My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

Sure. Soft maple is good. It's not quite as good, in my opinion, as hard
maple but it's fine. I've even got a few soft maple logs (12' length) with
figure in the spalting pen that I need to take out and see how they did over
the summer. We don't get a lot of maples around here except in the urban
areas so I'm happy when I get any maple at all.

- Andrew


"Phil" wrote in message
...
My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

Phil wrote:

My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

The majority of the figured maple (curly, flamed, etc.) commercially available
is of the soft variety. I'd say "Go for it!"

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

All wood is good. Some better than other. Cut some blocks and throw a
few out behind the shop, check them occasionally. When it just starts to
degrade (spalting) it can have a beautiful figure. I have some silver
maple. The unspalted bowls are ho hum, but I can always use the
practice.

When you get a ton of bowl blanks and rough turned bowls filling up the
shop, then you can start getting more selective.

Phil wrote:

My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

--

Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA
............................................
Most people work just hard enough not
to get fired and get paid just enough
money not to quit.


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Thanks to all of you. It sounds like I have a lot of fun work ahead of me.

"Phil" wrote in message
...
My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

Phil,

Never give up a chance to try a new or different type of wood. The pleasure
is all in the knowledge gained through experience!

Regards,

Christopher One good turn deserves another

"Phil" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all of you. It sounds like I have a lot of fun work ahead of
me.

"Phil" wrote in message
...
My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and
there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet
in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. Granted I'd have to cut them
down
down to turning size, but is soft maple good for turning bowls? Sorry
if
this sounds like a newbe, but I am to turning bowls. Thanks

My neighbor just cut down some old soft maples (100 years plus) and there
are several large sections from around the base that are around 5 feet in
diamiter and at least 36 inches thick. BRBR

These can make some excellent bowls. If you can get some pieces just above
ground level, where the "legs" of the tree spread out you will probably find
flame or fiddleback figure out near the bark edge. Also, in the trunk wood if
you seal large pieces and let them season for a year or more you may find
excellent spalting patterns. I have done lots of spalted soft maple pieces and
they can be spectacular. Spalting in soft maple resembles thin black lines in
random patterns that are quite striking and beautiful. Completely seal some
pieces with anchorseal and wait. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

-Jim Gott-
San Jose, CA

You certainly don't want to seal them up completely. You won't get any
spalting formation that way. If it's already spalted then sealing it up
will halt the decay processes and let it dry. That's good but it won't let
any fungus in there otherwise.

Stand the wood on end (endgrain down to the ground) and seal the top
endgrain. It's best if you'll have some organic matter (leaves, manure,
non-sterile earth) under the wood in order to increase the chances that the
right kind of fungus is present to do the spalting in the first place. No
guarantee that you'll have the right environmental conditions or that you've
got the right kind of White Rot fungus to do the spalting but at least
you're giving it a chance this way.

- Andrew

random patterns that are quite striking and beautiful. Completely seal
some
pieces with anchorseal and wait. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

-Jim Gott-
San Jose, CA

Or, for good predictability, I have found the best approach to be lying the
piece on its side and rotating every couple of months to get the spalting
more evenly distributed. Keep damp and cool by whatever required. For me,
shade and a tarp good enough.

If it's anywhere near the bark or dirt, there'll be plenty of spores. Don't
worry about non-wood organics, they aren't what the fungus eats.

"AHilton" wrote in message
...
Stand the wood on end (endgrain down to the ground) and seal the top
endgrain. It's best if you'll have some organic matter (leaves, manure,
non-sterile earth) under the wood in order to increase the chances that
the
right kind of fungus is present to do the spalting in the first place. No
guarantee that you'll have the right environmental conditions or that
you've
got the right kind of White Rot fungus to do the spalting but at least
you're giving it a chance this way.

- Andrew

random patterns that are quite striking and beautiful. Completely seal
some
pieces with anchorseal and wait. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

-Jim Gott-
San Jose, CA

I'm trying to find a page, It had what looked like very good instructions on
how to get the fungus growing, using a mix of things, and putting them+the
wood in a bag.
in article , George at
wrote on 1/18/04 9:34 AM:

Or, for good predictability, I have found the best approach to be lying the
piece on its side and rotating every couple of months to get the spalting
more evenly distributed. Keep damp and cool by whatever required. For me,
shade and a tarp good enough.

If it's anywhere near the bark or dirt, there'll be plenty of spores. Don't
worry about non-wood organics, they aren't what the fungus eats.

"AHilton" wrote in message
...
Stand the wood on end (endgrain down to the ground) and seal the top
endgrain. It's best if you'll have some organic matter (leaves, manure,
non-sterile earth) under the wood in order to increase the chances that
the
right kind of fungus is present to do the spalting in the first place. No
guarantee that you'll have the right environmental conditions or that
you've
got the right kind of White Rot fungus to do the spalting but at least
you're giving it a chance this way.

- Andrew

random patterns that are quite striking and beautiful. Completely seal
some
pieces with anchorseal and wait. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

-Jim Gott-
San Jose, CA

I run a commercial spalting operation for, chiefly, 3 companies in
California that mill the 8 - 15' logs and resell. I know one of them sells
to a guitar manufacturer. I mainly deal with American Sycamore, White Oak
and Sweetgum now and ship 2 to 3 times a year several hundreds logs. That
business is built around predictability from start to finish. Your
description of your method isn't predictable and just plain wrong in places.
I'm not saying that you don't get results but you're not getting them
because of why you might think all the time. Take the following as someone
who knows his stuff INFORMING you and not arguing with you. That's how it's
given.

"lying the piece on its side and rotating every couple of months .... more
evently distributed"

Bad practice...

1) You're hurting the woods' protection (bark) by keeping the bark in
contact with the ground.
2) The fungus doesn't pass through the bark and into the sapwood from the
earth unless there's an opening in the bark to allow it. Even so, it's not
optimal and sporatic at best.
3) You're taking far too much time by turning every couple of months.
Depending on where you live, you only have 3 to 8 months (or more if you're
in a tropical climate) of environmental conditions able to support this kind
of fungal growth. Disregard this if you have an environmentally controlled
operation but I know you don't.

If you'll simply put your pieces with one end-grain section down (or against
or whatever to get contact with your soil/bed mixture) then the fungus can
spread throughout the entire section. Remember the idea of wood being a
bundle of straws? The fungus gets sucked up, in a way, into the wood this
way along with the moisture present (and continually refreshed if needed) in
the soild/bed mixture. You'll not only get better dimensional spalting
patterns but you'll get it higher "up" into the log.


"Keep damp and cool..."

What do YOU think these fungus need in growing conditions? It's certainly
not damp and COOL. There are defined parameters of growth needed to support
these particular fungus.

"...shade and a tarp...."

Shade is fine. Direct, intense light isn't good for the wood or the
surrounding growing environment. A tarp is fine as long as it's not ON the
wood itself. Keep it above it or you'll have other problems (but may be
unaware of them as they crop up later)

"If it's anywhere near the bark or dirt, there'll be plenty of spores."

Not even close. Maybe where YOU spalt your pieces there are plenty of these
particular fungus but certainly not everywhere. There are specific fungus
involved here and they aren't everywhere. Move 5 feet away and you may not
have enough to colonize to the degree necessary for spalting or you'll get
minimal results.

"Don't worry about non-wood organics, they aren't what the fungus eats"

Nor are these particular fungus (the specific fungus' involved in the
process that we call "spalting") lignin eaters. There's EATING and then
there's LIVING. Do you live in what you eat? No. Neither do these
particular fungus. The White Rot fungus (of which the "spalting" fungus is
a part of) don't do much structural damage to the wood. The real damagers
are the Brown Rot fungus'. Having a good wood, non-wood, and generally
fungal-friendly environment (such as leaves, manure or other non-sterile as
I mentioned below) is essential to supporting these fungal colonies. The
specific fungus involved here has to be present in whatever soil/bed mixture
you make the wood come into contact with as well. Simply having fungus (in
general) isn't good enough. This is the same idea as people simply putting
a piece of wood into a plastic bag and getting mold/mildew growth and
thinking that it's spalting. HA! They may indeed get some spalting but
it's certainly not due to the mold or mildew. But try telling them that.

- Andrew


"George" wrote in message
...
Or, for good predictability, I have found the best approach to be lying
the
piece on its side and rotating every couple of months to get the spalting
more evenly distributed. Keep damp and cool by whatever required. For
me,
shade and a tarp good enough.

If it's anywhere near the bark or dirt, there'll be plenty of spores.
Don't
worry about non-wood organics, they aren't what the fungus eats.

"AHilton" wrote in message
...
Stand the wood on end (endgrain down to the ground) and seal the top
endgrain. It's best if you'll have some organic matter (leaves, manure,
non-sterile earth) under the wood in order to increase the chances that
the
right kind of fungus is present to do the spalting in the first place.
No
guarantee that you'll have the right environmental conditions or that
you've
got the right kind of White Rot fungus to do the spalting but at least
you're giving it a chance this way.

- Andrew

"AHilton" wrote in message
...
SNIP
I mainly deal with American Sycamore, White Oak
and Sweetgum now and ship 2 to 3 times a year several hundreds logs.
SNIP ----------------
Maybe where YOU spalt your pieces there are plenty of these
particular fungus but certainly not everywhere. There are specific fungus
involved here and they aren't everywhere. Move 5 feet away and you may not
have enough to colonize to the degree necessary for spalting or you'll get
minimal results.
-------------------------------------------------
Andrew,
I have never seen spalted oak. Most around here (central Texas) seems to
just go from OK to soft to rot. I have some white oak, red oak, and post oak
and some hackberry that I'd like to try to spalt. Do you use the same fungus
"farm" for your oak as you do for the others? I have a spalted oak bowl
blank. If I use the shaving from this blank as a starter mulch, should it do
ok on the oak? TIA for additional info.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

Most of the oaks do that here too. There's a VERY fine line between good
and bad with that wood. But I tend to find, too, with most oaks, it's the
Brown Rot that gets to it first and does all the decaying too quickly. It's
still a fine line regardless the wood but red, black, and most other oaks
are bad about that. I have no market for anything other than the White Oaks
so I don't bother messing with the others.

However, I DID get my hands on a Blackjack Oak that was spalted as it stood
dead. I actually got it for the huge burl it had on it and found the nice
surprise of spalting too in the burl and the rest of the trunk. If you've
never seen Blackjack Oak wood, it's a natural beauty.... the wood, not the
tree. The tree species looks terrible itself. I've made a couple of small
things from the rest of the trunk but haven't taken pictures yet. I did
just cut out a 16" diameter x 6" thick bowl blank from part of it the other
day. Heavy damn wood! I have no lathe to turn that thing yet but hope to
by the time it's dry. The burl pieces and rest of the trunk is either in
the woodturning blank shed or going to be there by next weekend for a long
rest and drying. But I digress....

Don't bother with the red oak unless it's a burl. Same goes for post oak.
The spalting you'll likely get isn't too interesting anyway. But that's a
personal opinion. The hackberry I have no market for either but I
occasionally throw a log in there to spalt. It's spalts well and the
definition really stands out with that white white wood. You can get some
purples, blues, greens and some reds sometimes with that wood too.
Outstanding! I wish I had a market for that as it's a beautiful spalted
wood and I get most of my turning stock (certainly all of my domestics) from
my spalting cutoffs. So, club members can tell what I'm dealing with in
that business recently just by looking at my show and tell items at the
meetings. g Well, except for the Cocobolo and other exotics. No .... I
don't have those woods stashed around here in the Ozarks.

Yes, I use the same "farm" for everything. It's only 1 type of fungus (with
some supporting fungus types but basically just one main one) that produces
what we call "spalt". It is a White Rot type of fungus.

A short sidenote here that I try to mention once in awhile when we talk
spalting: There are all kinds of wood coloration caused by all kinds of
mechanisms, organisms (or no organism at all), methods and magic with
spalting being just one type.

Therefore, only one type of fungus causes our "spalting". So, why the wide
range of colors, patterns, and effects WITH SPALTING (not counting the other
types of coloration possible)? There are a lot of factors including
minerals in the soil/water, humidity/temp fluctuations, other contaminates
in the soil/water, tree reaction due to it's own structure and/or mineral,
etc. contents. Lots of things affect it and the best part is, you just
never really know until you cut into it. Those things you can't control
like you can other factors.

"If I use the shavings from this blank as a starter...."

Not likely. Unless your spalted bowl blank is really wet (not dripping but
"wet" or green as we woodturners like to say) and has been kept an optimal
temperature to keep those fungus alive and well AND it has enough of those
fungal colonies still active AND if they have a ready access to transfer
over to your unspalted wood (we're not talking flying spores as in ragweed
here!), then it probably won't do it. That's not to say that it's not worth
a shot though. In theory, if many conditions are right, then it might work.

- Andrew


Andrew,
I have never seen spalted oak. Most around here (central Texas) seems to
just go from OK to soft to rot. I have some white oak, red oak, and post
oak
and some hackberry that I'd like to try to spalt. Do you use the same
fungus
"farm" for your oak as you do for the others? I have a spalted oak bowl
blank. If I use the shaving from this blank as a starter mulch, should it
do
ok on the oak? TIA for additional info.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX