Questions: Spalted Maple Mold

by Bob Woodcock

Originally published in American Lutherie #69, 2002 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013



Mike Collins of Argyle, New York asks:

I just came across some nice spalted maple and made a rosette of it. After I was done, a violin maker told me that you could die from the mold in the wood. Where can I get more information about this?

A few days later, Mike wrote back with this information:

I found a website, www.woodbox.com/data/wood/ that has some information on spalted wood and possible health problems. Here’s an excerpt: “Spalted wood may still contain spores, therefore it should always be worked and sanded only when wearing a good dust mask or respirator, and using a dust collector. There is medical evidence that substances from decaying wood are a health threat, and some allergic reactions and serious lung diseases have been traced to spores and fungi that inhabit rotting wood. The effect on an individual woodworker however depends on his/her natural tolerance to the spores and fungi, since some individuals are more likely to react to environmental toxins than others.”