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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: skeaterbait on November 10, 2017, 10:41:00 AM

Title: Wood strength question
Post by: skeaterbait on November 10, 2017, 10:41:00 AM
I was at a local sawmill this week and grabbed about 20ft of hard maple. There is a fair bit that has some nice spalting in it that I think would look nice in a handle.

Does spalting compromise the strength of the wood at all?
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: Roy from Pa on November 10, 2017, 10:50:00 AM
Yes it does.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: skeaterbait on November 10, 2017, 10:58:00 AM
I thought it probably did. Thanks.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: Pat B on November 10, 2017, 11:59:00 AM
Spalting is fungal growth. For non-structural, non-stressed uses like handle risers or for under glass use it is usually OK.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: skeaterbait on November 10, 2017, 12:20:00 PM
Thank you Pat.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: bigbob2 on November 10, 2017, 07:38:00 PM
If you use spalted in a riser be careful as I had the limb bolt inserts tear out of a piece of spalted wood [Tasmanian Sassafras]
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: mikkekeswick on November 11, 2017, 02:59:00 AM
Stabalise it or don't use it in a riser.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: Crooked Stic on November 11, 2017, 09:25:00 AM
X2 on stabilize it.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: monterey on November 11, 2017, 12:01:00 PM
Just my opinion, but I like to use a riser wood that is harder than the lam material.  It's a gut thing with no factual support.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: skeaterbait on November 11, 2017, 01:16:00 PM
I would love to have a way to stabilize it but I am running out of room for the tools I want now, let alone adding another step...   :D
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: fujimo on November 11, 2017, 07:38:00 PM
you can send it out for stabilization, a lot cheaper tha tooling up with vac pump etc- and is way better, as the big places can pull much higher vacuumes than a home unit can!
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: Crooked Stic on November 12, 2017, 08:40:00 AM
fujimo Where do send your wood out to? Most places I have seen are high priced.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: stickmonkey on November 12, 2017, 09:26:00 AM
I would suggest checking with Big Jim since he is a sponser as he is stabilizing wood and is already setup for the lenths we need. K&G knife suppy can stabilize wood for you and they do a great job. They do a lot of my hande material for knives.
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: KenH on November 13, 2017, 07:04:00 AM
Spalted is a fancy way of saying "partially rotten by fungus"...
Title: Re: Wood strength question
Post by: Roy from Pa on November 13, 2017, 08:35:00 AM
LOL Ken..