Finish for spalted Maple

3/18/04, 6:03 PM #1

Bob Persing
Guest

Finish for spalted Maple

Bob Persing

>Hi,

I have just turned a bowl from a piece of "road kill" ie. wood found lying along the side of the road. It had some unusual coloring and streaking from the bugs and fungus. It is usually refered to as "spalted Maple". After a bit of a battle (I'm a low experienced turner) I crafted my bowl and proceeded to finish it with several appications of pure Tung Oil. The oil just keeps soaking in, especially in the soft (sorta rotted??) spots. I switched over to using Watco's Danish Oil Finish but the soft spots keep drinking up the oil. I apply a new coat of oil about every day for the past 4 or 5 days.

The "look" of the finish is quite blotchy in sheen because of the soft spots.

Outside of putting on a heavy film finish, please offer some suggestions so I can get a more uniform looking finish.

Thanks.

BobP

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

3/18/04, 6:30 PM #2

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA
Guest

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>In my limited experience, I think you need to keep applying the oil. Make sure you're using a polymerized tung oil, a tung oil that will dry and harden - give it several days between coats, and eventually you should get there - punky wood like that can absorb an incredbile amount of oil, but it does have a limit. I'd say flood the bowl with as much tung oil as will stay on it, let it dry for a ten minutes or so, then wipe it off, and repeat 'till it quits soaking up the oil.

David

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

3/18/04, 6:55 PM #3

Bill Howatt
Member
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2,773 posts

Registered: 1/3/04

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

Bill Howatt

>I have had some luck applying lacquer with a paper towel and wiping off the excess. Lacquer dries quickly and you can thus seal the punky spots fairly quickly. I have to admit sometimes it is a challenge.

Bill

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

3/19/04, 9:58 AM #4

Clay Reeves
Guest

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

Clay Reeves

>Bob; Those punky spots may require up to twenty coats. Keep at it!!! Eventually you will have a very fine finish. I like to use a thinned polyurethane but a tung oil-poly blend is also a good choice. If you take shortcuts you will never get the best out of your piece and a nicely spalted piece is usually worthy of the extra effort.

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

3/19/04, 5:11 PM #5

Bob Persing
Guest

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

Bob Persing

>Thanks for the encouragement and the tips.

I will have to double check the can of pure Tung Oil (Behlens) and see if it is indeed polymerized. The thinned poly&oil blend sounds like it is something I will experiment with.

I'll just keep at it. I have several BIG chunks of this stuff (spalted Maple that is punky in spots) so I am working out a system on a smaller object.

Thanks again.

BobP

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

3/19/04, 6:33 PM #6

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.
Guest

Re: Finish for spalted Maple

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>Bob, I've had good success when finishing soft spalted maple, birch etc., using Deft semi-gloss lacquer. I brush on one or two or even three, heavy coats. It soaks in, but firms up the wood surface. It can be applied over the oil, and additional coats of oil can be applied over the Deft. Makes a great finish.

Wally

Finish for spalted Maple

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