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Thread: Part time lurker finally posting some PICS

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105

    Part time lurker finally posting some PICS

    I felt like maybe I should share a little since most of what I do is get great ideas from the rest of you. The majority of the work I do is spalted wood. I really love the variation and have been very fortunate to always have some nice spalted timber to choose from.

    The pictures are very recent pieces and of course all spalted... river birch, oak, and a footed magnolia hollow vessel.

    My name is listed as Charles but I actually go by 'Dave' and for some reason when I signed up for the Creek a few years ago it would only accept my formal name.

    So, anyway, just trying to offer something that maybe others who enjoy spalted wood may enjoy viewing.

    resize river birch.jpgriver birch side resize.jpgresize oak.jpgresize side view oak.jpgresize mag.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Berkshire County in Western Ma
    Posts
    200
    Beautiful work on your part and also on mother nature's part.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    sykesville, maryland
    Posts
    861
    really nice.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Dave,

    Very nice. I saved your notes from a couple of years ago about spalting and have used your method, although not yet as extensively as I'd like. (I added "Dave" to my file!)

    Hey, what is that mirrored plinth the hollow vessel is sitting on. Something you made or found somewhere? Almost looks like polished back acrylic - I like the look!

    JKJ

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    Thanks John, the hollow form is on a mirrored battery operated display stand. I was trying to show the feet but they don't show up too well. I often do videos of the hollow forms & other pieces on the stand so all aspects of the spalting can be seen.

    Link to turntable: https://www.amazon.com/Trumpeter-Bat...=8-11-fkmrnull
    Last edited by CHARLES D Richards; 03-07-2019 at 2:40 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Winchester, IN
    Posts
    165
    Very nicely done Dave! I gather you do your own spalting. If, indeed that is the case, would you please elaborate or share some resources/techniques?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Passmore View Post
    Very nicely done Dave! I gather you do your own spalting. If, indeed that is the case, would you please elaborate or share some resources/techniques?
    Tim, what I do is not very scientific but just my method. I am sure there are a lot of variables I don't understand but in my area (south Georgia) it works for me. If fact, I have so much spalted wood I can't turn it all. As we all know, spalting is pre-rot so once the log starts to spalt I have to put it in high gear to turn as much as I can before it gets too punky.

    I'll put together a few pics and descriptions of what I do and post them tomorrow.

    JKJ posted a link in other thread on spalting of what i said a few years ago, you may want to check that out as well. Nothing has changed but sure don't mind post the process again.

    Dave

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Winchester, IN
    Posts
    165
    Thank you so much.

  9. Your bowl is beautiful.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Knoxville,TN.
    Posts
    59
    Hello Dave, good looking wood and forms. I like spalted and a bit punkey wood. I have learned what shear cutting is all about using this type of wood. I have trouble with the inside cuts of vases, a little bouncy and rough. Do you try to harden the wood? I have used Minwax hardener but find Danish oil works well. The last spalted bowls I turned where buffed out, not much shine though. Thanks for displaying, Roger.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    thanks Roger. I hear you about the shear cutting...I occasionally use Minwax hardener on specific places but a can lasts me a long, long time. At least for me buffing spalted wood goes in this order from worse to best oil finish.. walnut oil, danish, antique. I generally do not do a lot of buffing except hollow forms where I use 3-4 coats of Krylon Matte rattle can. Afterwards I use Beal buffing but add microcrystalline wax instead of carnuba.

    This spalted oak HF was buffed that way after the Krylon

    resize oak vessel.jpg

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    thanks Randy for the kind words. You're probably talking about God's workmanship with the spalting.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    Quote Originally Posted by tom lucas View Post
    really nice.


    thanks Tom and Tony

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Montfort, Wi.
    Posts
    797
    Beautiful work, I look forward to seeing how you do the spaulting.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    Good morning everyone, I'm afraid you may be disappointed in my spalting process because I don't do anything different, mother nature does it all.

    I am sure geography plays a role= I live in Valdosta, Ga which is 15 miles from the Florida line. High summer temps and high humidity. Not a lot of rain but some

    Attached find pics of my woodpile...you'll notice that almost all the wood is left in log form, laying on the ground or on some slab pieces of wood left over from previous cuttings.
    Some wood is stacked on top of each other to keep it off the ground. No real system and it really depends on how much I want to work that
    day.

    So, when I get a piece of wood, I keep it in the longest form I can manage by myself and seal the ends with Anchorseal. I use the blue color just so I can notice from a distance that I did actually coat the ends.

    I then make a notation on my phone to check the piece in 4 months. When the 4 months is up I cut a 1 inch slab off the log to see if spalting has occured. If not, I wait another 60 days, check it again and then every 30 days thereafter.

    In my experience most wood spalts within 6-7 months and I have 60-90 days to turn it before it gets too punky.

    Some woods spalt totally different than others color wise so I take than into account. Down here Sweet gum spalts brown and orange but gets punky quickly. River birch can spalt in 4 months. Most woods spalt with the common black lines .

    In November 2017 a lady brought me 8 pieces of pecan to do commissioned gifts for her family members. I am not fond of pecan until is spalts so I told her it would take a year for me to get her gifts finished. I had to encourage her to be patient to allow the wood to spalt so the pieces would be much prettier. I took photos of the logs over time to show her the spalting process which may be a good example for you to see.

    So, I coated the ends with Anchorseal and waited, after 4 months is the first picture, second picture is after 6 months, last picture was 7 months.

    hope this helps a little
    Dave

    logs 1.jpglogs 2.jpgpecan 1.jpgpecan 2.jpgpecan 3.jpg

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