# Mold... UGH!



## JR Custom Calls (Aug 31, 2014)

I'll start off by saying... I knew better. But, in the hustle and bustle of trying to juggle a full time job, a honey-do list, 3 kids (4 year old son, twin 10 month old daughters), selling wood, and making a few calls here and there, I rushed and just shoved a bunch of fairly wet swirly, burly, ambrosia maple blanks on one of my plywood shelves. Today, as I was cutting a few more, I decided to stack them, rather than having them tossed in a pile. The bottom 15 or so were almost black from mold. 

So... big question here, will the mold go away with them stacked like this and the fan on them (bottom right hand corner by the toolbox)? I need to cut some stickers, as I usually use pen blanks (which I now need), but my biggest concern is salvaging these blanks. The ambrosia figure is like nothing I've seen, and I don't have a tremendous amount left with that kind of figure. 







Thanks!


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## elnino (Aug 31, 2014)

I'm not sure that the mold isn't from the inside out. I think you should be safe but i do know that soft maple tends to grey from the bark in. if you turn a natural edge bowl from it after about 3weeks sitting in log format the rim will be gray in color. So i'm not really sure that maple will remain that bright creamy color that you are trying to get.

I did rough out some big ambrosia blanks and i too notice a lot of mold on a few of them and i'm worried that the mold is more than surface deep. and grey not interesting black lines.

so after all that. I'm thinking you are safe since you took off the bark/milled it up.

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## Schroedc (Aug 31, 2014)

I've had some of that from time to time with wet blanks, Wear a mask, scrape anything off, maybe mist them with a little bleach solution and set in sun to dry. If you can get it dry the mold should stop. But make sure you are using a mask or other breathing protection, some molds can be bad for you. Also- If any of the wood near those blanks is damp at all the mold colonies can migrate. I'd segregate them away from other stuff that is not really dry.

Reactions: Agree 4 | Informative 1


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## Sprung (Aug 31, 2014)

I agree with Colin.

And, as someone who is highly allergic to many types of mold, but especially black mold, I can tell you that it is best to take the precautions he speaks of concerning handling it.


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## JR Custom Calls (Aug 31, 2014)

There's two different colors of mold... Black and white. The white was like glue holding some together. If we get sun tomorrow I'll move them outside and spray with bleach. Thanks!


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 31, 2014)

I have had both kinds of mold on boards that where stacked wet, once they dried out a bit the mold stopped. When I ran the boards through the planer the wood was fine as the mold only seemed to be on the outside. Get it dry, the fan is a good way. Something new that I have also been learning about is an ozone generator, killed the mold in my sons basement and seems to be doing the same in mine.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## DKMD (Aug 31, 2014)

Why not mount them between centers and round them up? It'll get rid of the surface mold, and they'll dry faster. That's what I do with my peppermill blanks. I seal the endgrain with anchor seal after writing the date, dimensions, and wood type on one end.

As an added bonus, I can dead stack the round blanks without spacers, and they still get air circulating through the stacks.

Reactions: Like 3 | Informative 1


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## JR Custom Calls (Aug 31, 2014)

DKMD said:


> Why not mount them between centers and round them up? It'll get rid of the surface mold, and they'll dry faster. That's what I do with my peppermill blanks. I seal the endgrain with anchor seal after writing the date, dimensions, and wood type on one end.
> 
> As an added bonus, I can dead stack the round blanks without spacers, and they still get air circulating through the stacks.



That's a cool idea. Might be the best way to salvage them. Had planned on selling some, but this may be my only option.


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 31, 2014)

JR Custom Calls said:


> That's a cool idea. Might be the best way to salvage them. Had planned on selling some, but this may be my only option.


As soon as you get the surface dry, like with the fan the mold will stop growing. I wouldn't be overly concerned that it is going to ruin your wood.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## JR Custom Calls (Aug 31, 2014)

That is my hope. As humid as my garage is, I wonder if I can stop it without bleach though. Maybe I'll leave it for a couple weeks with just the fan and see what happens. Garage door is open 6+ hours a day


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## JR Parks (Sep 5, 2014)

You should not need the bleach. Sticker them a bit and with the air movement the mold will stop growing as the moisture goes down.I agree with Greg it should not hurt the wood.


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## JR Custom Calls (Sep 5, 2014)

Thanks Jim. They've had the fan going non stop, and I've kept the garage door open as much as possible to allow some circulation. The mold looks to have at least stopped, if not started to go away a bit. Just wish I had taken the time to sticker them in the first place. Definitely won't happen again.


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## ripjack13 (Sep 5, 2014)

http://www.jenesco.com/ozone-generator-danger.htm

@woodtickgreg have you read up on the machine? Be careful...







woodtickgreg said:


> I have had both kinds of mold on boards that where stacked wet, once they dried out a bit the mold stopped. When I ran the boards through the planer the wood was fine as the mold only seemed to be on the outside. Get it dry, the fan is a good way. Something new that I have also been learning about is an ozone generator, killed the mold in my sons basement and seems to be doing the same in mine.


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## Molokai (Sep 6, 2014)

Maybe if you put the wood in deep freezer, it will kill the mold. Just a thought. Never tried myself


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## woodtickgreg (Sep 6, 2014)

ripjack13 said:


> http://www.jenesco.com/ozone-generator-danger.htm
> 
> @woodtickgreg have you read up on the machine? Be careful...


Thanks Marc, yes I have read up on it as advised by my son who is well versed on their use. I only run it for a few hours at night in the basement only. It is on a timer to run on an hour and then off an hour for a 8 hour cycle. I never smell it upstairs and barely smell it downstairs in the basement which is 1,000 sq. ft. It has completely eliminated any smell that lingered after the basement flood. Probably killed all the mold too. But I do appreciate the heads up.

Reactions: Like 1


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## JR Custom Calls (Sep 7, 2014)

The mold is slowly going away. 

Not letting it happen again.

Reactions: Like 2


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## JR Custom Calls (Sep 8, 2014)

Neighbor that I give my cut offs to had asked me to help her get a freezer a while back. Got it home and it didn't work. She said I could have it, so I went and got it tonight. Going to work on a better dehumidification apparatus, but for now I have a gun safe dehumidifier in there. Looking to use this to keep hedge down below our humidity level. Should also help with mold prevention on some wet pieces.

Reactions: Like 2


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