Spalted Maple Tray

A few weeks ago Brian & I walked into the curling club and saw this slab of spalted maple leaning against the wall.  Brian loves when people approach him with logs, burls and interesting wood and ask him if he can do anything with them.

When the dead limb of the maple tree in Deane's back yard fell, it was cut into pieces.  Most were stacked for firewood but this one was set aside because of the interesting, contrasting colours of the decaying heartwood. As wood sits in damp conditions, an organic process occurs where dark lines run though the material.  The spalting process ceases when the wood is dried.

Brian wasn't sure if the maple slab could be turned, as the decaying process may have been too far along but he attached the circular faceplate and screwed it onto the lathe.

As the maple slab rotated on the lathe, Brian used a very sharp gouge to shave away the layers of wood and establish the final shape of the bottom and top of the platter.  The centre was a bit soft but with careful, thin shaving and buffing, a smooth finish was achieved. 

The first application of oil is always fun because the contrasting colours and spalting in the wood become very evident.  The oil is applied on the lathe as the tray rotates to evenly coat the surface and allow the heat of the friction to force the oil deep into the wood.

The bottom of the tray is very distinctive with a small round base and contrasting colours.  Many coats of oil were applied with time for them to dry between applications.  This establishes a very durable, food-safe finish.

Deane and Wendy were amazed with the beauty of the finished tray.  They do a lot of entertaining and look forward to serving cheese and crackers on the platter made from the branch of their backyard maple tree.