deepriver
23rd July 2011, 03:31 PM
Here in the NZ bush, where I live, the biggest snag with spalted timber, or spalting timber, is borer beetles of one sort or another which seem to enjoy the same conditions. My perfectionist tendencies really struggled with the various holes, and tunnels but I have moved on and now find all sorts of interesting wood to turn.
Some logs of silver birch I left lying outside with fungus growing all over them. Photo 1 shows that I didn't leave this log long enough whereas 2 was left just right.
Several English oak logs, with sealed ends just spalted away nicely in my workshop! Which admittedly is very cold and damp. The borer got into them as well. 3
When I built my workshop extension I had to cut up an old sopping wet log half buried in the ground. The wood was full of 'snot' which flew out when I decided to turn a bowl wet. The remaining wood was good and sound and very turnable. Have no idea what the wood was. 4 Then I pushed my luck to see whether an off cut would turn - it did! 5
There are logs everywhere in the bush - I just cut into them and see what I can find 6.
Some logs of silver birch I left lying outside with fungus growing all over them. Photo 1 shows that I didn't leave this log long enough whereas 2 was left just right.
Several English oak logs, with sealed ends just spalted away nicely in my workshop! Which admittedly is very cold and damp. The borer got into them as well. 3
When I built my workshop extension I had to cut up an old sopping wet log half buried in the ground. The wood was full of 'snot' which flew out when I decided to turn a bowl wet. The remaining wood was good and sound and very turnable. Have no idea what the wood was. 4 Then I pushed my luck to see whether an off cut would turn - it did! 5
There are logs everywhere in the bush - I just cut into them and see what I can find 6.