Green / Turquoise Oak...

[Braidsta]

Afternoon all,

Just over on the DIY section and I was admiring Fraxinus's work with the repurposed Brown Oak boards. The brown colouring is the result of a fungal infection. This reminded me...

I did a bit of research but can't get the right results back, I'm not after greenwood oak, nor oak stained green. I recently saw a video from MCQBushcraft where he shows a piece of oak that has a turquoisey / greenish tinged mould running through it. Looked quite fragile but he mentions setting in oil gives good results, apparently furniture can be made from it. It is beautiful and I'd like to have a go at carving some - it's a long shot, but does anyone know where to buy some? I could go looking but it's more something I'll keep eye out for in the woods rather than searching for it, it doesn't seem to be commonly found.

Any anecdotes or stories from anyone who's worked with some would be most welcome too

Thanks

Brady

 

[Braidsta]

Just in case anyone might find it interesting, I managed to ID it.

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/jul2008.html

(taken from linked site, completely their credit...)
"Woodworkers have prized Chlorociboria-stained wood for centuries. Dr. Robert Blanchette at the University of Minnesota showed that 14th and 15th century Renaissance Italian craftsmen used the wood to provide the green colors in their intricate inlaid intarsia designs. Using electron microscopy, he was able to show that green-colored wooden splinters taken from the Italian artwork were identical to Chlorociboria-colonized wood obtained in modern northern Minnesota. Click here for more of these beautiful inlaid wood pictures. In the 18th century, English woodworkers in the town of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, started using small splinters and veneers of the green-stained wood to form highly detailed pictures of animals, flowers, local landscapes, and geometric designs, which were often inset into the lids of small wooden boxes. These antiques are called "Tunbridge ware" and are very valuable today"

Beautiful, though the more I read, the less hopeful I am of carving anything out of it. It seems I misunderstood the furniture making part - I'd imagined bluey-green chairs and coffee tables, but it looks like it was used mostly for inlays.

A couple pics, again credited to the above site...






Thanks all

Brady

 

[Harvestman]

The fungus isn't all that common, and I've only ever seen it on small bits of wood, which probably explains its use in inlay rather than full sized pieces. I think the fungus grows on fallen wood, so you tend to find it on little branch sized bits rather than the log in your picture.

If a bit is encounteredit still would make a nice trinket carving. You could do worse than to find out if there is a local fungus-recording group in your area, and ask them to keep any bits they find for you, since they are the most likely people to see it.

Oddly enough, I had a bit in my hand last month on a fungus recording day, but the walk leader kept the piece.

 

[Harvestman]

Here's a link that might help you find a local group
http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/mycology/recording-network/groups/

 

[Braidsta]

Thanks very much, I'll be reading the site with interest mate.