Can anyone identify this type of burl pattern?

[Furync]

Hi everyone,

I picked up this piece of burl this week-end, first time I ever collected a piece of burl, it was really cool to see the pattern after cutting it for 20 minutes with a buck saw...

I was wondering what kind of pattern it was... it was from a maple, and was only a small chunk. I will be making (read: attempting) a handle with it. I will have enough left for maybe another handle or something for another project...

Anyways, here's the pics:





There are 2 bad spots in the middle, as you can see, but it will not affect how I cut it up.

How long should I let it dry before I can go ahead with my handle project? Tips and suggestions are also very much welcomed!!! I am a newbie with this stuff.

Thanks!!!

 

[PB Wilson]

While burl often grows with variable grain and growth rings, the piece you have is a bit more uniform from the looks of it.

The top pic where you can see the growth rings has a sort of radial pattern.

The bottom pic with the bark inclusions, looks to be cut mostly with end grain showing.

It also appears to be somewhat spalted and looks cool to my eye.

Wax the cut faces and forget about it for a long while (months, maybe a year or longer) or get it stabilized. I'm sure it'll yield some worthy pieces for future knife projects. The problem is that you often can't rush drying of lumber or you'll get lots of checking (cracking) and/or movement after you start working it.