I think my spalting experiment paid off big time...

[halfseminole]

So yeah, I've known how to spalt for a while now, but I took on a new challenge, I'll let you guys tell me how I did...  Brace for incoming wall of photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, I'm doing pretty well with getting results. I won't lie, a lot of that other woodpile is the stuff that didn't make the cut, so to speak.  It'll burn just fine.  It always does.

Now I have a question, as I need some help here.  All I have is a chainsaw for most of this, though it is electric and I'm the son of a logger, so I can handle it better than average.  However, that's not a bandsaw, and the thinnest I can cut is 1/4" in solid wood.  I've got two pieces I wonder if they can be cut into laminations as they have blue stain AND spalting, and I have one seven-foot stave roughly four inches in diameter with blue stain and light spalting.  I've got sinew and rawhide on the way to make my own bow, but I have a spalted tree crotch that made the giant round that's got PLENTY of meat for riser blanks.  I'd be willing to give away the lion's share of the riser blanks (as well as any of the spalt that they wanted) for help in sawing it up into laminations and riser blanks so I can have a bow or two (or three, I have plans here) made from wood I harvested and put up myself.  It's been cut for six months or more, it currently in my drying room with the ceiling fan on but I've still not debarked it.  

The reason?  It's chinese privet, except for the giant round.  Supposedly a weed, in China a respected bow wood, and I'm pretty sure nobody (including me) expected it to look that way.

So can anyone point me in the right direction as to what to do now?  I'll post the giant riser blank chunk below this, I have so many pics at the moment...

[halfseminole]

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a LOT of wood there, and I have another piece off the same tree that looks much the same.  It all needs to be sawn properly and I don't know how to do it.  I'm both proud of myself for making this work, and now confused as to how to get to a bow.

[halfseminole]

 

 

 

 

This is the bowstave and the lengths of privet I saved with blue stain and spalting.  I'd love laminations made with the shorter ones, but that once again needs tools I don't have.  Any assistance anyone can provide would be appreciated, and I'm more than glad to trade wood for help if necessary.

[Trapper Rob]

Should make some pretty risers.

[fujimo]

that wood is surely beautiful, my only concern would be that i am sure that spalting is the first signs of rot decay- just wonder if it would be strong enough for risers etc, but bet you would find a good market for it amoungst the wood turners. in a self bow i would be concerned about tension failure in spalted areas on the back, and chrysalling- compression failures around spalted areas on the belly.
maybe some other folk have some input in this regard- just my concerns!beautiful colouration, and certainally has some value in certain circles!!

[canopyboy]

That is some awesome looking wood!  I've got a bunch of spalted maple I milled up seasoning in the barn.  I've thought about it for a bow but come to similar conclusions as fujimo:

Spalting is in fact the first signs of rot.  Some samples I tested seemed to break about 30-50% sooner than some wood samples from the same tree where there was no spalt (out on the branches.)  This wasn't scientific by any means, but makes sense to me.  I think that a  person could make a bow with spalted veneers under glass, but I would make the veneers thin and put a good core material in to try to maximize cast.  As for risers, I think it would depend on the style and weight of the bow.  A lighter draw weight on a fully captured riser (one piece bow, glass up the front and back of riser) without much necking at the grip might work.  Better yet would be to make an I-beam style riser, using the spalted wood on the outside as thin cheek plates.

As for getting it cut and ground into lams for a glass bow, I recommend one of the sponsors.  I've sent wood I've harvested and dried myself to Kenny M.  For a very reasonable price, I got back perfectly bookmatched laminations ground to the thickness and taper I needed.

Good luck, and post some pics once construction begins!

[Bivyhunter]

I've used some pretty heavily spalted maple as limb veneers with good results in the past. I would love to cut that stuff up for you, but shipping costs might be prohibitive.

[Dmaxshawn]

I'm with South above me.  Used it in veneers and once in a riser.  But it was wedged in between 9 pieces of glass and some Koa wood.  It worked.  but I would'nt put it in a heavy weight bow.