Random old burl

[Darryn Achall]

My Aunt gave me a burl. Said she has had it for 20 to 30 years. It's very dry! She says they still have a whole shed full of dry burls from central Alaska. My guess is that it is yellow cedar but I'm not a wood expert. What would you do with this?

 

[Isaac Fisher]

I would run. Very allergic to Alaska yellow cedar. Wish I wasn’t, because it’s really nice to work with.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Spuce Burl ???

 

[Darryn Achall]

Spuce Burl ???

I am leaning towards birch or cedar. It has a slight cedar like smell when cut.

 

[Darryn Achall]

I would run. Very allergic to Alaska yellow cedar. Wish I wasn’t, because it’s really nice to work with.

I have turned some of the local Cedar and as long as I'm wearing the papr it doesn't bother me much. Without the helmet it makes me itchy and bothered a bit.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Spruce Burl ???

This is the most likely species, I looked up yellow cedar and it seams to be a coastal species on the northwest coast of North America rather then central Alaska which I would interpret as being in the interior say around Fairbanks and east into Canada.

 

[Darryn Achall]

It came from an area southwest of Fairbanks. From what I read, the native trees in interior Alaska are white spruce, black spruce, tamarack, paper birch, quakies, and balsam poplar. Birch, poplar, and white spruce are the main commercial woods. After finding some pics of white spruce burls and a video of someone turning a white spruce burl, I would say that is a strong candidate. Thanks Leo and Don. I will put up some images when I get further into the piece.

 

[Darryn Achall]

Seed pot type hollow form made from the first half

 

[robo hippy]

I only got my hands on one piece of Alaskan yellow cedar burl. The smell will almost drive you out of the shop it is so strong. I don't think that is actually burl. There is a 'gall' which makes interesting growths on the outsides of trees. It can appear on spruce and maybe juniper, can't remember. I had a friend who used to make bird houses out of them.

robo hippy

 

[Darryn Achall]

I only got my hands on one piece of Alaskan yellow cedar burl. The smell will almost drive you out of the shop it is so strong. I don't think that is actually burl. There is a 'gall' which makes interesting growths on the outsides of trees. It can appear on spruce and maybe juniper, can't remember. I had a friend who used to make bird houses out of them.

robo hippy

Thanks for the info. Looking at the first picture above. This looks like a young tree with a big growth around it. A gall makes sense.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have always called these burls "Onion Burls" because they do grow similar as a onion with layers, not like the way a normal burl would grow with many growth points, I'll see if I have some pictures that show the difference between these.

OK after lunch and a doctors appointment (will still live for a while they said ) I'm back.

First a couple burls I turned years ago, from discarded log sections at the loggers marshalling yard.



Got these from a video, if you look closely you can see the concentric rings like the layers of a Onion.


the next picture shows the look of a turned Union burl.


And for the 4 picture limit rule, I coupled these 2 pictures that show the outside of a Willow burl and the inside as well.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I have always called these burls "Onion Burls" because they do grow similar as a onion with layers, not like the way a normal burl would grow with many growth points, I'll see if I have some pictures that show the difference between these.

OK after lunch and a doctors appointment (will still live for a while they said ) I'm back.

First a couple burls I turned years ago, from discarded log sections at the loggers marshalling yard.

View attachment 56244

Got these from a video, if you look closely you can see the concentric rings like the layers of a Onion.

View attachment 56246
the next picture shows the look of a turned Union burl.
View attachment 56247

And for the 4 picture limit rule, I coupled these 2 pictures that show the outside of a Willow burl and the inside as well.

View attachment 56248

Here is a white oak onion burl and a plater made from it.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

There is a 'gall' which makes interesting growths on the outsides of trees.

That was my first thought that it looks like the galls on some of the jack pine branches in my neck of the woods but they are a lot smaller maybe up to 2" diameter.