on occasion?
Is there anything that can be done to prevent it?
Is mold generally caused by something in the wood? Not enough air circulation when drying?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Gary Herrmann]

How are you storing it now? Is exposed grain touching exposed grain (stacking bowl blanks or squared spindle stock) - that will cause mold to build up. Depending on how much you have it might be difficult, but the best way to minimize mold is to have air space on all sides of green turning stock - sealed or not.

[Paul Heely]

The blanks were stacked and exposed grain was touching. I'll have to find a better way to store them and see if that helps.

The turned bowls that started to mold were sitting out in the open. I have been letting them sit out for a few days until the no longer "feel" damp on the surface and then toss them in boxes. As of yet have not had any mold on the boxed roughed bowls.

Hopefully controlling the problem with the initial blanks will help fix the roughed out problem to.

Thanks.

[Curt Fuller]

Right now I wish I could have a little mold problem myself. But at 100+ degrees and 15% humidity I have the opposite problem. I can stand in the garage and hear my bowl blanks cracking;) .

Mold comes in a lot of variaties but I don't think any of them are very good for the respitory system. Make sure you do something to kill it before you turn the wood. I've heard of all kinds of things like chlorine bleach, DNA, microwaving. Just be careful not to breath the sawdust.

[joe greiner]

There are some magic potions for wood preservatives and bug repellent used by pest control companies. Essentially borax and some other enhancements to jack up the price. Google [borax wood] for some commentary, recipes, etc.

Joe

[Reed Gray]

If it is drying too fast, you get cracks, if it is drying too slow, you get mold. You need some air circulation to prevent mold. Since it is probably humid where you are, a little more air circulation is necessary. I start mine out on the floor of my shop, stacked like they are in a dish rack. After about a week or so, they go onto wire shelves.
robo hippy

[Paul Heely]

The humidity in my shop is ~45%, hard to keep it much lower and be able to open the windows in the basement for fresh air without the dehumidifier running 24/7. I'll try some better circulation when the blanks are drying.

I'm also starting to think its something with this one chunk of wood. Seems that every blank from this one piece has been a problem so far but not for other pieces that I did.