spalted Ash

[TWiG]

I occasionally come across some spalting in Ash , usually in small dead pieces and do not usually like it's appearance , however I came across a decent sized stump a while ago with a gorgeous non typical spalting  and made this from it ...  about 10 - 12 inches tall

[woodndesign]

WOW ... Terry .. That is one amazing piece of Ash, an form as well .. if it's ever to see things in a piece, this one qualifies .. is it a hippo !!!  ..

Cheers for sharing this piece.  David

[Les Symonds]

Hi Terry....there's nothing about this that I don't like. The line is a very pleasing, continuous curve, the foot is narrow enough to support the form yet still make it look light, and the opening just sweeps up nicely. As for the grain and the spalting....that's got to be about as good as you'll get on ash.

Les

p.s. ... have you noticed the Otter in the spalt?

[Graham]

I am with you Twig, not normally much impressed with spalted wood but that is a gorgeous piece and you have done it proud. Lovely shape and lines.

[Graham]

Not seeing the Otter though. Where is he hiding. Is his name  Waldo ?

[Les Symonds]

Not seeing the Otter though.

...it's the grey-stain patch, in its entirety...its head on the right, looking forward, then you'll notice the legs and the tail just disappearing out of sight around the left hand side of the form. Given that I sell under the name of Otter, I think that it would look really nice on my shelf!

Les

[Bryan Milham]

Twig,

great shape and wow, what an effect the spalt has caused.

From an American University web site I learned that there are many fungi that can create a multitude of colours in spalting, you can even order them on-line to spalt your own, but because its a fungi you can't import them to the UK, shame because I've only seen spalt like this in America before, stunning and lucky you to find something like it over here.

If you have any shavings left you might try getting some more to go.

Hippo?, Otter?, - I saw a Wombat first.

[GBF]

Spalted Ash is one of my favorite woods.

Regards George

[georg]

      That's one very nice piece of Ash Twig ....A lovely sweeping form .... the spalting  gives
   
      the otter almost a 3D effect
      Tony di

[bodrighywood]

Definitely an otter piece. Make a lovely show piece for you Les.

Pete

[TWiG]

Cheers for the comments guy's  ... It is always nice to find such a dramatic piece of wood and I feel a simple form  shows it to best effect, I spalt a fair bit of my wood  myself ,I wrap it in pallet wrap ( industrial clingfilm ) when still wet / damp, leaving the bottom end uncovered and put it to one side of an area where I have been butchering lumps of wood with a chainsaw for years so have a great sawdust / shavings /compost / fungi farm going on .... My best results are with Horse chestnut , it only takes  a summer to spalt lumps about 15" cube  ( usual size blocks I start with )  lightly spalted Beech also seems to get a lot richer doing it  this way as well , I have about half a ton of hefty Olive Ash lumps at the moment which I am getting through roughing out at this time of year and might put one aside to try and spalt it .  I will post a pic of a wych   elm vessel  which also spalted ( unusual for Elm ) nicely when I get round to it !   Terry....

[Graham]

Ah yes, theres Waldo 

[Mark Sanger]

Very beautiful indeed.