# Rotten log?



## fenestrane (Mar 10, 2015)

Hi guys, I milled my first log today. I assume this is birch (please correct me if I am wrong). Why is the heartwood so dark? Is the log just rotten?


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Fenestrane, That is dead wood actually a limb according to the pics. It is in a rot process , it is usable and can be very pretty...it will be soft and very porous. Wood species is hard to tell.


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## fenestrane (Mar 10, 2015)

Tennessee Tim said:


> Fenestrane, That is dead wood actually a limb according to the pics. It is in a rot process , it is usable and can be very pretty...it will be soft and very porous. Wood species is hard to tell.


Thank you Tennessee Tim! So, it is spalting? Is there a risk of contaminating other boards with the fungus if I store them together?


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## Roybrew (Nov 2, 2016)

That is some pretty color in that wood fenestrane. The bark does look like birch, at least from what I remember when I lived up north. I am working some ash that is spalted, and I couldn't think of the word till I read this article. Curious what you turn it into and what type of finish you put on it.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

After you get it dried out, if you want to go through the trouble it would make some real neat wood if stabilized with Cactus Juice or some other stabilizer 

The process is pretty easy, and a place to dump a few more bucks down LOL


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

fenestrane said:


> Thank you Tennessee Tim! So, it is spalting? Is there a risk of contaminating other boards with the fungus if I store them together?


NO once you start to dry it basically stops the process.


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## Anywhy30 (Dec 2, 2011)

That would look nice, stained dark.


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