>
>
> Yep, the black streaks in spalted wood are the result of a fungal
> infestation. The black areas are absolutely loaded with fungal spores. In
> this case, the spores have been shown to cause respiratory problems
> beyond those normally associated with wood dust. The spores can be
> effectively dispersed into the air by sanding or cutting with machine
> tools. Even hand operations such as sanding or sawing can raise a certain
> amount of respirable dust, so in this case some dust protection would
> seem to be called for.

I have to say, Krenov notwithstanding, I find the desirability
of partially-decomposed timber difficult to get my head round. For the
same reason (psycological hang-up?) I find little appeal in burr walnut,
a wood so ludicrously non-sound that you can't even dry it whole.
Even veneer sheets get drying shakes.

Now I KNOW that spalted timber is gonna outlast me. And in any
case most projects are ten times stronger than they need to be.
But I still don't like it.

        BugBear.