A gifted burl - How to take best advantage…

[Lou Jacobs]

A buddy from my forestry school days just gifted me with an awesome sugar maple burl. He cut it a few months ago, coated the cut edge with paint, and we were finally able to get together yesterday for the transfer. Overall, the burl is about 32” x 15”. It grew in a sort of two lobed shape, so my preliminary plan is to divide the two pieces and go from there, seeing if it looks like bowls, hollow forms, or a mix, as I’m sure (as confident as I can be) that there will also be several small offcuts that may suggest other uses. I’ve laid two discs, 13” and 10” on what I think should be my first two pieces. I’d love to hear any suggestions and comment before I make an irreversible cut.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Definitely divide it. And then send me either one!

 

[Richard Coers]

Do a search, this comes up all the time.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Do a search, this comes up all the time

I’m sorry if you think I’m repeating an old question. I was really trying to ask specific to THIS burl.

 

[Webb Willmott]

Split and see what’s inside. Inquiring minds minds want to know.

 

[Phil Hamel]

I would split it where your thinking and then reevaluate from there. Looks like you could get quite a few bowls or hollow forms out of that depending on the insides.

 

[John K Jordan]

It grew in a sort of two lobed shape, so my preliminary plan is to divide the two pieces and go from there

Your plan seems reasonable. I find it difficult or impossible to evaluate many chunks of wood from the outslde. The best I can do is make a guess at where to make the first cut, taking into consideration obvious external cracks, voids, decay, etc., and imagine the what figure might be inside based on clues from the bark and from the wood exposed when the chunk was cut from the tree.

The kinds of things I turn can make a big difference. I’m not always a fan of finished pieces with large ragged voids so one strategy I sometimes use to make the first cut is with the goal of leaving the largest pieces, evaluate, and repeat. Since I rarely turn green, I often cut up the wood with long-term successful drying in mind, watching for obvious pith and unstable juvenile wood. I also like to turn small things which makes it easier.

Even with no obvious hints on the outside, be prepared for disappointment when you see what’s inside! Sometimes what looks like a great burl from the outside has very little figure inside - it certainly doesn’t look like it with that piece but even a broken limb can have healing growth around that seems burl-like but is not. It will be interesting to see photos of what you see inside!

Also note that if you can’t get too it quickly, you can preserve the wood indefinitely by submersing it in water, perhaps in a 55 gal drum - called “ponding”. Just change the water occasionally. That’s also good after sectioning to preserving one part while working with another.

JKJ

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Thanks for your thoughts Webb, Phil and John. Pending a few other commitments, I do hope to at least open it up this weekend. I will certainly post what is revealed.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

So far I’m very excited about the burl. I opened it up and it is very solid. A bit of spalting on parts of the outer edges where it was dead, but still solid. I’ve cut one blank round on the bandsaw, 11” in diameter. For the larger piece I’ll wait until I can put it on the lathe and see what the best orientation will be. To be continued…