Beech Windfall

[cd]

Pulled into the office car park last monday to find one of the large beech trees had lost limb to the wind. It wasn't that big and and no cars were damaged but this was enough for the building owners to get the tree cut down. Well Lunchtime came and a quick chat with the tree surgeons and I could have as much as I could get in the boot .
or as it turned out as much as i could pick up without ruining my suit

and a couple of spare hours in the workshop (the first this month)this afternoon reduced the pile by half a log !!

This log did have a a little bit of interest in it but a thread about spalting this week got me wondering about trying to get one or two of the remaining logs to spalt. I understand the basics,to stop the air circulation and maybe :?: keep the logs in contact with the ground. So has any done this with any success and what are the tips ?

Thanks
cd

 

[Anonymous]

Beautiful bowl and some windfall :shock: Lucky devil :lol:

 

[blurk99]

i do remember one website had a brief recipe for spalting wood - something about using powdered fertiliser in there to help the bugs along, wrapping it in binliners, and not letting it get too warm.. then i think it takes an experienced eye to guage the damage to wood and then let it dry out to stop the spalting.. can't remember where though..

Jim

 

[Chris Knight]

CD,
That is a very pretty bowl indeed. Great job!

 

[UKTony]

Great work CD as always - although you know im going to start all the questions about wet wood again, that one looks pretty thin - have you done anything to help it along.

Tony

 

[cd]

Thanks all,

Tony: I havn't done anything to this bowl at all, I have been experimenting with soaking part finished bowls in washing up liquid but I'm going off the idea. they seem a bit washed out and I had one split on me the other day , So for this one I got it down to about 4mm all round and I wait :roll:

cd

 

[UKTony]

Inspired by CD, i had a go at a platter this afternoon with some green yew - tommorrow i will complete my Cole jaws so will have a go at a flush base

 

[cd]

Thats one nice platter Tony,
Let us know how you get on with the cole jaws.

cd

 

[DaveL]

Tony,

That is nice.

 

[blurk99]

Hi CD,

here's a few tips for spalting wood...

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/techl ... d_wood.pdf

Jim

 

[cd]

thanks for the link Jim,
Decided to stick a couple of the logs in black sacks packed with some of the sawdust from the bowl I did last weekend.
I'll leave them in a damp corner of the garden and hope. If it all goes wrong they were free anyway .

cd