# Spalting?



## zbohm (Dec 30, 2012)

Just milled my first black walnut. It's been laying for awhile and probably didn't have enough paint on the ends. Was wondering why it's so white. The pics are from the heart so it's not sapwood.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Oh, man, you got "rainbow"! Don't even think of trading that for gold.
I'm not so sure it's spalting in the classic sense of some invasive moldy fungus.

For wood carving up here, there isn't one western red cedar log in 100 that shows rainbow. Looks like what you have but lighter reddish brown and almost white/pine-colored. Long skinny splinters when I split it and harder/tougher than WRC but in large pieces, it looks wonderful.


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## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

thats nice. if u dont want it ill take it off ur hands


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## HomeBody (Nov 24, 2010)

That doesn't look like the BW that grows around here to me. Looks more like English walnut with the stripes. Gary


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## zbohm (Dec 30, 2012)

Really HB? English walnut? it really appears to be BW in the top section on the log and in the bark. But I could be wrong, but it would be the first time. Haha. Thanks for you input. Certainly doesn't look like any BW I've ever seen. So is English any good as lumber?


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## zbohm (Dec 30, 2012)

Hey HB. Just google imaged English walnut lumber and it does strike a remarkable resemblance. Thanks again. So ideas for projects anyone? Ill post pics in two years when it's air dried. Haha


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

For years, I've been trying to make wood carvings to show off the rainbow coloring in western red cedar.
Wrecked some good big pieces. 

All I have learned is that I have to plan the carving so that the largest surfaces are the radial surfaces in the log. That shows off the stripes the best.
Please! Showcase that stuff as table tops or drawer fronts. Iwannaseeit.


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## zbohm (Dec 30, 2012)

Thanks for the input RV! I'm really starting to wonder if its not English walnut. Either way it's amazing looking wood. Next step is finishing the kiln or waiting till it air dries. Probably have a good 60 board ft of the highly figured stuff cut as 5/4.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Fantastic stash of wood.

Black Walnut is _Juglans *****_, the English Walnut of commerce is _Juglans regia.
_
When us dendrology people can't figure out which one for lack of flowers, in particular, we say: _Juglans_ sp. An abbreviation for 'species.' 

There are several species of oaks, the woods of which are next to impossible to distinguish from each other. The result is the "Red Oak Group" and the "White Oak Group." Flowers are essential to any taxonomic determination.


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