Thread: Spalted wood

Hickory
First, the 'spores' may or may not be dead. Fungal spores are not especially tough, but seem to persist in the wood quite a while - just soak an offcut and watch it take off again (unless it's been kilned at a high temp).

However, alive or dead doesn't matter, anyway - the antigenic materials that triggers your immune system into alarm stations are parts of the molecules of the fungi; they don't have to be intact spores or hyphae, and this stuff DOES persist. There is no recourse for you but to try to prevent inhaling any of it. This is a pretty difficult ask, because the nature of allergies is that the reaction is out of all proportion to the initial stimulus - it takes only picograms of the wrong stuff hitting the right cell receptors to give you an asthma attack. Just be as careful as you can, and keep the medications close by!

Cheers,

Ian's spot on, it doesn't matter whether they're live or dead. Innoculations work on the same principle...

Thanks guys for the concerns. I laid on a coat of WB Poly on the Spalted pieces, the color is just right and the mold is hidden. The rest of the box will be accent wood (Walnut) although some have a time with Walnut, I don't (as a rule). Sense the box will have Mitered corners I usually coat a finish on the inside to keep glue smudging from ruining a piece and having a time cleaning up.
I have had this spalted wood for a while and have been mulling over possibilities for a project to use it. I finally decided on a Jewelery box and made plans that included contrasting pieces in the corners but when I cut the miters for the sides the spalting bookmatched so well , I decided not to cover the corners as the grain seems to flow around the corners.
Back to the drawing board. Sense I won't have the corner pieces for strength, I'll opt for a spline, perhaps.
I was tired the other night and after sanding that junk, as I said the world closed in on me, a puff on an inhaler or was it that glass of bourbon that eased my concern..... ::eek: SHMBO often tells me to wear that mask (but I hate it so) so I guess I'll be submissive from now on (as if I'm not already)

Can we assume photos to follow?

If it's that bad, do wear the mask (proper canister animal is best I would think) and shave!

If you have a beard, and the seal of the mask is resting on that beard, the mask is effectively useless. You can get special masks that go over the beard if you are desperate to keep it.

If I have something nasty to work with (finish usually) I'll go so far as to shave before getting to work, whereas I am usually very lax in that regard.

When you get the thing done, pictures would be nice...

(Edit: Skew, they say great minds think alike. I feel sorry for you if you share my 'great mind', I really do. )

No doubt pictures will follow as I am as vain as the rest and want to display my wares with some degree of chest puffin' and poundin'. A world of excitement is going on here with a house full of guests (soon to leave) and Spring and all its chores approaching, Grandkids galore and more on the way seem to cramp my time in the creative endeavors I enjoy but I will perservere and take photos along the way.

Hickory, be very careful with Spalted wood whilst working it, I know you are worried about setting off your asthma but the biggest danger to you is if there are live spores and they take hold in your lungs.
Just take a look at the fungi on the damp wood in your climate and imagine what that would look like in your nice warm damp Lungs.