I recently bought some spalted wood and that got me thinking. I have never seen anything spalted in South Dakota. So I researched it on Wikipedia and found that it is probably too dry in Western South Dakota for spalting to occur. So my question is what causes the flame pattern in some Boxelder. We have few boxelder trees but I have never seen the flame pattern in any that we have cut up for fire wood. With the lack of any good trees to make pens out of I may just have to get into casting. After all we do have lots of pheasants and rattlesnakes!
Flame Boxelder
- Thread starter D.Oliver
- Start date
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arioux
Member
Hi
The red is not present in all tree. It's a fungus (Fusarium negundi) that is causing it
See here:
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/box-elder/
The red is not present in all tree. It's a fungus (Fusarium negundi) that is causing it
See here:
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/box-elder/
1080Wayne
Member
Doubt if you are any drier than I am . It just takes longer for spalting to occur . Every time the wood gets soaked , the fungi will work on it , then become inactive when it dries out . Look for dead branches that have been lying in the leaves and grass for a few years .
Large trees are not required for nice pens . Some of the shrubby trees frequently make more attractive ones . Would suspect there may be some caragana somewhere near you . Experiment with it .
Large trees are not required for nice pens . Some of the shrubby trees frequently make more attractive ones . Would suspect there may be some caragana somewhere near you . Experiment with it .
I'll do that. What type of trees do you have that spalt? So far I've collected some Siberian Elm, Eastern Red Cedar, Lilac, American Plum, Honey Locus, and some Chokecherry. I think the Chokecherry and Plum show some promise for pens but I'm not sure about the rest of it. I guess I'll find out when its dry.
Old Lar
Member
I have found spalted birch in a firewood pile. I also have used spalted cottonwood, lilac, pine and elm out of the woodpile in my backyard. There was spalted driftwood in the river here until this weekend. With the flood, all will be gone.
I have a pile of different types of wood under some leaves in a back corner of my yard that I spray a little water on every now and then. Anxious to see how it turns out.
I have a pile of different types of wood under some leaves in a back corner of my yard that I spray a little water on every now and then. Anxious to see how it turns out.
1080Wayne
Member
Aspen poplar , cottonwoods , paper birch , elm spalt easily - usually a black line spalt , but occasionally solid green . Chokecherry , lilac and plum are much harder woods , so are slower to spalt , but are attractive when they do . Young chokecherry can be almost as white as holly , in contrast to the dark brown heartwood of older trees . Pincherry is also nice , a bit closer in appearance to black cherry , and much softer than chokecherry . Saskatoon is close to chokecherry in hardness and appearance . Take a look at any of the willows , red osier dogwood , silverberry , silver buffaloberry , hawthorn , common and prostrate juniper if you have them . Not sure if Russian olive is an unwelcome invasive in SD . It has nice grain and sapwood/heartwood contrast .
Don`t be too concerned about having a few plain pens for sale . People like to see the inside of the trees they have known all their lives . In a rural market they will buy a plain pen made from a tree that has a personal memory attached before buying an exotic that they have never heard of , probably 4-5:1 .
Don`t be too concerned about having a few plain pens for sale . People like to see the inside of the trees they have known all their lives . In a rural market they will buy a plain pen made from a tree that has a personal memory attached before buying an exotic that they have never heard of , probably 4-5:1 .