Birch burl

[The_cutting_edge]

Hi guys. just got back from my anual hunting trip. and while out pounding the trails way back in the middle of nowhere I found a huge birch burl. I mean this thing is massive took 2 guys to turf it in the back of the truck. has to be well over 100 lbs. didnt have room in the car to bring it home yet bet it's safe in the back shed out at the in-law's farm for now. I'll snap some pix of it next weekend when we go out. I cant wait untill I can slice that baby up and see what I got. any of you guys use birch burl? any pix?

 

[Hengelo_77]

Birch is used a lot for traditional Scandinavian Puukko's
It takes a nice spalting as well

 

[Dmitry.M]

You may need to dry it in one piece if you don't know how to deal with it. It is prone to warp and check especialy in small pieces. Could have a lot of voids and defects inside.

 

[tryppyr]

Curb your desire to "slice it up". That would be a big mistake. What you want to do now is SEAL it up (both sides) and let it sit for at LEAST a year... longer is better. Cut it now and you will have nothing useful.

 

[The_cutting_edge]

I know i need to let it dry b4 I cut into it I'll have it sealed with latex paint on each end and once it gets home I'll put it down in the crawl space where it can cure untill it's ready to make me some knife handles

 

[The_cutting_edge]

just got back from the farm. brought my burl home with me here's pix as promised.


The tree this burl was on is over 9" across. got out the bathroom scale and it weighs 137 lbs +/- 1lbs I dont have a tape that I can get around the girth of the burl but I'm 6'2" and I can not get my arms around it.