Drying an Oak Burl

[Rick Weaver]

Recently I came across a red oak burl and harvested it. The burl was attached to a tree that had rotted and fallen to the ground where it laid for a number of years. While the tree itself was rotten and crumbling, the burl was rock solid. It was a large burl and altogether weighed 300-400 pounds. We cut the burl in 5 or 6 pieces to get it out of the forest. Within 10 days I had a friend cut the wood into two inch slabs using a gasoline powered band saw. After slabbing the burl, I then cut some of it into 2” x 2” x 18” or so. Some of it I just left in slabs. I coated all the wood with Anchor Seal. Finally to my question: I need to store the burl to dry it but a number of people have told me I made a mistake in coating it with Anchor Seal which will hinder the drying process. Conversely, a few have told me I was correct in coating the slabs in Anchor Seal. Should I sand the Anchor Seal off? I have access to a large drum sander and could get it sanded in a relatively short time. I plan to ultimately store the burl in the attic of my shop. What are your thoughts? Thanks for any help and suggestions you can offer.

 

[soundmind]

I found some good advice on forestry forums. What I found out was only to seal the ends. Seems like if you sealed the whole thing it wouldn't dry. I also cut the pieces way oversize so they wouldn't bend while drying. ( I got away with wide and narrow). I allowed to dry in a cool place, good airflow between the blocks, and away from extreme heat. That's some of the info I found.

The time I allowed to dry and the size I cut were probably overkill, but wanted to be on the safe side. I also think I will have produced more waste than someone with more experience would make. Keep in mind: I've only done three, did it with a handsaw, and had to learn how first, too. I'm happy with my results though. I think the pieces I have will make nice knives.

Good luck and hope you find more info!

 

[Mark Barone]

Interesting. Great find. How about a picture? A windstorm took a hundred year old maple down on our road on town property. I've been eying the burl on it for years. I don't have a chainsaw and wasn't sure if I could take it. But I had an idea and stuck a note to the tree and asked if the town would cut the burl ioff for me and leave behind the pine tree . Sure enough the next day the tree was gone and yup you guessed it , behind the pine tree I found my little note.

 

[Gene Kimmi]

I would caution against storing it in an attic. If it gets too hot before the moisture is down in it, it can cause checking. Oak will check during the drying process, but higher heat can make it worse. Make sure it is in a dust free place also. When it checks, the checks can fill with dust and prevent them from closing up when it's fully dry.

 

[J. Hoffman]

Leave the anchor seal on. On slabs I usually coat the cut part but leave just the center uncoated. When I cut into blocks (4x4 or so) I put the seal on sparingly making sure small areas get left uncoated. The idea is to slow the drying.