Difficulty starting Stihl chainsaw

[Rankinswood]

Hi,

The above labelling of "spalting" is not quite correct. What can be seen is a simple white rot in the sap wood.

Spalting takes place in diffuse porous hardwoods like beecn and sycamore where the distinction between heart and sap wood is not so clear and the tree builds an internal barrier against invading pathogens generally seen as a thin black line.

A heartwood oak bench bench could survive outside for centuries as long as it can dry quickly after rain and is not in constant contact with "wet" ground.

Rankinswood

[oldclaypaws]

When I see discolouration of the wood with black and lighter areas, I personally refer to it as spalting, although I agree its usually as you say a reference to a (pleasing to some) effect seen in hardwoods when decaying. I've seen it on Beech particularly, but also Ash, Hazel, Oak and Sycamore. I used to sell a lot of it in my gallery, but it was always for INDOOR use, the wood already being on its way out, and needing to be kept dry or it would fall apart. Heartwood spalting fungi is the same fungus as your 'white rot' but its able to get a hold in the softer sapwood first. Apparently spalting happens in living trees, dead trees, sapwood and heartwood, and its the same fungi at different stages or times. Good explanation here (seems we are both right, Rankinswood).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting

What we all seem to agree is whether you call it spalted or white rot, there are areas in poor davetb's bench that don't look over healthy and are unlikely to make it to the claimed '40 year' life. Resinous conifers like larch or some dense deciduous hardwoods like teak, oak heartwood or Sweet Chestnut have a long outdoor life, untreated deciduous sapwood does not, contrary to the makers claim.

[Wendelspanswick]

I imagine that the manufacturers will disclaim this as part of the natural ageing process of the bench, 'adding character', the sapwood disintegrating but the heartwood persisting so long as it's treated.
Looking at the picture it does seem as though it's only the top and bottom plank edges on the backrest that will be affected.

On a completely different tack this reminds me of a neighbour who employed a new gardener. They went on holiday and when they came back they found that the over zealous gardener had bleached and pressure washed all the garden statuary to remove the moss and lichens! The statutes stood out like a sore thumb, 'gleaming white'. I suggested he smear them with yogurt but all that happened was their Labrador gained a taste for Waitrose's natural yogurt!

[Dave and Verity]

Got this sorted at the weekend. My chainsaw low idle speed had been left totally unset after it's service, 30 seconds with a small scredriver and it's singing again.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Dave