Any burl turners on the forum?

[Dune]

A tree company dumped a load of wood in my yard. There are about twenty nice cherry burls. This stuff was cut a year ago.
Should I save the burls? I have a big lathe (26 inch swing).
How should I store/cure them for bowl turning?
My other thought is that I could make some nice knife handles.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Thistle]

A tree company dumped a load of wood in my yard. There are about twenty nice cherry burls. This stuff was cut a year ago.
Should I save the burls? I have a big lathe (26 inch swing).
How should I store/cure them for bowl turning?
My other thought is that I could make some nice knife handles.

Thanks for any input.

If they are solid & not hollow (one way to check is make a couple test cuts - 1 on each side) cut them in slabs from 2 to 4 inches thick,trim the 4 sides cleanly & seal them very quickly with old latex paint,blackjack roofing tar or best option - A commercial waterbased wax emulsion sealer such as Anchorseal Green Wood Sealer.Also can usually get a good clue checking if its hollow by the sound of tapping something like a metal rod or wooden stick against the sides.

Store them in a ventilated area,that gets some airflow,but out of direct sunlight and/or real strong winds.Its a crapshoot even then.Burls are very unpredictable when drying,even a normally more 'stable' wood such as Black Cherry.Be patient,dont rush things & watch them occasionally to check their progress.

If nice they could bring decent cash on Ebay or Craigslist.I sell some of my extra stuff occasionally to bring in extra money & clear out room (for more wood haha)

 

[Jags]

I have no input for you Dune, but I am subscribing to this thread do to interest.

 

[Dune]

Thanks. So, peel the bark? Can I store them in my basement for curing? Cutting them into thin slabs would preclude bowl making no?

 

[Thistle]

Thanks. So, peel the bark? Can I store them in my basement for curing? Cutting them into thin slabs would preclude bowl making no?

You can peel the bark,but I'd leave it alone for now if its still fairly tight.Saves having to use more sealer (its around$25/gallon,covers up to 200 sq feet). Depends on how 'thin' you mean.2 inch rough can make some nice smaller bowls, 1 1/2 inch or so say by 10-12 inch round can be nice platters.I wouldnt cut them any less than 2 inches thick starting out though.You need some there to allow for shrinkage & in case you change your mind regarding a design change and/or removing defects later.'



In your basement is fine long as there's no moisture issues. I have semi-heated garage/shop in next room,its underneath 90 yr old stucco/brick house w/ walkout basement.Almost 2/3rds of my wood is stored there.The rest outside under cover & inside storage shed because of limited space indoors.