Spalted

[indian george]

Could someone difine this word Spalted?? I thought ( I know dangerous) it was due to worms eatting the wood.

 

[Mike Hull]

George, I believe it is actually microbes. They eat the wood, as they travel in it. The black lines are residue from their "exhaust pipes".

Edited to add; Spalting starts when the wood gets wet, and stays damp, for long periods of time. Beyond that, I don't know.
I do know that some have started spalting going in wood, on purpose, but don't ask me how they control it.

 

[Jason Cutter]

I've been shown "spalted" wood enough so I can ID it when I see it, but I'm not scientifically clear what it is caused by. Here goes ...

Fungi go to work at various layers in the wood ( ?why - ? moisture as Mike said, eg.)and caused the blackish discoloration. The black discoloration follows the bands of intact grain, thus the swirls and banded patterns. Many woods have the fungal action as part and parcel of the natural "history" of the wood and doesn't imply weakness or defect. Spalting can occur also in different colours, like red, pink and ? blue.

Does that make sense ? I'm not even sure if it is correct.

Cheers.

 

[Mike Hull]

Yes, the spalting in Box Elder is a very beautiful reddish tone.

 

[allan lanigan]

George, fungus is in the spalted wood,and can be very dangerous if inhaled,It can affect both the nervous and resperatory systems.Ask me how i know.It occures in the wood after it has become damp.Its one of my favorite handle materials ,I have it cut into blocks and Mike at wssi does a excellent job at dyeing and stabalizing it.Somedays my spelling really sucks.....

 

[indian george]

Thanks guys

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

Amboyna burl spalts blue.

I read that trees with high sugar sap spalt the fastest. Sugar maple was the example in the book. The microbes follow the sugar through the wood leaving the colors behind them.

 

[Dr.Lathe]

http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/spaltedinfo.htm

The link above pretty much sums it up. I could be wrong but I don't believe the red in box elder is from such decay. I've cut up some rather fresh box elder that had a lot of red in it. It turned more red as it dried but never came close to decay.


Neil

 

[Mike Hull]

Neil, thanks for the link.

 

[etp777]

Man I love this site. Was wondering what spalted meant myself, and as always, question is asked, and the answer was received, quick and correct.

Someday I'll ask y'all the meaning of life, and I expect an answer.

 

[Dan Gray]

Mike that would mean some of them have Pink exhaust pipes". Ha Ha Ha I like that..
Meaning of life, grass-hopper
It's understood the day you die. and then too late.
hind-site is 20:20 but too late also, unless you use it wisely
hence.. you are the wiser fore it. I gotta stop doing that:barf:

 

[indian george]

Dan: You got way to much time on your hands.

 

[Dan Gray]

IG I just want you to think that

 

[pso]

etp777: The answer is 42. I have verified it using my HP calculator, my computer AND my trusty old slide-rule. Of course the hard part is figuring out what the question was...

It's Friday here in New Zealand already.

Phil