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Cooking Pecan

Started by WDH, June 28, 2015, 08:47:08 PM

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WDH

No, not cooking with pecan, but cooking it.  To spalt.  I let some lay around too long a couple of years ago.  When I sawed it, I found it riddled with black lined ambrosia beetle holes and some light spalting.  I went ahead and air dried it, then kiln dried it.  A customer saw it and wanted a coffee table, so I made one out of it.  Turned out very beautiful in my opinion.  There is a thread on it here:  https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,82809.0.html.

Now, I want some more, and I want to do it on purpose.  I cut some pecan logs back in late winter and let them lay for about three or four months.  Hopefully the ambrosia beetles are having a party.  I piled the logs kinda willy nilly, and covered them as well as I could with wet planer shavings a few days ago.  I am hoping that they will "cook" in this Georgia sweltering heat.  I can already see some fungal fruiting bodies on the ends of some of the pieces.  Plan is to leave them "cook" through the Summer and Fall and open them up late in the year.

So, I need the benefits of y'alls experience spalting wood.  Not just spalt, but I want the ambrosia beetle holes too.  What has worked for you?



 

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Den-Den

I have encouraged spalting in short sections for turning blanks.  I do it in a shady spot, rake the leaves away from a spot, put the log section on end and put the leaves and a little dirt on top.  As long as it is wet and warm, spalting happens pretty quickly.  Your method should also work, I would recommend cutting a cookie off an end fairly often to check on progress.  Timing has not been very predictable for me and spalting becomes rot if left too long.  If you do cut off a cookie; cover the end back up afterwards so it does not dry out.
You may think that you can or may think you can't; either way, you are right.

WDH

I am pretty sure that the beetles have had time to get into the wood and do their thing in the four months prior to covering the logs with the wet shavings.  I wanted to give them time to get in there. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

gfadvm

I don't see much Ambrosia Beetle activity here. As far as spalting, my hackberry spalts beautifully just leaving the logs on the ground for 6-9 months before sawing. Getting the bark off seems to cut down on the longhorn beetle tracks.

bkaimwood

From my minimal experience, the rougher the surroundings, the quicker and better the effects... Dump some hot garbage in there, and water it!!!
bk

thecfarm

If I want something to happen to something I want,it happens pretty quick and the out come is not good. But if i want something bad to happen to something good and I want it to look good,the out come is still not good.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

WDH

Quote from: bkaimwood on June 30, 2015, 08:25:44 PM
the rougher the surroundings, the quicker and better the effects...

:D :D

These surroundings are pretty rough.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Dave Shepard

And I thought this was going to be a discussion about peecan pie. :(
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

LittleJohn

Quote from: Dave Shepard on July 01, 2015, 09:00:15 AM
And I thought this was going to be a discussion about peecan pie. :(
..me too  :( :(  So disappointed


But I am interested in the process of spaulting logs

bkaimwood

I knew nothing about spalting a year ago, but learned alot about it in the last 6 months...I just had a pile of logs I had no time to get to...staged in the worst possible manner...on the ground, in a low water table area, with a seasonal high water table, with lots of hot gargage floating about, as mentioned...sawed one of said ambrosia maple logs today, ambrosia of coarse, some quilting, and yup, spalting......39" log, 16 slabs, some freeform pieces with great figure, and some boards...
bk

Raym

When spalting wood blanks for turning, they get covered with shavings and then soaked with beer and covered with plastic. Should get some beautiful spalting in a matter of months.
Not sure if the beer brings more to the party but it seems to help.....
'14-LT40 super, nyle l200m kiln, vintage case 480E loader.

It's not the fool that askith, it's the fool that agreeith.

WDH

Maybe I should cover my pecan with plastic.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

petefrom bearswamp

Soaked with beer?
Alcohol abuse.
Maybe beer in its used form would work?
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
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57 acres of woodland

scsmith42

Logs seem to spalt more thoroughly and more quickly if you fell the trees in early summer.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

WDH

I wonder if a watched log won't spalt, sorta like a watched pot won't boil (old saying)?
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Raym

I don't see any reason you couldn't saw first and then cover with wet chips and cover with plastic. At least this way you could see the face of the boards for the level of spalting you want. I received 2 large silver maple logs that I may slab and try.
'14-LT40 super, nyle l200m kiln, vintage case 480E loader.

It's not the fool that askith, it's the fool that agreeith.

bkaimwood

I would think raym, that if you did it that way, you'd just end up with moldy, ruined, stained slabs...there's something about opening a log up that changes the dynamics of everything... But I don't know, never tried it...but I'd think someone here has, and will share...
bk

jim blodgett

When you guys say "spalted", are you talking specifically about black line spalting? I have worked a fair bit with spalted maple out here in WA, and often run into people who have a different idea of what constitutes "spalted".

I am curious what is considered "spalted" in other species, geographic regions.

beenthere

Jim
What are the "different ideas" of spalted in the PNW?

I'd think "black line" would be a good bet for spalted.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Weekend_Sawyer

Interesting idea Danny, I thought about doing something similar with maple and covering it with leaves.
I'm watching with interest.
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

jim blodgett

Quote from: beenthere on July 06, 2015, 12:10:13 PM
Jim
What are the "different ideas" of spalted in the PNW?

I'd think "black line" would be a good bet for spalted.

Yeah, I pretty much think that's the best spalted gets, those super dark lines, almost as if someone drew them with a fine tipped ink pen...India ink black even.  When it is really special it almost looks like an antique map in a fantasy novel or something.

But then when I look on craigs list, or even websites advertising "spalted maple"  I often see staining or discoloration, but very little (often no) black line.

Makes me think maybe it's me who has the wrong word attached to the characteristics I call "spalted".  Or maybe it's a continuum, with the black line at a certain point in the process?  Heck if I know. But I know that black line is hard to come by, whatever it's called.

Raym

Quote from: beenthere on July 06, 2015, 12:10:13 PM
Jim
What are the "different ideas" of spalted in the PNW?

I'd think "black line" would be a good bet for spalted.
I agree that spalted can mean many different things but for me if it doesn't have the black lines it doesn't have much value.

 
'14-LT40 super, nyle l200m kiln, vintage case 480E loader.

It's not the fool that askith, it's the fool that agreeith.

beenthere

I wouldn't let CL make too many definitions for me, as almost anything goes there.  ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jim blodgett

Nice, Raym.  That looks like the spalted big leaf maple we cherish out here.

You turn that by any chance?

WDH

I am aiming for the black line spalting with some color, too. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

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