Deliberate spalting

[sjm]

About 12 months ago, I took some freshly cut willow, soaked it in water and buried it in the garden. Last week I dug it up and turned it. I like the result, but would prefer much more. Should I leave it in the ground for longer? I don't want it to rot and become spongy. Perhaps I should water it more often, and remove it sooner? Thanks!

[tea lady]

Did you bury it near a mushroom? :U

I had some rough turned bowls in a plastic bag with their shavings that spalted in the bag. I guess the bag was a bit too well sealed. But they came out looking pretty amazing.

Real spalting seems to go with the grain lines though. As the tree grows I guess. Prented just goes all over the place. :shrug: Read somewhere that the black lines actually come from where two funguses (fungi :doh: ) come in contact and make a barrier between them.

[tea lady]

Nice piece too.:U

[sjm]

Did you bury it near a mushroom? :U

No, but that's a very good idea, and something I hadn't thought of. I will plant some. Thanks :)

[Sir Stinkalot]

I was on the understanding that mixing in some yogurt when you bag it up speeds up the spalting but it is not something I have tried.

[hughie]

Try these sites


Recipes for Spalting Wood Review (http://spaltwood.onlinenichestores.com/spalt_wood_recipes)

Spalt Your Own Lumber: Nutrient Supplements for Spalted Wood (e.g. beer) - Fine Woodworking (http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/24717/spalt-your-own-lumber-nutrient-supplements-for-spalted-wood-eg-beer)

Spalting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting)

[mkypenturner]

Very nice piece ! Sorry cant help you on trying with the spalting
The one thing I will say is your bloody lucky you live down there and tried the burial idea
Way up here in nth qld if you tried that thwre wouldnt even be a sign of the piece of wood
Them bloody termites would have eaten that in no time at all !!!!

[Paul39]

SJM,

Nice piece, nice photograph.

If you get a piece of white card or white foam core board twice as wide at the piece and place it just below the lower edge of the frame toward the piece, and raise it up in back just before it comes into the frame, it will reflect a fill light and define the bottom of the form.

Paul, retired advertising / commercial / industrial photographer.

[issatree]

Hi SJM,
An old friend, who is not with us now, had 2 ways of Spalting Wood. He liked Silver Birch, but his favourite was Liquid Amber.
He would wet down a few sheets of Newspaper, roll the wood up, then use more dry paper to finish with, tape or tie , date it, & leave it. I'm not sure of the length of time, but it was more than 12 months.

He would get 3 Plastic Shopping Bags, put some water inside, with the wood, tie & leave again.
He had some Great results, with L/A.
Even took me inside his home one day, & asked me what I thought of his new painting. Abstract of course. I said I thought it was great.
Go up closer & have a look. He had sliced up this log about 12in - 305mm., Sq. attached it to some particle board, Painted it black & attached the wood to it.
It was a fantastic job.

[Oiliver]

What a wonderful piece SJM! How deep did you bury it? As in would it have received much moisture from when it rained?
Sounds fantastic issatree, what an inspired idea he has!
I am very much a novice (I started watching videos of turning 3 months ago on YouTube, then bought a lathe a month or so ago!) so I still have heaps of questions, so here is two:
1) When you bury the wood to spalt, what form is the wood in? E.g. is it just an untreated log, or is it already partially turned or roughed out on a bandsaw? Or even near completion?
2) I have NO idea if this would work, but if there was a colour additive or stain in the water mix or in the bag, would you be able to create even more interesting and complex colourations to the spalting?
Sorry if these are silly questions, I'm still trying to find my feet a little :roll: