[TheForge] Re: Spalted wood

[Dan Hayes]

The word has been around a long time:

Oxford Universal Dictionary, 1955 edition:
Spalt, verb, in dialect use, earliest known occurrence 1733 [probably
adaptive of Dutch or Flemish "spalte" = German spalzen, related to spald,
verb, transitive and intransitive, To split, tear, splinter.


Webster's 1913 Dictionary:
n. 1. (Metal.) Spelter. 
a. 1. Liable to break or split; brittle; as, spalt timber. 
 2. Heedless; clumsy; pert; saucy. 
v. t. & i. 1. To split off; to cleave off, as chips from a piece of timber,
with an ax.


-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Spencer
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 2:06 PM
To: munlaw2 at hcsmail.com
Cc: theforge at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [TheForge] Re: Spalted wood


> I didn't see my answer Re: the origin of the term "spalted wood" on
> "Theforge". Did you get it? 

Yup.  As I received it, it was flagged with "[TheForge]" in the
Subject: line  but had no CC to theforge at mailman.qth.net.

> If so, could you forward with an answer to Theforge?

Sure.

In another message, Ron C wrote:

    Mike,

    I met an older gentleman by the name of lindquist back in the '80's who
    claimed he started calling it "spalted" wood. The story is that he was
    having a discussion with an old man of, I believe, Scandinavian descent
    about the wood the old man was using for his turnings. Mr. Lindquist
    remarked the wood looked rotten to which the old man angrily replied,
"Is
    not rotten, is spoilt"! Mr. Lindquist called it "spalted" and it caught
on.

    Ron C

Interesting.  I'm going to forward that snippet to the woodworker
friend from whom I first heard the word and see what he says.


Tnx,
- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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