burls

[ely]

when sawing burls, what is the best way to do it. saw them as if you were sawing the log or set them up and crosscut them. also what do you make out of them, what thickness do you saw and any other stupid question you fellas think i may ask next.

reason i ask is i heard of folks sawing them really thin like veneer and glueing them on other wood for a table top. sounds cool but how practical is it really.

[Larry]

Two kinds of burl...onion skin and eye burl.  Onion skin can be attractive ranking with crotch wood...but it can't compare to eye burl.  Don't know if there is a proper way to saw it...not enough experience to give a good opinion...I saw it by the seat of my pants and hope for the best.  How thick you saw depends a lot on the species.

Think the biggest problem is keeping the "eyes" from popping after sawn.

[Kedwards]

I will post a picture of me sawing a 2400 lbs Big Leaf Maple burl. I have sawn both methods and the best way is the same way you saw a log.

[Ernie]

Does anyone know what causes burls to form and is there any way to induce them to grow?

It could be a way to increase forest value over the long term.

[Larry]

Did quite a bit of research on the internet few years ago to see what I could learn about burls...lot of speculation but very few facts.  Eye burls are formed by the rapid growth of buds...that's obvious...but the trigger???  Onion burls may be the result of an injury to the tree.

I know one thing...if I knew what caused a burl I wouldn't tell.  Good burl sells by the pound or piece...not the board foot.

[Ernie]

Aw c'mon Larry, you could tell me, I live at the other end of the world ;D ;D

[Frank_Pender]

You got it Larry on the selling.  I get $2.00 a lb. for my Western Big Leaf Maple.   I purchased an Oscar 36 last March to slab the burl for my customers.  The saw has all but payed for itself.

[iain]

Found this baby at the weekend






iain

[OneWithWood]

Looks like a nice find, Iain.

Pretty interesting tree also  ;)

[Modat22]

Found this baby at the weekend






iain

That one looks like a it was caused by a vine or something. I see really nice burls in a fence row where barbed wire grew into the tree 60 or so years ago. I'm thinking about getting one from the owner but I'm sure theres wire still in it.

[Timburr]

Iain, if you are after that one, make sure you OK it with the Tree Spirit first or.....

[iain]

I'm not after it untill its time




    iain

[Gilman]

Onion Burl,
I have one and have halved it to take a look inside.  I didn't know they existed until I got this one.

Any good uses for onion burl?  How do you prefer to cut them?

thanks

[Larry]

The onion skin burls that I have sawn have all been ball shaped with maximum diameter running from around 18" up to 40".  The best use I have seen so far has been for round table tops with a natural edge.  Really something unusual.  They warp some when drying so cut extra thick.  I haven't had one crack yet...unlike a disc that you would crosscut from a tree.

[Ironwood]

Well, Onion burl if diced boils down to .............Just kidding. Cut the onoins thick as stated and if the dishes start to crack away flood with epoxy when fully dry and sand off the excess. This will freeze the cracking and make them structurally sound.


   As to Causation, even the scientist don't really know. Any stress, insect/ injury/ or disease can cause burling but on a cellular level (from what I have found) they don't know.  Hence they cannot replicate the process with any certainty in a lab setting. I love it when nature wins!!!

                 REID

[Frank_Pender]

I had one brought in a few days ago that is very unusual, a Dogwood burl from the stump.  The block measures about 36" one way and  26" the other, all natural edge and about 4 inches thick.