Has this happened to you

[Johnm Chase]

I am carving a bust in some Cottonwood and everything is going along fine when I hit a small patch of off colored wood. it carves more like a dried sponge. The rest of the wood carves very nicely. my tools are sharp I strop them every 10 or so minuets. Could this be some form of fungus or decay?
I look for wood that hasn’t been lying on the dirt and dead less then a year generally cottonwood branches I get have fallen and are leaning against the tree.
not a real big deal just curious.

[Bill Bolen]

Kinda sounds like you ran into some spalting? Valued by turners not so much by carvers. I have run into darkened spots in wood that carves very differently from the surrounding wood but that is generally in the area of a branch/knot...Bill..

[Philip Allin]

I have had a similar experience with some sycamore from a large log. I had made several turned & chip carved plates with no problems. Now I'm starting a NW "First Nations" (Haida) design and the same wood has areas of dry, brittle grain. I tried soaking it with a mix of oil & water with no improvement.