A few tidbits about spalted red oak…

My spalted red oak (soak) blanks are sealed on nearly all or most of the surfaces with wax. This seals the wood from exposure to heat and cold as much as possible; hampering the checking and cracking it can do to a large degree.

While even one surface that isn’t covered in wax, can crack and check, most times it is only surface deep and doesn’t extend deeper than half an inch into the thickness of the blank.

However the blank has seasoned, you may get a blank that has a check that runs deeper than you would have liked. If you do, simply apply CA glue to the crack in single applications until the crack is sealed.

This wood is too beautiful to scrap it for a check.

When you start turning one of these blanks you will notice two things. There is a lot of moisture in the wood, so much so it may sling off while you cut and go everywhere. Another is that this wood is spalted. This means that while the tree was living, it developed a certain kind of rot. This rot produced a stagnate pool in places where it collected such as in the top of knots and unions. This “juice” slowly permeated the living cells of the wood as long as it stood.

This rotten liquid traveled with the water the tree distributed, to all parts of the tree. In places close to the pith and the area of rot, this liquid created amazing colors and changes in the wood that surrounds the pith of each limb and trunk section in certain places, creating the beautiful mottled stains and grain patterns.

Because this is literally a rotten stagnate byproduct of the rot, and the fungus it maintained, it bears with it a horrible smell as well. Just healthy live red oak has a distinct odor similar to very dirty socks.

So, it’s advisable to wear clothes that are meant for dirty work. If the bowl slings liquid, it will be very smelly and the smell can set in your clothes you wear when you turn it. It’s a good idea to wash these clothes by themselves immediately after your initial roughing out of the bowl.

Once you have it roughed out, most of the moisture will dry off quickly.

It’s a good idea when turning this wood, to rough out your bowl as soon as possible. Leave a half an inch thickness in the wall for every 3 inches of diameter if you can. Your rough bowl will distort and morph shape as it dries. Be prepared for this, leave plenty of thickness that will allow you to final turn to the desired shape you want.

Upon roughing the bowl, inspect it very carefully for cracks and checks, especially if you bought a burl blank. The grain in burls is completely random and separations appear instantly after you rough turn. Then is the time, to closely inspect the roughed bowl, locate cracks and checks, and fill them with CA glue.

Apply just enough glue to go in the crack at one session. Let it dry 10 minutes then apply more glue. Do these in layers until you completely fill the crack. If you follow this direction, your bowl will contain the shape you are after and not split or crack open.

Oak is notorious for cracking open after turning it if it is green or wet. Take these steps to ensure the integrity of the wood as you go, and you will have a very beautiful product when you finish.

You can hasten the drying process after you rough it out using the microwave. Place the bowl in the oven and warm it till you just start to see steam rising. This is usually from one minute to 2 minutes. Place the hot bowl on a rack when you take it out of the microwave oven, and it will cool more evenly.

Do these once an hour until it dries to what ever level of moisture you prefer. I like to hold my bowls at around 10% while I am roughing them. When I am ready to finish them I let them get completely dry, as sanding works much better. Of course, others in the house will wonder what in the world you are cooking and to get it out of the house, so consider this if you try this.

You may have much better results if you rough in two stages. Do it once to remove tension in the wood, and also allow drying to speed up. Then do this again after a day or two to get closer to a final shape.

Be prepared for wicked smells. Once the wood is dry this will not be a problem. With this spalted wood, all these attributes are worth the trouble for the amazing color striations you get with it.

If you can, try mounting your blank as a slight angle and turn it out. This puts the grain lines, if you have straight grain in your blank, to an angle to the bowl. This makes for a spectacular show piece when it is done.

Expect distortion up to 25% depending on the size of your blank. The larger it is, the more it will warp. Allow for this percentage when you rough out, leaving plenty of wood to true it up when you finish turn it.

Try not to use course grit papers on oak. If you wind up sanding parallel with the grain, the course grains will dig in easier in-between the wood in the porous water bearing cells and dig them out deeper than the heartier wood cells.

Oak is very stringy, keep a vigilant eye on your turning tools, and maintain a keen edge all the time. Dull tools can produce some very rough surfaces. Remember you want to cut or shave the wood off, not scrape it.

I recommend you never stain this spalted wood. As it seasons and acclimates to the room it is in, it will become warmer and richer in color with a few coats of polyurethane. If you would rather not have the amber effects of polyurethane, use oils or waxes.

If any questions come up from your turning I didn’t cover, be sure to mail me and I will try to answer them. I have a lot of experience with this wood. It is now one of my favorite domestic woods.