# Tips for working with spalted maple?



## Wyo7200 (Apr 29, 2015)

This will be my first time working with spalted maple. After looking for a few weeks, I finally found a bowl blank from woodcraft that I can use for the project. I'll need 5 pieces cut to 2"h x 6 7/8"w x 3/4" thick to be the drawer fronts on a jewelry cabinet for my daughter. They'll have a bow on one side, I assume it'll make the dimensions 1/2" on the edges and 3/4" in the middle. I'll have to make two slices at thickness, and try to book match to make the 5 pieces... 1/2" shy from being able to just make one 3/4" slice.

I searched the great wide Google and found information about turning, but nothing substantial for or relevant for my purpose. 

Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated so I don't end up turning this $41 piece of rotting wood into crumbles.










Thanks for your time.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

When I get a spalted piece it's usually a turning blank destined for a clear finish. If the soft spots are really soft and punky I will soak them with thin CA glue and let it dry. Doesn't hurt the tools when turning, but it does stiffen up the area. It will sand ok but will appear a little shiny if it's in a low spot. In a spalted piece like yours, I don't think it will hurt the looks any. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Wyo7200 (Apr 29, 2015)

Thanks! Is there a scale for softness? Read one place that if you can deny it with the fingernail it's the soft spot. Pretty explanatory?

The pieces will be going through a flush trim router jig. My instinct is to lower the speed a little, make a lot of passes. Is that necessary- haven't found anything on having to reduce turning speeds but I have no clue about turning. Treat it as soft maple? 

Thanks for your time.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There's no real trick to working the spalted maple. It's when you finish it you need to be careful. Any oil based finish has a yellow tint to it and continues to uellow as it ages. You need to use a non-yellowing finish to maintain the appearance. Any finish that is an acrylic will remain clear. Lacquers with the exception of nitrocellulose lacquer will remain clear. You could also use a water based polyurethane except that finish tends to be pretty bland. To make the grain pop you could put a coat of linseed oil on and allow it to thoroughly dry and then use the water based poly.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> To make the grain pop you could put a coat of linseed oil on and allow it to thoroughly dry and then use the water based poly.


 Water-based OVER oil? I have always been told by finish manufacturers that you could put oil-based over water-based, but NOT the other way around. I realize linseed oil is not a resin finish, but wouldn't the oil behave in a similar manner? After all, it doesn't really completely 'dry' as a resin will. I expect that you are stating this from experience, Steve. Expound, if you will, please.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The reason the manufacturers say not to put a water based finish over oil is it's easier than telling the public how to do it. What would happen is someone would use an oil stain and in 30 minutes put a water based finish over the top and have it peal off. Then say the finish was crappy. If you allow linseed oil to completely dry there is no problem putting a water based finish over the top. They can't just say let the stain dry a certain length of time because that could vary depending on the temperature and humidity. Even if they wanted to there wouldn't be room on the can because of warning labels in three languages. 

You can hurry the process by putting a coat of Sealcoat over the linseed oil and then proceed with the water based finish. The dewaxed shellac would provide a barrier coat between the linseed oil and the waterborne finish.


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## Wyo7200 (Apr 29, 2015)

I'm at the stage to start thinking about finishing and wanted to update this with a picture thank everyone again. 

Still needs some sanding, and was lucky (maybe?) that there was only one soft spot that the router bit chewed up but I managed to fill in the gouge with some CA and scrap rotten maple.


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

THAT looks beautiful already!
I'm eager to see the finished colors.


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## Wyo7200 (Apr 29, 2015)

The piece on the left has a coat of BLO on it and a top coat of polycrylic. The right piece is several coats of shellac. 

Would it be weird to do the fronts in BLO and polycrylic and the rest of the box with shellac? Kinda wondering what the best would be to bring out the character, as well as look good on the walnut, maple and ash. Worked myself into a corner by attaching the fronts to the drawers already.










Wetted down with water:


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

I'm a fan of poly as a finish. But it looks like both finishes bring out the grain.

I am not sure it's going to matter ... the finished drawers are going to be fantastic.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Man this is a beautiful box!!! Spalted anything is beautiful BUT sometimes tricky to finish. One trick I found with it is....Make it pop first then final coat it to the sheen you desire. 

There's 2 finishes I like BUT in your case the waterlox would be out due to time consumption and not necessarily needed here. I use lacquer when I need a quicker yet awesome finish. I use Deft gloss brushing lacquer. Yes gloss!!! split the first few coats with 50% lac thinner, by the 3rd coat you'll need to thin at 25% thinner let it sit a few minutes then hand rub with lac retarder , this will resoften the solid areas building up on the solid wood and redeposit in the softer areas and build them up, by the 5th coat (# 3,4 &5 coats retarded after sitting as above) it should be all even built finish by 5 or 6, then on # 6 (or final) coat use the sheen desired as finish. I personally like a hand rubbed look which can be acquired by hand rubbing the final coat with a flat or semigloss lac. I use the fine scotchbrite type pads in all these processes, I did lay the first two coats on with a brush just to fill. The gloss going deep thinned adds vibrance and chatouancy to the wood grains. Please note NOT to add this many coats to the walnut, you just want to fill the grain up solid, maybe 2 coats gloss and then retard it with a rub to remove any excessive build up.

This is a spalted maple table I done with the above process except a gloss final finish.









Building up finish, notice softer wood hasn't filled yet.


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## Wyo7200 (Apr 29, 2015)

That's some nice work Tim! Thanks for sharing your finishes too. I really need to broaden my finishing techniques.

I finally completed the box- had to get some mad lathe skills to finish the knobs so I got a lathe and got into turning pens and stuff.


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## thefiend1 (Oct 11, 2011)

The box turned out great! What finish/process did you end up doing for the spalted maple?


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Wyo7200 said:


> That's some nice work Tim! Thanks for sharing your finishes too. I really need to broaden my finishing techniques.
> 
> I finally completed the box- had to get some mad lathe skills to finish the knobs so I got a lathe and got into turning pens and stuff.



My goodness how can one jewelry box be so darn ugly? You should put about 10 coats of various shades of green on it, drill a 2" hole in each drawer and mount it on a tall pole for birds to live in.

Im just kidding, dang thing looks great!!! That maple really looks gorgeous and if you made any mistakes I cant see them. Nice piece of work bud!


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## SwampRat (Aug 20, 2018)

Beautiful jewelry box!


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## Saw Dust Rules (Jul 21, 2018)

I really like spalted and ambrosia maple, worked with lots of it over the years. I prefer to finish with General Finishes oiled urethane which really makes the grain stand out while keeping the natural look of the wood. Some people can be allergic to the fungi infected dust particles so be sure to wear some dust protection.


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## Littlefield (Sep 2, 2018)

Man, how nice is that. I really like the way the drawers fit together.


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