Spalting Maple Logs

PA_Walnut · September 16, 2018, 08:32:00 AM

I have a nice LARGE and CLEAN maple log that's been sitting since early summer. Might was well try to spalt it now.
So, moved it to the field and put on a mound of mushroom soil. I think I'm going to bank-up some sawdust and/or mulch around it and cover with black plastic.

Anyone with tips/hints about methods and/or timeline? It's a really nice log, so don't want to ruin it.

Appreciate info from those who have walked the walk.

etroup10 · September 16, 2018, 09:50:58 AM

i have never tried spalting logs. However the best spalted maple i've sawn is stuff that has been sitting around for several years. they weren't burried in soil or anything so I don't know how that will affect it. I have a log sitting out in the woods that was cut november 2015 and it is not quite to the point i would want to saw it. Probably next summer by the looks of it. You probably know this but to check it just cut a thin slice from the end of the log to see how far the spalting goes.

firefighter ontheside · September 16, 2018, 05:55:42 PM

Your method seems to be overkill. I would think to keep it off the ground and let it sit out for a few years in the rain, but not in the sun.

OffGrid973 · September 16, 2018, 06:13:57 PM

You know what they say to stop a Jelly Fish sting...maybe give it a try, he he

Brad_S. · September 16, 2018, 09:17:43 PM

Former member Arkansawyer was a master at controlled spalting. For years he kept his methods a secret but I believe he did eventually explain how he did it. Perhaps if you have spare time, search through his posts with the keyword spalting. I may be mistaken; he may have never given out his secret and my memory is incorrect. That seems to be happening more and more these days.

kelLOGg · September 17, 2018, 08:24:45 AM

I cut a 12" maple long ago and let it lie on the ground (in NC) in partial shade for about a year. It spalted very nicely.

Crusarius · September 17, 2018, 08:42:26 AM

I have a very moist piece of property. I piled up a bunch of maple in an area I thought was ok. it was always moist and never really in the sun. it sat 3 years I think. Half of the maple turned to pulp but it all spalted very nicely. I think if I were to try it again I would not do more than 2 years. even that may be borderline.

oh yea. it was where I plowed my snow so it got buried all winter long. I had to pressure wash all of it before milling it to get all the crap off of it.

WV Sawmiller · September 17, 2018, 09:45:45 AM

The last spalted maple I cut naturally occurred. One fork broke and hung for a year near my deer blind. It finally broke on off and I cut 15' off it. It could not have been on the ground over a few months before I noticed it. It was rock solid with real pretty spalt lines. I sold it to a local furniture maker.

quilbilly · September 17, 2018, 11:25:46 AM

We've tried spalting maple in the pnw, never worked. Need space etc, way easier for us to just cut for firewood or sell for saw logs. Best ones we've found are naturally occurring.

mike_belben · September 17, 2018, 11:35:30 AM

Anyone ever tried ringing a maple and let it spalt while standing? I see it quite a bit in firewood from standing dead wood. Wouldnt have as much mushrooms and worms that way if it worked. 3 months in the dirt is plenty of time for the worms to get in here. Altho that may be a positive character to your market. I like wormy maple.

Crossroads · September 17, 2018, 11:22:25 PM

I milled a big maple a couple years ago for a guy who said his horses killed it. He claimed it stood dead for 2 years before he had it cut down, then it laid out in the field for 2 more years before I cut it. It had some nice spalting.

PA_Walnut · September 18, 2018, 06:30:54 AM

All good tips and wisdom. It's been under the trees for a couple months. Then I moved it to the field on a pile of mushroom soil.
I've heard talks of using beer, to promote the growth of the molds, fungus, etc. (will get some Old Mud, or Bud since that's about all that swill is good for anyway).

Gonna move it back to mostly shade, andwrap it in some sawdust and black plastic to accelerate the growth...seems like it would hold moisture and attract some sun/heat during the coming cold months.

It's longer than I want to saw, so can cut cookies from time to time.

mike_belben · September 18, 2018, 07:20:08 AM

Now that you mention it, red maple here does have a pretty yeasty smell when you open up a ripe one. I guess thats the smell of sugars being eaten.

78NHTFY · September 18, 2018, 09:35:57 PM

Cut some standing dead sugar maple, piled them in the woods for a year, and just brought them back to the mill as they were getting pretty "fuzzy." They jumped ahead of the 100 WP I still have to cut! Cut the first of five logs into 1x's. Some spalt and a little pecky. No spalt throughout but I'll take it. All the best, Rob.

YellowHammer · September 18, 2018, 10:57:19 PM

Normally, I only leave my maple sit a single hot season before I cut them up because I'm not a big fan of over spalting, but I really like the light shades of blue tint and black lines that the logs get several inches in, with a clean heart on live edge. I'd guess if I left them out longer, they would spalt more, but I had to pay for these logs, and spalt is the precursor to rot, and I don't like to think about my money rotting. :D

Of course, you already know how I "speed spalt" basswood and poplar 4x4's, I don't see any reason it wouldn't work for maple. :D

PA_Walnut · September 19, 2018, 05:56:09 AM

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 18, 2018, 10:57:19 PMOf course, you already know how I "speed spalt" basswood and poplar 4x4's, I don't see any reason it wouldn't work for maple.

Yes indeed!! I haven't considered speed-spalting some slabs. I think I will try that! (feel the same about a purchased log just sitting around) 8)

curved-wood · September 19, 2018, 08:26:40 AM

I did some tests with white birch cover with sawdust. I figured that air+humidity and no sun will spalt the wood. I did some scorings just through the bark with a chain saw. Saw it after year . Not much spalting...not worth the effort.
When my son cleared the forest for the building of his house, he had quite a few nice maple logs. We didn't had time to saw it before 2 years. The logs were pile 6'' of the ground. The top one had one face damage by the sun. Wow very vice spalted and fairly even. The wood will go for his kitchen cabinet

doc henderson · September 19, 2018, 06:44:37 PM

Maple will tend to spalt even if you don;t want it to. If you want to promote it, put logs in an area of prev. spalting as the spors will be abundant there. Moist and shady like a forest.

wesdor · September 21, 2018, 03:29:05 PM

During summer 2017 I spent a week with Sarah Robinson at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. She was a wealth of knowledge and has pretty much figured out to Spalt wood.
Her website is https://www.northernspalting.com/
She also has an extremely detailed book on Spaltung which sells for around $60.
She is a professor in Oregon and wealth of information. You might also be interested in her YouTube interviews with Mark Lindquist.

nativewolf · September 21, 2018, 05:24:21 PM

Quote from: wesdor on September 21, 2018, 03:29:05 PM
During summer 2017 I spent a week with Sarah Robinson at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. She was a wealth of knowledge and has pretty much figured out to Spalt wood.
Her website is https://www.northernspalting.com/
She also has an extremely detailed book on Spaltung which sells for around $60.
She is a professor in Oregon and wealth of information. You might also be interested in her YouTube interviews with Mark Lindquist.

Did not know about her or her work. Will definitely keep this in mind.