A happy accident or an Oops!!??

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Ankrom Exotics

Ankrom Exotics

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Joined
Jun 23, 2008
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992
Location
Centerville, Iowa, USA.
I purchased a block of Spalted Hackberry recently and cut it into 1 x 1 1/2 x 5" blocks. This is a pretty standard size for knife handle material. When it arrived it was sealed in wax and still very wet once the wax was removed (the cast iron table on my table saw started to rust where it was sitting within minutes). I placed the blocks in a plastic garbage bag filled with wood shavings from my jointer to try to control the early stages of drying and help reduce cracks (I typically do this for the first 3-4 months after cutting a burl cap and other woods that tend to crack easily while drying).

Checked it today to see how things were progressing and was surprised to find that every piece of wood in the bag had turned into a science project.... Stuff was growing all over it.

Almost every piece was at least half covered in a black, almost tar-like substance. Some pieces were nearly completely covered. Some of it has a fair amount of what appears to be white mold on it and a few pieces have mold in colors ranging from shades of green to brownish orange.

Is this simply a continuation of the spalting process or is it something I should remove and allow the wood to dry normally (not in the garbage bag)?

If it's continuing to spalt that would be great as I wasn't too impressed with the amount of spalting present when it arrived.

Anyway, does anyone have any similar experiences, advice or knowledge that might tell me what approach to take?

Thanks in advance,
 
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W

woodale

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Aug 10, 2008
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Illinois, USA
Black tarry goo sounds like a slime mould to me. Some of them are very good a breaking down the wood fibers and will turn it to mush!! Some is probably continuing from the existing spalt and some is starting from your shavings.
Not all of them will destroy the wood, so it may be worth letting a few pieces go and see what happens. I would clean most of them off and pack them into fresh shavings, check every day and maybe let them air dry a while if the goo comes back.

Dale
 
W

woodale

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Illinois, USA
Back for more, had to deliver a kid to after school activities . . .
The colorful stuff will transfer some of it's pigment as it grows. There was an article in Fine Woodworking a while back, but can't seem to lay my hands on the correct issue at the moment. I believe the author was using cat litter to keep the wood near optimal moisture for the fungus to grow and spalt the wood.
In general slimy goo is bad, colorful is not so bad. Just remember that spalt is controlled rot.

Dale, again
 
Russianwolf

Russianwolf

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Martinsburg, WV, USA.
Spaulting is caused by Fungus colonies, not mold.

But in either case, spaulting will not stop until the wood is dry and the fungus killed from lack of moisture.


The spaulted timber I usually get is cut into boards, stacked and wet sawdust thrown all over it and covered by a plastic tarp (the kind that doesn't breathe). They check it every so often and when they deem the spaulting good enough, they kiln dry it. That kills the fungus and the boards are ready to go.
 
Fred

Fred

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N.E. Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.
To completely halt the growth of the mold try Steven Russell's method of boiling the wood. Not only does the process stop the mold or spalt from continuing, it will also aid in the drying of the wood without losses due to cracking, etc. :wink:

Go here to read his very informative method ...

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/boiling-green-wood.html

I have used his method for over three years and have yet to experience a loss due to checking.crqcking/splitting, etc. There are other articles at his home page that are accessible using the links along the left side of the above URL page.

IF you boil your moldy wood, be sure to pour the contaminated water down the toilet and flush very well. The county water treatment downstream will properly destroy anything that may remain. If you pour it or the shavings outside you may possibly just spread the mold to things you don't want to be moldy. Completely burn the shavings and container instead and stay out of the smoke to avoid inhalation of the mold yourself.

The information you give makes me believe you have a nasty mold problem with this wood. If the mold dries the spores released may prove to be an even greater problem IF they are released inside your shop and come to rest on other woods that may be damp. This does not mention the risk to your health if you breath these spores as they can grow inside your lungs very possibly and maybe even cause you far more problems. One just can't be to careful with this type of airborne pollutant ... especially if you are prone to asthma or other types of respiratory problems. :eek:

Let us hear how you do with this wood. ALSO, a picture of the wood with the unknown growth would really be interesting to see. Good luck! :biggrin:
 
L

low_48

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Peoria, IL, USA.
A plastic bag is really just like a green house for mold and spalt. If you move it to a paper bag, some of the moisture can start to migrate through the paper and the spalt process will begin to stop. Plastic bags are good for about a day, then you get the results you have. It could be good news if you want to spalt some more wood. Those shavings that have started to mold make a supreme mold culture. Throw in some other wood that you would like to spalt, maybe a little miracle grow or beer, and let it make some pretty wood. That of course is in the plastic bag for a few weeks.
 
Ankrom Exotics

Ankrom Exotics

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Jun 23, 2008
Messages
992
Location
Centerville, Iowa, USA.
Thanks guys. I think I'll transfer it from the plastic garbage bag to something that will breathe better. The wood doesn't seem to have lost any of it's integrity so I'm not too worried about that yet, besides, it's going to be stabilized anyway.

I'll be sure to dispose of the bag and the shavings and I've been wearing my half mask respirator when working with it.

Thanks for your help, I'll try to remember to let you know what happens. This might be interesting if not educational.
 
S

spiritwoodturner

Guest
Pat, a few years ago I went to a class where we did some Aspen hollow forms. The teacher had been doing this for about a hundred years, and advised us to take them home in paper bags filled with the wet shavings we just turned off. This stuff was fresh-cut and was soaked. Anyway, I put the bags in my basement just like he said, forgot about them for a few years, rediscovered them and they were perfect, just like he said. The goal is controlled drying. In a plastic bag all sealed up theoretically it will never dry, or worse turn into powder. But I think it would still be wet powder.

You might scrub it with some denatured alcohol or something to get the crud off, and then start over.

Dale
 
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