Beech log cutting and beech vessels

[George Watkins]

hello folks

I have cut the last of a batch of beech that I bought about 3 years ago, I wanted it to spalt with lots of zonal lines but it had other ideas!!

here are two beech logs, both were about 20" wide and by the time the ends were trimmed the blanks from them were about 14/15" long.

this one had better figure but had gone too far in places....


so I cut around the rot and got one 8" blank and two at nearly 5"


the next log wasn't as good and had fine splits in one side


but I managed to get two 6" and two 5" from this log (you can see the splits highlighted in red at the top of the log)


here are the blanks


and here are two similar shaped pieces which I made from a previous log from the same batch

[Bryan Milham]

You've managed to 'grow' (is that the right term) some good colour in these George.

I hope that the blanks you salvaged work as well as the vases you are showing here as well.

There is a University in America that has mastered spalting and uses various different fungi to create the colours they want. Not sure about importing strange fungi into the UK though, we have enough problems with some of the unwanted ones that have already arrived.

[georg]

  Looks like you have got a few nice blanks from those logs George...... There`s some very nice spalting in the vessels and
  the turnings not bad either
  Kind Regards
  Tony & Di

      PS... Like the format of your thread

[Les Symonds]

Lots of food for thought in this thread, George. I've had modest success with some ash logs that I've been 'cultivating' fungi on....exciting, isn't it!

Les

[George Watkins]

Thank you for your comments

[GBF]

Some very nice spalting

Regards george

[Tom Sherman]

While perhaps not exactly what you were looking for, some nice looking wood indeed.

[flames]

Hi George, nice spalting, nice vessels!
-could you use some of your 'plastic kit' to rescue some of the punkier bits - with 'Cactus Juice' or similar?

Cheers,
Tom.

[edbanger]

nice wood, nice turning George

Ed

[George Watkins]

thank you for your comments

I could Tom, but stabilising resin is very expensive and the process very labour intensive, so for me the wood has to be amazing to invest my time and money in stabilising where as this is below average and not worth it to me.