Hi All,

A neighbor gave me most of the pieces when I helped her cut down her
crabapple tree after a windstorm damaged it. I'm making her a spoon out
of it.

I just soaked it for the first time to raise the grain and sand it down,
and it's got these little white spots I hadn't noticed till it got wet.
I'm guessing they'll disappear when it's dry but of course when I apply
the walnut oil it'll darken and the spots will be back.

Anybody know what causes this? Is it something that happens to crabapple
or is it due to insects or something? Maybe something similar to how
maple gets spalted?

I press at it with my fingernail and I think the wood feels softer there
but there's not a lot of area in one place to test.

Thanks for any info, or educated guesses, or swags, you can give me. :-)

I'll still give it to her at her new housewarming this weekend. It would
just be nice to have an idea what's causing that.

Dan

Some applewood I have turned into pen blanks has the same white spots, but
mine are a little larger. They are not any softer than the other wood
surrounding on my pieces.

Fruit woods tend to have some wild color variations in the grain.

Alan

Dan wrote:

Hi All,

A neighbor gave me most of the pieces when I helped her cut down her
crabapple tree after a windstorm damaged it. I'm making her a spoon out
of it.

I just soaked it for the first time to raise the grain and sand it down,
and it's got these little white spots I hadn't noticed till it got wet.
I'm guessing they'll disappear when it's dry but of course when I apply
the walnut oil it'll darken and the spots will be back.

Anybody know what causes this? Is it something that happens to crabapple
or is it due to insects or something? Maybe something similar to how
maple gets spalted?

I press at it with my fingernail and I think the wood feels softer there
but there's not a lot of area in one place to test.

Thanks for any info, or educated guesses, or swags, you can give me. :-)

I'll still give it to her at her new housewarming this weekend. It would
just be nice to have an idea what's causing that.

Dan


i think it's the beginnings of spalting.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5255/default.aspx

chuck b:-)

On Sun 16 Sep 2007 10:47:05a, chuckb wrote in
news:ZdcHi.5906$A72.3694@trnddc08:

i think it's the beginnings of spalting.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5255/default.aspx

Thanks for the input, gentlemen. I hoped it was something along the lines
of both your theories.

My ex-neighbor loved it and she'll let me know how it stands up. Thanks
again. :-)

Dan