Pink Mold?

What about wrapping it - leather or linen, doesn't matter much.
My 2 cents
Gary

What a pretty piece of spalted. I'm not a cue maker and don't know much about wood, but I'd think staining it a red tone could hide it. May be worth a shot before you throw it away.

Enhance the pink & make a lady's cue? Concept cue.

(Only about 1/3 joking):smile:

smt

Stain it with a color that will hide the pink or make it look tannish brown.

Interesting issue. Forgive me for chiming in as I am not a cue maker. But I know a thing or two about biology...and wood because it is biological.

This is likely a species of genus Fusarium, of which there are many. Some of these species have been weaponized, so make sure you use your respirator when turning. Respect fungi.

I found an interesting example picture that was unidentified. I think it is Fusarium. If you research it you will find some sources that say it is a mold-like bacterium, but it is in fact a fungus as classified by genetics.

Warning, big image: LINK

Beyond that, the color issue is interesting. With the color still so vibrant my concern is that the fungus is still alive. This could perhaps impact the stability of the piece if it's not a stabilized piece.

Wiping it with vinegar or a bleach might help kill it and could subdue the color as well. Merely exposing it to the atmosphere and UV will probably kill it on the surface.

That's the thing that makes spalted wood beautiful, the fungus. That also weakens the wood and makes it less stable, hence the need to core or stabilize the wood.

In this case you don't like the color of the fungus.

The pigments that produce the colors in living organisms are often associated with cellular respiration (energy production). Kill the organism and the color fades as the biological pigments oxidize. We all inherently know this. The gray color of a corpse. The dull colors of death.

I would suggest with each turn to use a swab on it with vinegar or perhaps a bleach. That will kill the organism and dull the color as you turn, perhaps even eliminate it.

A stain would perhaps accomplish the same thing...with the added affect of changing the color of the wood, which is something you did not intend. I believe most stains are oxidizing agents. It will darken the wood....and darken the fungus.

I will be curious to see the progress of this project.

I certainly hope you don't 86 it. It does have the potential to be a beautiful component of a cue and as well presents a challenge to work with an unexpected natural cosmetic variation in the wood.

I see a lot of what you guys do as overcoming challenges. You work with natural materials that have variables that have to be dealt with.

I would love to see you post what you try and the results.

Just my thoughts on what I thought was a fascinating presentation. I do hope to see some follow up on this one. :smile:

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Is this piece stabilized? If so, you are kinda stuck with it and trying to make the rest of the wood the same color. If it's not been stabilized, then Bleach or peroxide should kill it, and as stated above, done every time you take a cut on it. I also REALLY HOPE you have been wearing a respirator while cutting it. Even with dust collection, the fine stuff gets out, and if it hasn't gone thru a heat cycle for stabilizing, there is live fungi/bacteria floating around and a warm, moist lung is a great place for it to make a new home. Be safe...
Dave

JC said:

Yes this wood is stabilized with cactus juice. I cut it on my wall mounted cnc with the cyclone bottom draft running full speed ahead but since it came from Africa you guys are 100% correct to use extreme caution.

I hadn't even considered the idea that it may be still alive. The stabilizing process cooks it to 200 f for about 8 hours in the oven so the temp is reached throughout the wood to harden the cactus juice. Don't know if this temp is fatal to fungi or not. After I stablized the wood I took a light cut and it's been sitting for about a year and I noticed the pink prior to cutting it again but didn't think much about it until I realize it was all the way through. So in a year's time it stayed bright.

I'm still 60 thou oversize so I can try a few things on it. Will post here as it progress'. I've been thinking about it more and this is exactly how nature made this wood so just leaving it pink may not offend many people. I am making this cue for a specific person that I don't know at all so maybe I should just ask them? Seems the adult thing to do.



JC

Click to expand...

Did not note that it was stabilized. I think it is too late for stain but you could still try it. At any rate update on the progress you make.

I was not familiar with pink fungi so my initial thought was this picked up a drop or two of something red when stabilizing it.

Since it is stabilized I am guessing the fungus is dead, but the stabilizing process also stabilized the pigment and "locked it in".

Interesting conundrum....

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