Spalted maple

Maple carrying fungal staining and dark boundary lines, which make a one-off decorative pattern.

Spalting happens when certain fungi colonise dead wood and deposit dark pigment along the boundaries of their territory, leaving bands and streaks that no finish can imitate. It is a stage of decay, so affected wood is softer and weaker than sound maple, and a spalted board is only useful once it has been stabilised, usually by soaking it in resin under vacuum. It is commonly described as tonally unremarkable, since the material has already lost stiffness, and it is chosen for how it looks. Pieces are unpredictable, often punky in places, and costly for their strength.

Example: A spalted maple cap looks unlike anything else on the wall, but the same board is too soft to use unstabilised in a neck.

typical use: Thin decorative caps and small inlays, stabilised before use.

Spalted maple

See also