Spalting is a natural phenomena that occurs in wood as a result of fungus and micro organisms; it is the start of a process of biodegrading. So, why is it considered so sought after? And why doesn’t it cause a problem for the integrity of the pieces that are made from it?
In answer to why it is sought after - see the picture above. Spalting creates striking and beautiful patterns that bring intense character and nature’s creative flair to what might otherwise be a simple object. Many types of wood can become spalted, but we most commonly see and use it when it has occurred in Scottish beech. At Highwood Furniture we love it the most for some of our smaller items where the intricate detail that can be seen in the spalting effect can be fully appreciated. We have pictured some earrings and a bottle opener, but we have also used it for handles of pizza cutters, bottle stoppers, and serving boards. Not all that long ago we also used it in a beech table top that was created from Scottish Beech with various features - with different segments showing off spalting, as well as the classic and vibrant “flamed” effect that Beech can also show.
And in terms of why it doesn’t cause a problem for the integrity of a piece, this is all about timing. We have definitely rejected and burned spalted timber when it has gone too far along this process to be useful in a project. However, once the timber has been fully dried out the spalting process stops and the wood remains in the state it is in - which means it can be used for pieces that will offer a lifetime of natural art. It is possible to use other techniques such as stabilising resin to maintain the structural integrity of the wood. This isn’t a technique that we tend to use, certainly not in any great extend. Our approach is to choose the best quality natural materials that we can whenever we can. And our log burner gets to use the timber that doesn’t make the grade. On the flip side of that though is the wood that finds itself in the log basket, only to be sent back to the workshop for a project. The earrings pictured for example, were once a chopped log in the log basket, cut from a branch that had been over-hanging our garden. How it got that far I will never know, but it was far too pretty not to become something to be appreciated for years to come.
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