Man, I Love Spalted Wood

[Lance Norris]

I just finished this simple box. Candle box style, with pinned butt joints. Spalted Maple. 8"x5" It took about 4 hours to build. I dont usually show any of my work on these forums, but I really like this one.

[Henk Marais]

Those paterns on the wood is realy Beutifull. Show us all your work, I helps to get critisism. It raises the bar.

[rocky brown]

wow- very nice!

2 questions- what finish did you use? and where do you find wood like that?

rb

[DougButterfield]

Spalted Maple...LOL.

I had called my local hardwood sawmill a while back asking if they had any. The gentleman proceeded to tell me that they had cleared an entire stand of Maple trees, found them all to be spalted, thought the wood was useless & chopped it into firewood.

He said he's still kicking himself over that one....didn't realize there was a market for the stuff. Come to think of it, I'd like to kick him too!!

[Russ Filtz]

A SAWMILL didn't know about spalted wood? That sounds pretty dumb. Must have just been one of the workers (I hope).

[Greg Cole]

Nice little box Lance.
Some people think spalted lumber is not "real lumber".. "it's rotten" etc etc, but you can find it plenty solid & very colorful or with amazing pencil lines.... or both.
Most of the spalted material I've come across was from the big auction site... the wood dot net site seems to have some available occasionally as there's always more lumber for sale there. I went a little overboard 2 years ago and bought a bunch of bookmatched sets (before buying a BS). I still have some 10" wide silver maple that's nicely spalted & have about 50 bf of it.
I found 2 sources on the big auction site I now deal with directly to bypass the PITA of the flea bay bidding.

Greg

[Dusty Fuller]

Nice box! Looks like marble instead of wood. That's why maple is probably my favorite. The way each tree can be so different is great, and its also common enough that I can get my hands on it for cheap (at least for turning) if I am willing to do some work. I've got some medium-sized log sections from a standing "half-dead" at the house right now that have black, brown, pink, etc all through them. Not to mention the spider hole in one of them (got a bit of a yikes when sawing that one). Excellent form - the color really stands out.

[Jim W. White]

Gorgeous!! ...I too would be very interested in what finish you used on the spalted maple. My supplier has recently pulled in a nice looking bunk of spalted maple and I'm now considering throwiing some projects together incorporating this stock.

Nice work!

Jim in Idaho

[Lance Norris]

2 questions- what finish did you use? and where do you find wood like that?

rb

Right now, it just has boiled linseed oil on it. Its dry enough, I will add a water based satin. I like Minwax polycrylic. I got the spalted maple at my favorite hardwood dealer. Keim Lumber in Charm, Ohio. They have spalt in Maple, Ash, and... I forget. Its about $6 a bf. I bought about 4 bf and the yard man threw in about 4 more bf and didnt charge me for it. Its nice because its 5/4 and I can get 2- 1/2" pieces when resawed. Beautiful stuff.

[Don Pierson]

Beautiful box...at the end of the day it is the beauty of the wood that is the true star of the piece. I really like the simplicity of the design and well executed. Something to be proud of!

[Jon Lanier]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
I think this says it all.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful box ! Very nicely done !

[Fred Voorhees]

I also love spalted woods. I am just finishing up a small Christmas gift for my niece. A walnut and red oak keepsake box that has an inlaid panel of spalted maple on the top. I'll post a pic or two when it's done. Possibly this weekend.

[Zahid Naqvi]

nice box, I really like the fact that you chose low visibility joinery as the wood needs to be the real showcase here.

[Steven Bolton]

I love the boxe and I love spalted wood. By I can't find a supplier for it.

Any input?

Steve Bolton

[Bruce Page]

That is pretty wood. I wish I could find something like that around here.

[Alex Elias]

I can see why you don't show your work on these kind of sites... you don't want to make us jealous of your great work. Congrats

[Lance Norris]

I love the boxe and I love spalted wood. By I can't find a supplier for it.

Any input?

Steve Bolton

Steve... if you cant find it locally, you may have to find it on the internet. I am lucky that I can get it about 30 miles from my house. I dont use a lot of spalt, I actually bought the piece I have to make a lid for a box for my mother. These pieces I used for this box were just leftovers that were laying in the corner of my bench and I decided I should do something with them.

[Steven Bolton]

I haven't had good luck with searching for it on the internet. But I can't drive to Ohio either. I will keep looking.

If anyone knows where you can get it online I would like to know.

SB

[Jim King]

I enjoy the luxury of living where everything spalts including yourself if you are not careful.

Spalted Bloodwood Vase (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=36825)

[richard poitras]

Jim, what kind of wood is in the left hand picture?