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Spaulting Sweet gum

Started by Ludo, August 11, 2013, 07:12:51 PM

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Ludo

Hello All-  I bought a tri-axle of Sweet Gum a year ago last spring. I had it stacked in a shady spot in the treeline and I have been waiting for it to spault.  Yesterday I had a customer visit who wants to make 30 tables out of "something exotic"... so I pulled a few trunks (18-24" on the small end) to slice.  The bark slipped off like butter but when I cut into the trees they showed little or no spaulting.  My question is with Sweet Gum, how fine is the "fine line" between spault and rotten junk?  Do they turn really fast once past a certain point or can I leave them for a second full year without worry.  They seemed nice and solid still but like I said the bark did fall off and some do have mushrooms growing from the ends. I have read a ton on spaulting and have successfully spaulted Maple and Sycamore but unfamiliar with sweet gum as it is relatively rare around here (Hudson Valley region of New York). Thanks.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

I suggest that you splat the lumber, not the logs.  It works on sap gum but not red gum (which is heartwood).
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

ellmoe

    In my experience, once sweet gum starts to decay, it goes quick.
Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

pineywoods

I'd tend to agree with Wood-doc. I've had sweet gum spalt in a stickered stack. The best I have sawn was spalted in the log. It had lain in a shaded spot in a pile of horse manure for a year. I quarter saw all sweetgum. Otherwise the spiral grain will warp and twist in ways you couldn't imagine. Takes a while to dry, but when dry, it's fairly stable..
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

drobertson

+1, waiting is  risky, too many variables.    david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Ludo

Thanks Guys for the suggestions. How would I spault the lumber? Just lay it out in the same place in un-stickered stacks and cover with leaf litter and mulch?

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