# Spalted Wood



## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Colleagues: picked up a piece of spalted wood and am considering utilizing it for a panel in a box lid and possibly the box bottom.

Question I have is: what finish??

Anyone have any ideas or experience finishing spalted wood? Thanks....


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you stain it dark you'll probably lose some of the look of it. I've always chosen to just go with clear or regular (slightly yellow) to keep the look. You can spalt your own wood if you want. I did some by accident by covering some boards with planer chips which got wet from a roof that I didn't know leaked. After about two months or so the wood was spalted.


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

*spalted maple finish*

I use it all the time. I don't stain wood. I finish it the same as I do any wood. Sometimes I put a couple coats of cut 50/50 shellac and denatured alcohol, or polyurethane that is 50/50 mineral spirits that I put on with the blue paper shop towels, or I put an oil / poly finish (1/3 gloss poly, 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 mineral spirits). On the last I wait at 24 hours between coats to all it to cure. Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Ray Newman said:


> Colleagues: picked up a piece of spalted wood and am considering utilizing it for a panel in a box lid and possibly the box bottom.
> 
> Question I have is: what finish??
> 
> Anyone have any ideas or experience finishing spalted wood? Thanks....


Ray, I just use water based Poly it doesn't seem to change the color. here are some spalted apple pices I made.

Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

that's some fine work Herb..


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Herb and Malcolm , both your work looks incredible !


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

rainman 2.0 said:


> herb and malcolm , both your work looks incredible !


+1.....


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Totally agree with above.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Welcome back Herb!!!

HJ


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

If no one else mentioned it yet, 100% Tung oil. I prefer it over Linseed even though they share a lot of traits. They bring out depth and color, highlight medullary rays like no tomorrow. If the item (whatever it is), is to be/stay outside then Linseed oil.

P.S. your woodworking talent is amazing Mr. Stoops, I envy you!


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