Burl

JAWilliams

JAWilliams

KNIFEMAKER
Ok all of you wood nuts. I just came across a treasure. My brother in law was cutting down a tree in his front yard. Well let me tell you it had burls and burl caps all over it. My question is should I cut it up and get it dried or cut it up and have it stabilized. I will have pics by Wednesday of the pile I got. It is oak by the way. Really looking forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks,

James
 
I'm not the authority on the subject, but I'm pretty sure you have to dry it in order to get it stabilized. Others who know more will probably chime in.

Oak burl is beautiful. Let's see some pics when you can!!
 
Hi James,
If you have a bunch and want to sell some to help pay for stabilizing costs you can sell some to wood turners, they will turn bowls and such from this and love to turn it while it is "green". As far as drying for scales, I believe it will need to be fully dry for stabilizing and that will probably take at least 10-12 months air-drying and it would probably be a good idea to seal the raw cuts to reduce checking from drying too fast. Looking forward to those pictures when you get 'em. Hope you are feeling well!
Take care,
Bruce
 
The rule of thumb for drying is one year per inch of thickness. This can vary slightly, depending on climate and species.

Seal any end grain to help minimize cracking and checking while the wood dries.

If you do cut it up into blocks be sure to oversize them to allow for the shrinking that will occur as the wood dries.

One way to speed up the drying process while minimizing cracking is to boil the wood for a few hours. You can find instructions on the web.

Good luck and congrats on your find.
 
Thanks everyone. Well it might be a couple of years till I get to work it. But I will have burl for a while after that.
 
it needs to be waxed or treated in some way to slow down the drying process, otherwise it will check so bad it will be worthless.
you can also boil pieces of the burl while it is still green.
this is a reliable method as long as it has not been left to dry for a day or two.
you must boil it while it is freshly cut.
hope this helps
buzz
 
Hmm, never heard of the Boiling Process before. Interesting.

But it has to be les than 10% Moisture Content before it can be stabilized, which you should absolutely do. 2thumbs

Post some pics, please!
 
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