Figure in wood

[YouthMinisterDan]

Just curious... What causes a wood to have figure in it? What causes spalting? When does it occur?

 

[wdcav1952]

Magic.

 

[David Keller]

Figure can be caused by a number of things... Normal growth rings, changes in grain direction, inclusions, burls, etc.

Spalting is caused by fungi... Lines are formed when different kinds of fungi meet at a particular place in the wood. It's basically wood rot, and it begins to some degree when the wood is cut. Temperature, light, mold spore availability, moisture, and wood type all factor into the spalting process.

Cav's right in the sense that both things create a magic effect.

 

[el_d]

Magic.

They're after me lucky charms:biggrin:

 

[lorbay]

Just curious... What causes a wood to have figure in it? What causes spalting? When does it occur?

Dan a buddy of mine has on his business cards Bowls by Ron, Burls by God, think about that one.

Lin

 

[Mickey]

You can make your own spalted wood. Just pile some lumber where it will get wet fairly often and stack it so that there is very little air circulation and in a year or so ..presto! Spalted live oak. I say live oak because I know you live in Texas.
Figuring can be caused by a number of factors. Most notably it's where limbs join the trunk or in the roots. Stress points will also often have figuring as well as diseased areas (burls). Actually their not 100% sure what causes burl.

 

[philb]

I think that a outcome for figuring is no really understood either. Figuring cab occur in stress areas, like crotch and roots.
But to have a whole figured tree is pretty unknown, as a whole tree can't be a stress or pressured area. You just have to be lucky!