two hickory explosions.... acid fungus?

[straightarrow]

Two weeks ago I had a hickory explode while tillering for no rhyme or reason. The wood was quick dried in a hot box and that's what I blamed. The wood seemed very light and dry. I guy in mentoring was also working on one. We had it in the hot box for a week at eighty degrees then left out for a week to reclimatize. So yesterday we're tillering.... everything looking spot on and Ka pow!  We instantly examined the break. Hickory Bill noticed the sa pwood looked pourus.... like a sponge. He got on the phone with his dad that was a Forrester. He said it sounded like a acid fungus that attacks the sapwood. Bill took the pieces home for his dad to look at. Can anyone add some insight to this. We have hours into splitting this stuff.... almost a 100 staves worth. He said the heart wood is probably still good....... but what the Heck would we do with it all?

Jon

[Pat B]

I've never heard the term "acid fungus" but I know it does not take long for natural decay to take hold of  dead wood and once you cut the wood it is dead. After all, that is the job of the fungi, to break down natural materials. A lot has to do with how the wood is handled from the stump to the dried bow stave.
 Years ago I was given a hickory log that had been stored in his garage for 2 years. The tree was cut opriginally and it layed on the ground for a week or so before it was squarred up(gonna be used for a mantle) and stored in the garage off the floor. When it was given to me I took it to a friend with a portable saw mill and we cut it into mostly backing strips but a few staves too. The first backing strip I used failed; broke across the grain. The rest of my backing strips and the staves were cut up into kindling.
  I would be interested in what an "acid fungus" is though.

[straightarrow]

Not sure what it is either. Maybe Bill will chime in. The wood was just cut this winter and is green. The tree was very much alive when it was cut

[k-hat]

I had some hackberry do the very same thing.  The whole tree was affected in the outer inch or so of sapwood, so all my staves from it are being chased down to "the good stuff" before i continue.  My tree was cut in May, split shortly thereafter and kept outta the elements.  In fact, the stave that first blew on me had primo treatment.  I can only figure it had been attacked and the damage done before i ever cut it.  Looking back, the outer sapwood looked porous even from the first cut and debarking, but i figured it was the way it was supposed to look since it was my first harvest (of anything, let alone a whitewood).

Does the integrity of the rings get better as you go down to the center? 

[straightarrow]

Yeah.... the rings do seem to get better.. I guess you could try and Chase one.. then back it

[HickoryBill]

The best my Dad could describe it to me is that it is an Acid based fungi that starts deteriorating the sapwood shortly after the wood being cut...Even if the wood is reduced to smaller size.This is apparently a pretty rare fungi now a days but mainly is found in western Pa and into Ohio( The area the wood came from)The fungi is mainly found in the lower sections of a tree.I'm not sure I even totally understand it, but I know one thing, when I looked at the sapwood on the broken bow limbs and they looked like a sponges I knew something was wrong!!!   Best thing I can suggest is to saw off the end of a stave and see if the sapwood looks spongy?I know the tiller was spot on on both bows that broke, and they both broke in VERY similar fashion and for no reason.  I made a cherry bark backed flatbow from a stave from the same tree and didn't have a problem.

[Pat B]

Bill, the only way a hickory bow will break  across the back is if the wood is sick! Healthy hickory would probably bend in half before it would break. Well seasoned, healthy hickory is hard and shiney when worked. Infected hickory has a powdery feel and appearance to it.
 

[straightarrow]

Sad to say but I think the wood at this point only has one use....anyone up for a barbeque ? It's done...... it's definitely infected with something. I looked at a random stave and the rings looked pourus...... looked like a few were good then pourus. Very strange.... the tree was growing in a very deep ravine. I thought it would be good because it had a lot of good moisture but now I'm thinking it had to much moisture?



Jon

[blackhawk]

SUCKORAMA!!!! At least we had fun splittin it all..and theres always plenty more hickory n trees around ya know

Im curious...Jon how long was it down before we got over there to split it?

[straightarrow]

One day.... they cut it on a Friday and we are there Saturday morning

[straightarrow]

Remember how it popped fairly easy..... wonder if that was a sign. Not much of a inter locking grain

[DarkSoul]

Hum...I have to ask this. Don't take it personal...

Are you sure it is hickory?

[HickoryBill]

1000 PERCENT SURE..Pignut Hickory

[straightarrow]

Yep.... for sure ... using some chips to cook with as we speak

[HickoryBill]

LOl me too Jon...Steak....