The spores of the fungus enter the wood through cracks or wounds, and as the fungi grow, they produce patterns called "spalting." These patterns can be very beautiful, and spalted maple is often used in making furniture and other decorative items. Botanical Designation: Not a distinct species of maple; spalting is a fungal discoloration caused by partially decayed wood. Distribution: Primarily temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere Average Dried Weight: 30.2 to 44.0 lbs/ft 3 (485 to 705 kg/m 3) depending on species Janka Hardness: 700 to 1,450 lb f (6,450 N) depending on species
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Spalted maple wood looks almost as if someone drew irregular borders all over it with ink, but it is a naturally occurring type of figured wood. Spalting occurs when white-rot decay fungi takes up residence in a tree. As the fungi spreads out and meets with other patches of fungi, the unique "zone lines" form. Continue shopping Explore the unique beauty and characteristics of spalted maple in this comprehensive guide. Delve into its history, spalting process, and diverse applications in woodworking, from furniture to musical instruments. Discover the natural artistry that sets spalted maple apart in the world of woodcraft. Spalted maple is just ordinary maple that's partly rotten. After the wood is cut, different colonies of stain, mold and decay fungi attack it and establish boundaries to preserve their turf. That's what those black lines are—borders between warring tribes. They don't follow any regular pattern, such as the tree's growth rings. Tree Size and Shape The size and shape of Maple trees vary with the variety. Generally speaking, the size at maturity of the tree ranges from 50 to 75 feet. At home landscapes, can be made smaller to about 20 to 30 feet. These trees characterize horizontal branch formations leading to spreading and rounded canopy.
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Spalted wood has been altered by fungi. This results in beautiful, naturally variegated, shifting hues and lines coveted by woodworkers and designers. Sugar maple trees can live more than 130 years and reach lofty heights of 80-115 feet, with a diameter up to 3 feet. The spalting process starts when one of these majestic trees dies and begins to decay - or when a living tree is otherwise stressed and weakened due to either natural causes, like a lightning strike, or through contact with. Spalted Maple Latin: Acer spp. Origin: North America Spalted Maple is technically not a specific species of Maple, but rather a type of Maple that has been allowed to begin initial stages of decay. The partial decay, called spalting, gives the wood dark contrasting lines and streaks where fungus has begun to attack the wood. Spalted maple starts as a regular maple until decay causes a black marble pattern to form, making it anything but a commodity. Parker Nichols of Vermont Wildwoods in Marshfield, Vt., is so intrigued by the spalted look he's focused on producing it rather than relying on finding logs where spalting has naturally occurred.
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Spalted maple electric guitar Mango wood with fine spalting was used to build this Romero Creations Tiny Tenor Ukulele Types Spalting is divided into three main types: pigmentation, white rot, and zone lines. Spalted wood may exhibit one or all of these types in varying degrees. June 2, 2017. Even if you haven't heard of spalted wood, you might have seen it. Rather than a subtle coloring, some of its wood grains are as pronounced as if black or white ink has been worked.
The spalted maple is not a tree rather a board taken from the Sugar Maple tree. It is referred to as spalted because the board is beginning to rot. The fungi pairs with the water that waters the trees vascular system and it begins to excrete a dark colored pigment. The boards are then sawn after enough color has been developed and kiln dried. Spalted maple is caused by the natural decay of the wood. Fungus leaves the black spalted areas. It's typically caused in blonder woods such as maple, sycamore, beech, poplar, basswood, and more. However, most of these woods rot too quickly so you rarely can use them for something like a slab dining table. Spalted maple however can still be used.
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All maple species will spalt, but Sugar Maple seems preferred by woodworkers. Spalting is a natural process that requires wet wood. Green wood with a moisture content above 40% is perfect for fungal growth. Once the moisture content drops below 20% the fungi stop growing. Kiln drying will essentially kill off the fungi and stop the decay process. Spalted Maple is normally a Hard Maple but can also be seen in Soft Maple. The figure in Spalted Maple is produced by decay. Basically, the tree or log starts to decay and during that process, a fungus attacks the wood. This fungus gives Spalted Maple the distinct black lines of figure that woodworkers love. The trick with Spalted Maple is to.
