Just given a big maple burl!

bennyb

bennyb

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Starting knifemaking has also unexpectedly started me on another hobbie/interest of wood working and appreciation. Of course the purpose of the wood to be mainly used in knife handles. So I knew that my brother knew a guy who was a tree trimmer and I asked him if he could look out for some maple or walnut burls. He asked the guy, and the guy said "we come across those once in a while and just throw them in the woodchipper" and he would save some for me if he found some nice ones. I said if he did I would make him a knife one of these days (when I get a bit more experience).
This is what my brother dropped off at my house today. Must weigh at least 100 lbs. 40-50 lbs of which is burl. Nice and solid, fresh cut. Should I let it sit all winter before I cut into it or does it not really matter. Appreciate any input from "wood enthusiasts" (that sounds kinda bad) out there!
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Awesome Score!
I believe you gotta store in a cool dry place to let it season. You'll want to paint the ends to help prevent cracks.

Jason
 
Very nice! Let it sit out somewhere dry and cool for a while (6 - 12 months), with both ends painted, and you'll have some excellent material.
 
i'm seasoning some fresh walnut right now too.

i didn't seal my ends (and may well regret it) but so far i've only seen shallow end checking. i know that some woods don't need to be end sealed, but i have been lead to believe most will benefit (and season a bit slower) with it.

that piece is beautiful. that's the sort of character that causes birdseyeing, no?
 
Several people mentioned painting the ends. What type of paint is the best to use for this? Will regular indoor wall paint (acrylic) be ok?
 
When it comes to drying wood, I'm of the opinion that longer and slower is better. If it were me, I'd paint the ends and leave it in a well ventilated area and let it dry for at least a year before cutting it. Actually, I'd wait longer than that...

The trick will be to cut it in a way that maximizes the burl effect and minimizes waste. It will also need to be properly stabilized as it is both porous and weak for use as a knife handle. If it were me, I'd pay someone to process it for me who had experience. Someone like Burl Source for the cutting and WSSI for the stabilizing come to mind.
 
It would probably cost me $200 to send it to Mark to have him cut it up for me, considering shipping both ways, plus whatever he would charge. I will most likely get them stabilized though. I live close to woodlab and they seem very knowledgeable and experienced. And they only charge 7$/lb. I will probably cut it in half at my work on a big bandsaw. I should probably ask Mark from the Burl source for advice.:)
 
You can seal the cut end with latex paint but there are other specific products out there. I harvested two large black walnut trees, had them sawn into boards, sealed the ends with leftover latex and the ends suffered very little end checking. The more figured pieces with internal stresses did crack a bit, but not nearly as bad as the unsealed pieces left in the firewood pile.

You could cut it into oversized slabs, seal all the cut parts and cut your drying time a bit.

Best of luck.
 
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