Fresh Burls

[Burl Source]

A quick note: this wood is not for sale. It will be quite a while before it is dry. Then off to K&G for stabilizing. Just wanted to show some photos of what I am up to. The dog was not really cutting the burl. She needs a lot more training before I am willing to let her cut the good stuff.

Winter time is usually when the burl hunters bring in burl.
Most of our burl comes from guys who work for tree services or are cutting firewood.
These just got pressure washed. They are mostly side burls that are sliced off the trunk like trimming away a branch.

Sometimes we get people bringing stuff that don't have a clue and butcher the trees. The 2 bottom pieces came from a property owner who butchered the wood. I wanted to pay him not to cut wood. Fortunately it was from trees on his own property and the rest was getting used for firewood. These 2 pieces were messed up for most uses but I will still be able to salvage some good handle blocks. The big one is going to yield a bunch of very good blocks. So next thing to do is cut these up into blocks and put them into the drying room.

 

[severtecher]

Mark, exactly how fun is your job? Seems like treasure hunting every day.

 

[Burl Source]

Treasure hunting is a good way to describe things. My part here is fun.
But the hourly wage employees.....we work them like dogs.

 

[Burl Source]

Finished cutting these 3 burls today. Now into the drying room.

 

[Burl Source]

It will be quite a while before this batch is dry, then off to K&G for stabilizing.
With most burl I like to work with the fresh, whole burl so I can have more control over the look.
I cut almost all of these so the faces of the blocks would be parallel to the outer surface of the burl.
This way of cutting produces a lot more waste but I think the look is more than worth the loss.
My thinking is that it is better to have a few really good looking pieces than several mediocre looking ones.

These photos give an idea of the look you get when the blocks are cut with the faces parallel to the outer surface of the burl.
This photo shows the outer surface. Note the pins and bubbled areas.

Now the cut surface. When cut parallel to the outer surface the figure looks very similar. The eyes are what we see as pins on the outer surface and the rounded shapes are the bubble like areas surrounding the pins.

If I was cutting blocks from pre-cut slabs or blocks like you get on ebay or specialty wood suppliers I would only get a couple if any with optimal burl figure like this. Too often they are cutting for volume because that is what makes the most sense from an accountant's point of view.

A while back I read some advice to knife makers about sanding belts. "Use them like they are free".
I liked that. So when I cut whole burls I cut it like it was free doing whatever it takes to get the look I want.
I can't do that with everything but I will when I can.

 

[carbonsteel928]

Mark is that an APBT that I see hanging on your bandsaw?

 

[Phil Dwyer]

Cool stuff Mark!

Maybe you could turn some of that into something like these? I still dream of making up some camouflage hunter sets.

Aloha, Phil

 

[Salem Straub]

OOOOoooo, I don't always like dyed burl, but when I do, it looks like that! Nice, Phil. Cool thread, Mark!

 

[ron_m80]

You should check out Westwood in California. All the trees have cancer there.

 

[tryppyr]

If you are really into burls and you happen to be in southern Oregon, you should pay a visit to the place Mark works. The stuff they throw into the discard bins will drop your jaws. I bought several of the burl caps they had in the bargain bin. My wife made me use the best two to make yard art (place the cap on top of a short log piece and you have a durable mushroom... an idea we got at It's A Burl). One of the others has been hanging on my wall since our first visit to the place. I suppose the rest are dry enough by now that I could cut them up and get them stabilized... but I like them as they are.

After all, there's more to fresh burls than future knife handles.

 

[ron_m80]

If you are really into burls and you happen to be in southern Oregon, you should pay a visit to the place Mark works. The stuff they throw into the discard bins will drop your jaws. I bought several of the burl caps they had in the bargain bin. My wife made me use the best two to make yard art (place the cap on top of a short log piece and you have a durable mushroom... an idea we got at It's A Burl). One of the others has been hanging on my wall since our first visit to the place. I suppose the rest are dry enough by now that I could cut them up and get them stabilized... but I like them as they are.

After all, there's more to fresh burls than future knife handles.

I think I have been there, I just didn't know it at the time.

 

[tattooedfreak]

If we find a burl (and are allowed to cut it) what is the best way to cut it off the tree if it is possible to do so without killing the tree?

 

[Burl Source]

If we find a burl (and are allowed to cut it) what is the best way to cut it off the tree if it is possible to do so without killing the tree?

Just slice it off like a limb. The best figure many times starts to fade when it gets to the trunk area of the tree.
Keep your eyes open for Box Elder Burl, or Manitoba Maple in Canadian.