# Spalting? In the back yard?



## VaureyWWC (Feb 21, 2011)

So I recently read an article at fine woodworking, talking about spalting "made easy" at home, and I thought what the heck! I could try that.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=32484

I recently had to have a friend fell a ~42' black locust that was on the verge of dying. Personally I'm not a fan of locust, not enough character for turning in my opinion, but I am however a fan of spalted.

Does anyone know if this sounds like a good idea? I know the article says to use a little "softer" wood but I only have locust right now to spare let alone some lumber that is air drying over at my fiancee's folks house.

For the fact, this would be taking place in Eastern Oregon, in Umatilla County summers are (normally) 100 degree's and no rain.

Does anyone have any experience doing this or perhaps techniques that are possibly more refined. All I have is time?


----------



## bikeshooter (Nov 5, 2010)

It can be done. Seri Robinson earned a degree on the subject of splating. She is quite generous with sharing her knowledge at no cost. Here's a good site to start

http://www.northernspalting.com/about-me/


----------



## truckjohn (Oct 31, 2011)

I suppose technically it could work given enough nitrogen and enough time.... 

I wouldn't plan on getting Black locust to spalt within any sort of useful timeline, though.... It's one of the most rot resistant woods ever to grow on earth.... People pull up 100 year old Black Locust fence posts and re-use them because they aren't even particularly weathered after sitting in a hole in the ground for 100 years....

If you really want to try it out... Wrap it up in a black plastic trash bag full of cow manure.... Leave it sitting in a warm, moist place.. Check back occasionally to add more manure.... Perhaps in 20-30 years it might start spalting.... Likely, all that will happen is that the sap wood will rot off and you will be left with a perfectly usable, well cured piece of heartwood sitting in a nice old bag of compost....

Thanks


----------



## HomeBody (Nov 24, 2010)

If black locust is that rot resistant, why isn't the woods full of trunks and limbs that have accumulated over the last 100 yrs.? I think you are stretching things just a bit. Gary


----------



## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

While I've never seen a 100 year old fence post, Black Locust is highly resistant to rot. The sapwood will rot away but BL doesn't have much sapwood. The heartwood will resist fungal invasion for a long time.

If it were me, I would have that log milled into lumber (it will make great garden/patio furniture) and pick another species for DIY spalting. Just about any light-colored hardwood will spalt pretty easily. The extractives that color the darker hardwoods are also what gives it the rot resistance.

As you read in Seri's article, you don't need to use arcane methods like putting manure or beer on the wood to make it spalt. Put the manure in the compost pile and drink the beer. For the wood, you can put boards in trays and cover with damp vermiculite or you can simply place whole logs in a shady place and wait. The log will retain enough moisture to facilitate spalting if the temperature is near the optimum range of 70 - 80 degrees. The necessary fungal spores are already present on the log but you can also promote specific spalt patterns by introducing specific fungus to the wood...as Seri described.

I agree that spalting really gives some pizzazz to plain-looking wood. Have fun with the process.


----------



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Qoute: "I recently had to have a friend fell a ~42' black locust that was on the verge of dying. Personally I'm not a fan of locust, not enough character for turning in my opinion, but I am however a fan of spalted.


When I first saw his work, I was pretty impressed with black locus.
Not to mention his work too

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/memb...85/albums/woody/6605-black-locust-lidded-box/


----------



## VaureyWWC (Feb 21, 2011)

Also I don't know if this matters, but there was a Red Ant infestation in the tree, main reason we were told it was actually dying. This is more really about can this be done with locust or other woods? At least in theory?


----------



## truckjohn (Oct 31, 2011)

How much width of clear heart wood do you have between the ant infested heart and the sap?

If it's more than 8 or 9" and doesn't have twist or too many knots - you could split out the clear sections into 8th's (at least 3' long), then sell it to guitar guys.... It's becoming a more popular guitar wood as the Rosewoods face import/export problems.....

If it's full of knots and cracks - there are plenty of folks looking for black locust for Decking and other outdoor uses because of it's rot resistance....

Got some pix of the log?

Thanks


----------

