# Scored some cherry, now I have questions....



## Jim Beam (Oct 23, 2016)

A friend of mine and I cut down a dead cherry tree in his yard. It is about 14" across at the base, and about 10" wide at the other end, five feet up. Several nice crotches. It has been dead 6 years and seemed pretty darn dry.

Is it possible to put it in a shady place, cover with leaves, keep it damp, and try to get it to spalt? Or is it too dry? Never to get damp enough again inside to grow bacteria?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 23, 2016)

I've had cherry I have been trying to spalt for 5 years now. Good luck with that...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## gman2431 (Oct 23, 2016)

NYWoodturner said:


> I've had cherry I have been trying to spalt for 5 years now. Good luck with that...



Seems when they do spalt the sapwood is worthless and the heart doesn't have much.


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## Schroedc (Oct 23, 2016)

I've milled quite a bit of cherry that was in the same places as some maples for the same length of time, nice and damp and shady and all, the maple spalted up the wazoo, all the cherry did was get punky in the sap wood.


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## deltatango (Oct 24, 2016)

Cherry, specifically American Black Cherry, and Wild Cherry have a high tannic acid content, Way more than the white hardwoods which are much more prone to spalt. Tannic acid repels invading fungus, particularly the type that promotes spalting. In order for spalting to occur there must be white rot present, and that's just not going to happen with Cherry.
On the other hand, Cherry is significantly changeable by adding Potassium Dichromate or Potassium Permangenate which will significantly "age" the wood.
The tannic acid in cherry also reacts to a vinegar and steel wool solution, which turns it black. It's known as the"poor man's Ebony".
When it comes to Cherry, about the only thing you can do is alter it chemically. Forget spalting.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3 | Informative 5


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