Intro
There has been a lot of recent interest in presentations on spalting for woodturning / woodworking clubs. I have done these types of presentations in the past and will continue to be available for presentations as my schedule allows.
Information needed
I like to tailor the talks for each specific group. If you are interested in a presentation and/or demo, please give me an idea of the level of academic interest in your group. For instance, is your group more interested in the scientific side of spalting, the commercial aspect of spalting, or the hands-on mechanisms of induced spalting? In other words, how much science, how much art, how much craft, and how much technique do you think your group would want?
Time commitment
Most presentations / demos are geared for a typical club meeting, so around 2 hours. I am perfectly willing to create longer sessions if requested, especially as longer sessions allow much more information and technique to be communicated.
Baggage
For talks in provinces / states within which I currently reside, I can bring spalted wood for demo purposes. Upon request, I can also bring typical spalting cultures and / or the items necessary to show inoculation and culturing techniques. Due to laws regarding the transportation of wet wood across state / provincial / country lines, I cannot bring such items with me if I am traveling outside of my geographic region. However, most of these items can easily be purchased locally by the group, and I am happy to work with the resources available.
Handouts, including information on fungal toxicity and culture techniques, can also be provided upon request. Photocopies are the responsibility of the host club.
Associated costs
Due to the time commitment required for such presentations, I do generally ask for my travel / lodging / food expenses to be covered, as well as an honorarium to be provided. Honorariums are based upon the type of presentation / demo required and the length of the presentation, but are generally in the $150 range for a typical evening meeting.
Contact
For questions and / or to check on presentation availability, please e-mail me here.
