Thread: Discoloration on English oak

Probably spalting. Definitely wouldn't cut it down, let the buyer(s) decide if/how they want to work around it.

G'day Elan, thanks for that. I'd never heard that term before , but just googled it and it sounds about right. I'm hoping it's not in every piece,

Cheers
Greg

Check if you can dig into it with a finger nail or a screwdriver .
If its any softer than the rest of the wood then its a more of a problem than if its still the same hardness as the rest of it .
One reason you can see this happen is when wood has been left to long before putting sticks in between for drying after its cut .

You thinking of selling it on Market Place here ?

G'day Auscab, I' m not sure where I'll sell it or what to ask for it. It's taking up a bit of room so it needs to go. If you have an idea of a reasonable asking price, I'd appreciate hearing from you. I know the rough cubic metre price, but am unsure how the spalting will alter price.

Cheers
Greg

PS I've added some pics of the stack in my shed

Its BLUE STAIN. Caused by Ophiostomatales Fungi. Very common in oak. Has no effect on the timber strength or quality. Does not become a mold and does not cause spalting. Contact with tanic acid ie iron surfaces and handling often causes the fungi to activate.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Its BLUE STAIN. Caused by Ophiostomatales Fungi. Very common in oak. Has no effect on the timber strength or quality. Does not become a mold and does not cause spalting. Contact with tanic acid ie iron surfaces and handling often causes the fungi to activate.

Thanks for that. The plot thickens!!!!

Originally Posted by rustynail

Its BLUE STAIN. Caused by Ophiostomatales Fungi. Very common in oak. Has no effect on the timber strength or quality. Does not become a mold and does not cause spalting. Contact with tanic acid ie iron surfaces and handling often causes the fungi to activate.

Sounds like a crockpot full of S+*#
Where did you come up with that idea?

Originally Posted by auscab

Sounds like a crockpot full of S+*#
Where did you come up with that idea?

I didn't "come up with that idea" as you so eliquently put it. I am sure if you can read up on BLUE STAIN IN OAK you will find your answers and find another use for your crockpot.

Originally Posted by rustynail

I didn't "come up with that idea" as you so eliquently put it. I am sure if you can read up on BLUE STAIN IN OAK you will find your answers and find another use for your crockpot.

Ok .That was a bit OTT of me . I apologize for the four letter word only.
I was trying to say Salt but I couldn't figure out the spelling

Apart from that I believe your very wrong about the above Oak question. The White marks .

Originally Posted by auscab

Ok .That was a bit OTT of me . I apologize for the four letter word only.
I was trying to say Salt but I couldn't figure out the spelling

Apart from that I believe your very wrong about the above Oak question. The White marks .

What are you apologising for? There is no four letter word. Just a rude, dismissive comment that you feel justified in making.
A couple of questions: Do you have a Grading Ticket? Do you have much to do with Oak?
The white blotches often appear in blue stain. Why or how? I honestly don't know.
What exactly is it that you believe is incorrect in my reply to the OP? Maybe I can throw some light.

Originally Posted by rustynail

What are you apologising for? There is no four letter word. Just a rude, dismissive comment that you feel justified in making.
A couple of questions: Do you have a Grading Ticket? Do you have much to do with Oak?
The white blotches often appear in blue stain. Why or how? I honestly don't know.
What exactly is it that you believe is incorrect in my reply to the OP? Maybe I can throw some light.

I have a lot to do with Oak . And I don't have a Grading ticket and I don't have a need for a Grading ticket.
I go through roughly 1 to 1.5 M3 every three months now. I used to use more. Ive been doing that for the last 30 years . I use Imported white Oak and the local milled stuff . Ive milled and had milled and stacked to dry a fair bit of local Oak and had to deal with this white marking quite a bit .

So I don't think this moldy Oak that was then put across the buzzer to show the white mark is Bluestain

IMG_2622a.jpg IMG_2623a.jpg

Because Bluestain looks like this below.

Bluestain in wood - Google Search

And my Oak above with mold and the white mark, if left to keep going getting wet will turn the wood to sponge cake that I could poke a finger through. So it does have an affect on timber strength or quality.

And then you said this
"Contact with tanic acid ie iron surfaces and handling often causes the fungi to activate."

Well I think that's not right as well . The tanic acid in the wood and Iron react and cause Iron oxide staining . Which looks exactly like Bluestain but isn't.

Iron oxide staining usually comes out easy with Oxalic acid treatment and Ive never been able to remove Bluestain with any bleaching . Certainly Oxalic bleaching . And Amonia / Peroxide bleaching . Id have to give it a go with my latest Nuke the bugger method with Caustic and Hydrogen Peroxide to see if that worked on Bluestain. It probably would work as that method eats wood if strong enough .

Just chucking a blanket statement over things is what I reacted to . Bluestain isn't what I see in Gregs fresh machined wood .

Someone else owned it before he got it, ( He told Me) and it was obviously left to get wet and not stored proper for to long . You can see the grey weathered look of it in general . It takes a year or more outdoors to get that grey unless you go sprinkling the lot with Iron fillings or using an angle grinder near it grinding steel when it fresh sawn. I can also see mold on the sides in one or two spots .

I'll take your word for it that Bluestain shows as white in parts . I haven't noticed that before . Or don't remember it . Another thing is Ive only come across Bluestain in Pine or light coloured wood like Sycamore I think. Ive seen plenty of Iron oxide staining in Oak or hardwoods from nails and bolts in the wood. Or contact with wet wood and steel. So I'm wondering if you are mixing Bluestain markings entirely with Iron Oxide staining for Oak.

That's about it then . You obviously know plenty and are well experienced. Plenty here are . And were just coming at it from different angles.

Some more pictures maybe .
That Oak on the left is the next three jobs before Christmas. US White Oak . The stuff on the right was local milled English Oak. The guy who I bought it off had let it get wet a bit and so did I using those tarps for a while . Easy to do. Ive got a similar problem outside atm under sheets of tin with some stuff. That piece up top with the white mark I buzzed is out of those boards.
IMG_2620a.jpg 1aa.jpg

When visual grading oak, one must be able to determin wether staining is mold or blue stain. The latter does not effect the grade. The former renders it useless. If blue stain is the offender no amount of bleaching etc will remove it. Ferris metal presence will cause stain but, as you say, this is not necessarily blue stain which is caused by a fungis not a metal object reacting with the surrounding timber. But, if the fungis comes in contact with ferris or iron oxide then a blue stain reaction can be the likely result.
As always it is much easier to diagnose when the material of concern is at hand. Working from photographs is less than perfect.
My first reaction upon seeing the OP photos was Blue stain. Still is. Could be wrong. Have been before. Will be again. But dont have to worry these days as retirement provides bliss.
As for blanket statements I must bow to the master

Originally Posted by auscab

Not worth reading again

Maybe, just maybe it's the dick way you presented it all that is well... arrogant. Just sayin.