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[Canuck]

Hi guys, here's a pdf on creating your own spalted wood, probably more suited to turning wood, however depending on the project, you may be able to incorporate it into your puzzles!(e.g. 'Domino pieces' )
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/bah/producing_spalted_wood.pdf

[Eric Fuller]

That's a cool idea.  Reminds me of something I read once...if you want to make clay pots old looking and covered with alge and stuff, just put a layer of yogurt on them with a paintbrush and wait a couple weeks.

[Robert Yarger]

Incredible John, and just up my mushroom alley.  I actually have log sections that I have inocculated with mushroom spores that look exactly like that when you cut them open.  I never thought of using them for a project, as the wood (although beautiful) was frail enough that I could flake it off with my fingernail.  Now that think back to the dominoes, they spalted myrtle had the same consistance.

Perhaps after I havest the mushrooms from these logs, I can now make a project as opposed to putting them in the firepit.  They burn up instantly in the firepit anyway and do not produce much heat. 

Brilliant idea, and I am glad you mentioned it.  This unique wood was staring me in the face all the time, but I would not have thought about using it without this post.  You got my back man.  Once my next set of shitake's are harvested, I will cut open the logs and send you some for turning.  It is very light wood, so shipping costs would be low.

[Canuck]

If you ever come across some Pecan wood, give that spalting a try, it's highly prized in 'penturning' circles, and of course I'll take any spalted wood you have, good thinking.  I hadn't even thought of your stumps you were innoculating I should have made that connection

[Phil Tomlinson]

thanks for posting this John.  I've got to take down an old maple in my yard and will conduct a few spalting experiments!

[Canuck]

Keep me in mind Phil, I love spalted maple, I'll gladly pick up the cost of shipping!  By the way you need an avatar photo

[Kerry Verne]

On the other hand, I had the unlucky fortune to buy a full board of Padauk that is infected with some kind of mold. It takes months to show, but gradually a white dusting appears on the surface. Even on my humidor box, which has many layers of shellac, it shows up after a while. 

Drives me nuts.. One more reason I don't like padauk. Dusty, color changes, stains the clothes, and mine is moldy. Love the color though, and Jannice thinks we need to name our next dog Padauk (pronounced padook in our house.)

[Robert Yarger]

I suppose that a laquer finish in a final puzzle will effectively kill off the fungus, or do you think that it still keeps eating the puzzle once humidity and temp levels are resumed.

[Kerry Verne]

I thought that the five+ layers of shellac would do that, but no thin finish really seals any wood.. Maybe the 1/8" epoxy finishes do, but no luck here. It looks like dust or something, except it's on the side of the box. Maybe I need to microwave it or something drastic. Of course, that would just spawn new mold that would eat the wood or something.
I'll try to post some pics.

[Canuck]

Hey Kerry, here's a direct quote from Stewart himself, I think it describes your dilemma with the Padauk:
"it is often a characteristic of this wood(Padauk) to exude a white powder that becomes deposited on the surface.  Many persons have mistaken this for mold, which it is not.  Just wipe it off occasionally.  This applies to all puzzles made of this bright red wood."
I can vouch for this as well as I had a puzzle that would inexplicably develop this 'powder' on the surface every so often

Quote taken from pg.87 of Ap-Art(A Compendium Of Puzzle Designs) Stewart T. Coffin

[Phil Tomlinson]

Keep me in mind Phil, I love spalted maple, I'll gladly pick up the cost of shipping!  By the way you need an avatar photo

I'll keep you posted, John. 

[Kerry Verne]

Hmm.. that makes it worse.. Moldy wood can be isolated to one stick.. I don't feel so bad about selling my old boxes now though. Actually, I was kind of worried about my Padauk humidor, wondering what the 'mold' would do for cigar's.

[Canuck]

Do you line your humidor's with spanish cedar?

[Kerry Verne]

All inner surfaces, yes. Still made me leery of mold spores though.

Anyone here smoke cigar's? My wife gave up smoking when we dated because I don't smoke, so it isn't really fair for me to start.    Maybe we should prod Eric into adding a WTS/WTB forum.

[Canuck]

Here's a pic from a turning forum of a 'silver maple' bowl.  The wood was put in a bag with leaves, 'miracle grow' and 'horse biscuits'(?) for a year