A Wood Question Not Related to Lutherie

[Eugene Coldrick]

Greetings: I have been recently splitting firewood. Every now and then I would come across a log that was starting to go spongy in the middle, usually had a yellow/orange tinge to it and it would smell divine. Almost like a cross between lavender and roses. Any idea what is causing this? My wife and I would spend minutes huffing the stuff.

It was usually logs that were over 12" diameter so I don't think it was poplar, most likely maple.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Eugene

[Steve Graves]

Spalting which is usually associated with Maple is the result of three different fungus. The three different fungus need heat, water and the wood to live on. They eat through the soft layers depositing their feces behind them in a red, green and or black trail. Thus spalting the wood. Usually they begin in a piece of living but dying tree. Watch what you are breathing when it comes to fungi and dying wood.

[Chuck Tweedy]

They eat through the soft layers depositing their feces behind them in ...

Nice image, but you make it sound like fungi move and poo.
Really, fungus grows and expands the colony of living fungi cells though the soft layers of the wood, and leave behind their waste products and dead fungi cells.

[Tom Clift]

I seem to recall that Chuck is our resident fungus expert.

[Steve Graves]

Correct you are Chuck. I am a visual learner and most of us are. Just trying to give a mental image. All living creatures move. Cell division is a form of movement requiring new space and leaving a footprint of some kind.

[Eugene Coldrick]

So fungus causes the spalting. Got that. Now, has anyone encountered spalting that smells divine? So strong that you can smell it 10 feet away.

[David King]

Ambergris anyone?

Eugene. Was the wood hardwood or softwood? Species?

[Darrel Friesen]

Ambergris anyone?

Eugene. Was the wood hardwood or softwood? Species?

What do sperm whales have to do with spalting?

[Bob Hammond]

So there's a fungus among us?

Eugene, Steve has cautioned you about breathing in the 'bouquet'. There may be significant hazards, but likely there may not be. If you're overall healthy,there may be no problem whatsoever. However fungal diseases can be very difficult to treat, and fungal spores are often very very durable (months, years, decades, centuries?). I know an infectious disease doctor, and I'll ask him if he knows of any particular dangers of wood fungi that might be between common and uncommon. I'm not trying to scare you (or myself), but I'd be interested to know a bit more.

[Bob Hammond]

Eugene, I didn't talk to the doc, but I did a little bit of research after reading an article in the New England Journal of Medicine about a fungal infection (cutaneous blastomycosis) in a man's skin/beard that probably started in his lungs after inhaling an organism that is common in decomposing organic matter such as wood, leaves, etc. The field is called 'medical mycology', and it may be difficult to diagnose or treat such diseases. In this, tuberculosis was suspected at first, and the patient underwent months of treatment until the correct diagnosis was reached.

There is information from several sources about kiln drying to sterilize wood, and here is a USDA tidbit about kiln drying that might be generally interesting: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/ ... pter07.pdf

If I were you, I would avoid handling pieces, or breathing dust of, woods that are punky like that; it's just not worth it. I certainly would not take it into my house under any circumstances. If you wanted to use it for a project, baking at 150F or higher should kill off the fungus and any bug infestations.

[Steve Senseney]

Most of the serious fungal infections in humans occur with a few organisms which can cause skin or sometimes lung disease, and rarely meningitis.

There are thousands of varitites of fungus growing in soil, and they are part of the process which cause biologic materials to degrade (rot away).

There are "opportunisitic" infections with unusual organisms which occur in immune compromised individuals. These are people with HIV infection, certain malignancies, or taking medicines for transplant rejection, or treatment for cancer.

We are constantly surrounded by fungus. You shower or bathtub probably have fungus growing. Your houseplants, some of your food products which are fresh probably have fungus on them. When you eat mushrooms, you are ingesting fungus.

All soils have fungus, any wood which has some decay or rot of any sort has some fungus.

I would avoid any saw dust in your lungs as a good health principle.

I would not be overly concerned with fungal infections.