Burl, burr, knot, or what... or what not?

[Chuck Jones]

I'm not sure I can identify a burl. And I'm not sure I know how to approach working with one if I did. I have 10-15 "things" similar to this one that I've saved from hickory, oak, walnut, etc. that I was sawing (just because someone told me I should). But frankly I haven't had any astounding success with any of them.

 

[Mjonesrdg]

Shoulder wound?

Chuck,

The photo reminds me of the 'bumps' on trees that we call shoulder wounds...the place where a branch (usually a dead branch) was broken off of the trunk. The growth is how the tree heals the vulnerable open "wound".

If that is what I see, and if it like the ones I have tried, they will usually have a punky or rotten pith that runs clear through it and would require some real creative ideas to get something out of them.

Mike Jones

 

[Barbara Gill]

For some reason these are called cat faces; I never have been able to see the cat. They are not burls.

A burl looks like a tumor on the tree trunk or limb. Burls can either be the stereotypical eyed type or layered (onion) type. the latter will often fall apart.

Burls can be very small or weigh tons.

Do a Google search and I am sure many pictures will show up. Here is one:
http://natlands.typepad.com/from_the_field_mariton/2005/12/tree_burls.html

 

[Steve Worcester]

Do a Google search and I am sure many pictures will show up. Here is one:
http://natlands.typepad.com/from_the_field_mariton/2005/12/tree_burls.html

The burl is in the top left of that page. The picture on the bottom right, of the flooring, is not burl wood.

What the burl looks like on the tree though is pretty accurate. The underlying figure is going to be the true crap shoot, even in the same species or the same tree. Some burls will be really tight figured, with little eyes, some swirly grain, and some just all rotten.

 

[MichaelMouse]

A burl looks like a tumor on the tree trunk or limb. Burls can either be the stereotypical eyed type or layered (onion) type. the latter will often fall apart.

Pretty good description of burls. They are some sort of unrestrained growth, like a cancer. Since branch buds normally originate at the pith, they're even in the wrong place.

The eyes have it for burls, blisters and overgrown branch roots (layers) are swirls.

EDIT "Burr" seems to be British/Australian for burl.

 

[georgetroy]

I call them spurs. Walnut shown here is my favorite wood. These faces are great for the top lids of small boxes. If it has soft spots cut to one side of those. It's fun to book match these for different looks. Pieces should be dry before using as box lid inserts. So save the spurs. Another thought. Use for the base of displays on turnings and carvings. Del Stubbs from one of his classes at Arrowmount showed me how to do this 20 years ago.