Stumbled on this and thought I would share.....enjoy.
Where does spalted wood come from? It is basically partially rotten wood, that is, wood that has a fungus infection. How do you get it? Sometimes you can find it accidentally; but, you can make it yourself as Darrell does. Darrell gets a live tree and cuts it into rounds that are 5-6" longer than the diameter. He stands the rounds on end in a fungus strewn area, in the shade, wet & covers with shavings. Within a year or so spalting takes place.
The best woods in his opinion are maple, beech, & pecan. Hickory, sycamore, and buckeye also spalt well. Pecan takes about two years. The others about a year depending on the hardness of the wood. Holly spalts well and has the white wood and black spalt contrast. Not all wood will spalt. Don't try walnut, cherry, cedar, osage orange, or magnolia. Also don't try to spalt dry wood.
How do you know when the spalting is optimum. Darrell takes a piece every once and a while and tests it by turning a piece. The length of the log also determines the length of time to spalt. Red maple is the fastest with the harder woods slower.
Where does spalted wood come from? It is basically partially rotten wood, that is, wood that has a fungus infection. How do you get it? Sometimes you can find it accidentally; but, you can make it yourself as Darrell does. Darrell gets a live tree and cuts it into rounds that are 5-6" longer than the diameter. He stands the rounds on end in a fungus strewn area, in the shade, wet & covers with shavings. Within a year or so spalting takes place.
The best woods in his opinion are maple, beech, & pecan. Hickory, sycamore, and buckeye also spalt well. Pecan takes about two years. The others about a year depending on the hardness of the wood. Holly spalts well and has the white wood and black spalt contrast. Not all wood will spalt. Don't try walnut, cherry, cedar, osage orange, or magnolia. Also don't try to spalt dry wood.
How do you know when the spalting is optimum. Darrell takes a piece every once and a while and tests it by turning a piece. The length of the log also determines the length of time to spalt. Red maple is the fastest with the harder woods slower.
