Mold

[Burt Alcantara]

I noticed that a number of my purchased blanks, 3x3 and 4x4s of various woods, have developed a pasty whitish-yellowish mold. Another piece has brown mold. These have all been stored on a shelf separate from my log cut blanks which don't have mold.

What is the best way to kill them?

Thanks,
Burt

[James Ashburn]

I would hesitate to use chemicals to do this because when you start working the wood you will breathe the chemicals. Ideally the wood should be under 20% or so MC but that is probably not best for turning stock. Another option may be to refridgerate it to slow down the mold growth. Realize that mold is a fungus and the stuff you see on the surface only indicates that the fungus hyphae are within the wood feeding on it. The hyphae will remain there even if the wood is dry. When you start working the wood the fungus could still cause problems from breathing it (or not, mushrooms, some cheese and antibiotics are fungi or derrived from it). Some cleaning products on the market (like moldex) claim to kill it entirely but I wouldn't want to inhale that stuff.
Personally, if it were me, I'd take the sticks outside and carefully scrape off the surface mold somewhere away from the shop. The reason the mold surfaced was to reproduce and disperse spores. I would not want uncontrolled sreading of this stuff. I would then stick it in my extra fridge untill I wanted to use it. Or just go ahead and turn it and dry it after scraping off the surface. Good luck with it and please let us know what action you take and how well it worked.

James

[Bill Bolen]

I "think" plain old bleach will kill the mold. I seem to remember reading that on another site. The guy had a lot of mold growing into his turning stock....Bill..

[Bernie Weishapl]

I had a NIP that had a lot of mold on it and I couldn't get to it for a month. I just poured some household bleach on it. Turned just fine.

[James Ashburn]

Bleach will clean the surface but it won't kill the hyphae that are still in the wood. If the wood is kept in the same conditions as before with regard to moisture content and temperature the surface mold can easily come back. I have had it happen to me. Bleach is a good idea for wiping down some of the other boards as well to kill the spores that this mold has released so it does not spread. Good luck with it.

[William Bachtel]

Mold grows, because of Heat (above 55 degrees) Moisture above 25%, and a food sorts like bread, or wood etc. You need to control one or all of them. I wood run a fan, and see what that does.:mad:

[robert hainstock]

I go with the bleach guys. And remember that it takes mold to create spalting. You may have some spcial blanks there Remember to protect yourself , (dust mask) while turning.:eek::)
Bob

[Burt Alcantara]

What's weird about this is the blanks are heavily waxed. Blanks next to them, unwaxed, have no mold.

I noticed that, with the exception of one, all of the blanks were lying next to each other.

I've since separated them and just scraped the mold off...for now. The area where they are stored is bone dry and cool (dark basement corner with virtually no humidity). My basement is so dry I stopped using dna because it just takes a little longer for them to dry out.

I'm wondering if all of the logs I have stored are causing some of this mold. I've had mold problems with willow, cotton wood, and most recently, silver maple.

Burt

[robert hainstock]

The lighter woods, (colorwise) will be spalting with the mold, and the blanks be more valuable because of it. I hope some of the guys who delibertly spalt thier turning stock wiegh in here. Any way I thank you for posting.:):)
Bob

[William Bachtel]

Burt, it is not weird that waxed ones are moldeeeeeeeee. They lose water slowly, hence mold can grow. Without wax they tend to dry out enough to lessen mold growth. I had the same thing happen to me.