# Spalted Maple Vase



## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

*Spalted Maple Bowl*

Well did get some turning done besides bottle stoppers and birdhouses although I can't complain with the money they brought in. Here is a spalted maple bowl that I turned from a chuck of wood. It looked like it was starting to spalt so I put some really wet chips in a brown grocery sack along with the blank. I kept changing the chips as they dried out. Well finally I pulled it out and decided to give it a go and here is what turned out. It was finished with one coat Seal-A-Cell and 3 coats of Arm-R-Seal then buffed. It is 9 1/2" X 3 3/4". I really liked how it turned out.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Beautiful work, Bernie. I really like spalted maple.


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## jjciesla (Oct 20, 2007)

You bring out the best in the wood!


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks for the comments. This piece of wood spalted just about perfectly.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Just beautiful Bernie. I've been waiting for a long time for someone to ask what spalted is all about but as no one has, I can't wait any longer, would you please explain.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

The black lines in the wood are a fungus which has spread in the wood. Once the wood is cut is dies but leaves the black stripping. It can be some beautiful stuff. On green wood there are several ways of which I am not a expert on that you can make wood splat.

Thanks Harry.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Are these finishing products rated as being food safe? (It seems a shame to use this where it could get dirty!)


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Mike said:


> Are these finishing products rated as being food safe? (It seems a shame to use this where it could get dirty!)


Yes Mike it is a food safe finish. In fact all finishes in the US today are food safe when cured for 72 hrs. I like the the General Finishes because it stands up well. I e-mailed them and they told me if it cures for 30 days it will withstand hot liquids such as gravies, etc.


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## chippypah (Dec 24, 2007)

Great piece Bernie. love the spalting in it.
Cheers
Pete


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thank you Pete. This was a really nice piece.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Looks great Bernie. See you didn't loose your touch. By the way where are the pics of you using that vacuum chuck. huh


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## cncdave (Jan 16, 2009)

Hi Bernie 
How long does it take to dry the spalted wood before you can start to turn it


Thanks
Dave


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Dave I turn my bowls so the wall thickness in 10% of the bowl diameter. 10" bowl or smaller I leave the wall thickness at 3/4" and larger than 10" I leave them 1" thick. I soak my bowls in Denatured Alcohol for about 24 to 72 hrs. I then let the surface dry and wrap them in a brown grocery sack kinda like a present. I cut a opening it the bowl part and lay them upside down on a cooling rack I got from wal-mart for I think $2.50. I also put them in a room about 70 degrees with little to no air flow. I let them set for 2 to 4 weeks and they are dry. I take them back to the lathe, true up the tenon and finish turning them down to the thickness I want them. Normally 1/4" to 3/8" thick. Then I finish them. That is kinda of nutshell of what I do. I have found that without the DNA it will take about a year to dry them. Hope this helps.


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## Darrin (Jan 7, 2009)

Very good!!! I use the same roughing method and same paper bag method with 6-8 mos drying. That Denatured Alcohol info is very useful as I have never heard it before and will try it on a cherry log Im roughing out tomorrow. Thanks!!!


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Your welcome Darrin. I find my turnings are generally dry in about 3 to 4 weeks. I like it because it doesn't take 6 months to a year to dry.


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## philland (Oct 3, 2008)

BernieW said:


> Dave I turn my bowls so the wall thickness in 10% of the bowl diameter. 10" bowl or smaller I leave the wall thickness at 3/4" and larger than 10" I leave them 1" thick. I soak my bowls in Denatured Alcohol for about 24 to 72 hrs. I then let the surface dry and wrap them in a brown grocery sack kinda like a present. I cut a opening it the bowl part and lay them upside down on a cooling rack I got from wal-mart for I think $2.50. I also put them in a room about 70 degrees with little to no air flow. I let them set for 2 to 4 weeks and they are dry. I take them back to the lathe, *true up the tenon* and finish turning them down to the thickness I want them. Normally 1/4" to 3/8" thick. Then I finish them. That is kinda of nutshell of what I do. I have found that without the DNA it will take about a year to dry them. Hope this helps.


Hey Bernie,

When you true up the tenon do you put it in Cole Jaws? or how do you do it?


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

I started with a donut chuck for couple of years, then cole jaws for about a year and now I use a vacuum chuck most times. I just got it and got it hooked up about 3 months ago. I still use the cole jaws at times.


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## philland (Oct 3, 2008)

BernieW said:


> The black lines in the wood are a fungus which has spread in the wood. Once the wood is cut is dies but leaves the black stripping. It can be some beautiful stuff. On green wood there are several ways of which I am not a expert on that you can make wood splat.
> 
> Thanks Harry.



I don't think that the fungus dies when the wood is cut. I have turned some wood off of a pile that was from a tree, then the next year I turned another piece that was cut from the piece that I had turned earlier, and the spalt had spread significantly and was much more pronounced in the later turned item.

The fungus is part of the decay process and often the difference between a great piece and a bunch of mush (soft wood that is useful for nothing) is getting the wood up and drying at just the right time.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Phil I hear ya. I just found out some maple that I had did that very thing. There was more spalting in the later piece I turned. The fungus does die out though when finished I have found.


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## 2LJunkie (Dec 14, 2007)

Congrats on a very pretty piece Bernie. Well worth the "save" effort...Bill...


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks I appreciate it. It sold pretty fast.


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## nzgeordie (Oct 22, 2006)

Beautiful, Bernie (as ever) I just wish I could get my hands on some of those woods but our authorities over here make it hard to get imported "exotic" timbers:'(


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks Pete. Yes getting nice wood out here in Kansas is expensive evolution. We have mainly Elm and Cottonwood.


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