Spalting Does Not Weaken a Blank Evenly

Spalting is produced by wood-colonizing fungi. Its black zone lines may border wood that remains firm or wood that has already become soft and porous, so appearance alone cannot reveal the blank’s strength.

Practical takeaway: Probe suspicious areas before turning thin walls. Stabilize small soft patches with a suitable consolidant before the final cuts, but reject blanks whose mounting area or structural sections have become deeply punky.