Spaulted wood Mold?

[ber643]

Can anyone tell me how, or what one would use, to kill (or stop) the action of the mold that causes the (beautiful) spaulted woods we love for knife handles, tip overlays, etc., once they are spaulted? (I hope that makes sense  )

[Pat B]

Bernie, You could probably cook the wood in a hot box or even your over to stop(kill) the  fungi from spreading. Also, without moisture the fungi will die or at least go dormant. Maybe even just by sealing the wood will do the trick.     Pat

[ber643]

Thanks, Pat - I think. Geeze, you want me to venture into my wifes kitchen (I don't have a hot box) after she gave you her Turkey Soup recipe? It was bad enough when I used her glass dinning table to heat/bend my bow on   .  I was thinking heat but I was mostly thinking of exposing it to the hot NC sun, if the humidy stayed down for a while - guess that would be pretty spotty though.

[Minuteman]

I think you can stop it like Pat said with heat, by drying it out.
 That some of the stuff I gave you Bernie?

[Pat B]

Bernie, A solar hot box ought to be easy enough to make. Maybe even just a large jar with a lid on it.  Put a few holes in the lid so the moisture can escape. I bet it will get plenty hot enough.      Pat

ps. I learned a lesson the hard way with a glass top table a few years ago.

[ber643]

No, no, Minuteman, the stuff you sent me was fine and good to go. Well, this is fine too but is still active - he did put it in a zip-loc bag though. It is some stuff another generous gent (different forum) sent me from CA - but it's from a tree he just cut down and cut up, and he didn't know much about spaulted wood, besides that other folks would like to have it. He was trading big chunks of it, out there, for stuff he could use but offered to send me some cut scraps. I was tickled to get them too.

That sounds like a good idea, Pat - a glass jar - like making sun-steeped tea, (only without the liquid). Luckily I learned that lesson with the glass table, the easy but graphic way. John Scifres said it made him cringe (which it did me too after reading what he added afterwards), that, by the way, broken glass tables make great knapping material - that was enough of a lesson for me - LOL I've got to get me a longer work bench, or only do one limb at a time!

[mullet]

 Bernie, You could dip it in Vinergar and let it dry. That's how you kill mold in bathrooms before you paint. Bleach will not do it.

[ber643]

That might be a good sort of "Double whammy" to put on that old mold, and vinegar is pretty cheap (or was - LOL). Do a vinegar dip and then the sun jar treatment for drying. Thanks, mullet.

[stickbender]

     Not really sure what it is, but if it is a fungi, try aplying Austrailian Tea tree oil on it.  Make sure it says it is 100% Alternifolia.
It is the strongest over the counter anti fungal, and anti bacterial you can buy . The stuff is amazing.  You read all it can do, and it sounds like snake oil, but it really works.  Also try listerine.  Or just plain alcohol, or bathroom disinfectant.  Used to be a product called Apinol.  Made from turpentine.  Don't know if it was a good anti fungal, or not, but sure worked great on infections.  Havenn't seen or heard of in ages.

                                                              Stick bender

                                                                      Stick Bender