Wind Shake

[Albert Kiebert]

Turned this piece down to see how much damage was inside from the crack in the first picture and found the grain to be separated, almost like de-laminated. Pretty bad wind shake, while turning it down a couple more spots showed up. Kinda cool to find but it sure ruined a nice chunk of Walnut !

 

[Spinartist]

I did research on "wind shake" & found a few web sites which said that "wind shake" you show above was caused by bacteria not the wind moving the trees.
An experienced woodturner in my area wouldn't take any wood from trees downed by hurricane Irma saying it wasn't safe to work with.

 

[Albert Kiebert]

Lee, Not sure about the bacteria thing, would you expect to see decay or mold of some sort in the affected area?? but trees in my area, Coastal Virginia certainly get a lot of wind action ! Hurrycanes, Nor Easters and Tropical Storms of all kinds visit us on a regular basis, so this particular tree having grown up in a neighborhood in Norfolk surely get some action!!

 

[Mike1950]

Old growth doug fir sticking up above 2nd growth can get wind shake- bad! I have seen it where an 8' stud log just crackles an sap runs out like honey. Elder gets wind shake in this part of the country. Almost impossible to get slab out of most trees.

 

[JR Parks]

Older mesquite is the same way and I would say not not fungus induced but wind.

 

[Spinartist]

I believe it's wind related.

 

[Karl_TN]

@Spinartist, many walnut trees are succumbing to blight so I can understand how this could be bacterial or fungal related. It's been my experience this happens more to Walnut trees than others especially with unhealthy walnut trees. Still I wonder how anyone would know which came first. Did the bacteria take hold because of wind shake damage, or did bacteria make it easier for the wind shake to happen.

@Albert Kiebert, walnut with wind shake damage can have some beautiful coloring so I hope you're able to salvage some of it after cutting out the wind shake out.

 

[gvwp]

Sycamore in our immediate area almost always has wind shake but I clearly attribute it to some kind of force other than wind. Different species of trees growing right next to the Sycamore will be fine. There is a creek running through this area that was called Sulfur Creek. Many years ago before land reclamation in a town about 5 miles from here sulfur flowed into the creek and turned it yellow. Its was common for years up and down the creek. I always though maybe the sulfur had something to do with the shake in the Sycamore but I've seen shake in Sycamore from other locations so the verdict is still out on the cause but the type of shake I see in the Sycamore is not due to wind.