AAW Articles–1st Quarter, 2021

Tip of the Week:  Smoothing Spalted Woods

Western Washington provides an excellent supply of spalted woods, the two most common being maple and alder. The unique designs that can be revealed with spalted woods, especially the figured maples, has captured me.

Turning spalted wood involves normal techniques up to the sanding step. Then, heavy sanding of the pits and nicks, which are usually accompanied by soft areas, can rapidly take a spalted piece out-of-round.

I sand lightly with 40 grit, then apply a two-part polymer finish called Van Dyke’s. The polymer firms the soft areas, allowing further sanding, and fills the small voids, reducing the amount of sanding otherwise needed. I repeat the process of filling and sanding until I can apply a normal finish over the last thin coat of polymer, which functions as a sealer.