White oak burl

[srwtlc]

Here's one for ScottP ;)

Had a tornado come through some of my property and while logging it out, we found a nice sized white oak burl.

Any suggestions on slicing it up? Maybe one bowl shaped piece and the rest slabbed. That's if it's sound internally.

[scottp55]

Hey Scott:)
NICE "Ball"!!
Here are 2 articles that came in handiest for me, both for Steve to cut down that one Oak,and me for deciding how to cut the smallest burl...right up to second largest.
The biggest one has yet to be cut.

https://philholtan.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/how-to-harvest-and-sell-burls/

https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/wood-figure/how-to-find-pearls-in-burls

I a rush right now, but will post some pics tomorrow.
Mine had some adventuresome insect burrowers, and then I learned the "fissures" can sometimes go deep.
Hopefully yours has Tight bark inclusions(or none:)
More later,
scott

[scottp55]

Scott,
Think most of my rambling and pics are on this thread;
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?24837-BURL-advice-needed/page3

If I think of anything else(or find more pics not on that thread) I'll write.
Basically seal it as soon as you cut it off with usual(Sealcote60/Anchorseal/almost anything to keep pith from cracking.
Once you start cutting into it...skimming and sanding to 600 slows it down a bit, and my 80/20 Linseed/beeswax worked as well(maybe better than anchorseal).
The burl itself shrinks WAY faster than the pith, so seal well! 600G Burl as it dried created some pleasing tactile effects:)
That December 22'nd cut has left the bark on tighter than a tick though:(
Mostly it's just been drying in the house..and the largest uncut one has been cooking in the greenhouse.
Not quite sure what they all want to be yet....though smallest one with a shallow bowl cut...Mom wants for some reason:)
scott

[scottp55]

Blew up your pic Scott....and been staring at it for hours, and then looking at my wet cut burls....
All I can say is Steve was right when he said when it comes to burls "all bets are off" :(

Can say that burl exposed closest to bark looks the most like "Burl" in W Oak and dries more uniformly.
Burl I cut down the center of pith is pretty for small stuff, but shrinkage on center of cut line is Wildly different, and very prone to cracking.

Most stable cuts were at 90 degrees to tree growth(and probably how I'll cut my last 13" burl.."Cookie" fashion using the "fissures" as my cut line).
BUT none my stuff approached that size! Take a look at the shrinkage pic in 11 months in the house. Not sure about a full length log slab.
Notice how the bark side 100% burl skim stay virtually flat as it dried!
Be interested in what your Woodmizer guy says.

Why do you think I asked for advice:)
Hope pics are of some help,but you're kinda on your own friend! :)
(BIG help..Huh?) :)
scott

[scottp55]

Scott,
Did you ever cut into that?
Or just sealed the whole thing until you decide?
scott

[srwtlc]

Hey Scott, thanks for all the info! It was just taken to the sawmill earlier this week, along with a bunch of other large white oak logs, and will likely sit there for some time before they get to it. There were quit a few nice large white oaks and I decided to have a bunch of them quarter-sawn. It will be a while. I'll have a talk with the Amish guy before he cuts it up to see what he thinks too.

I like those branch inclusion pieces, be nice if I could get a few large pieces like that out of it.

[scottp55]

Ah...Amish Sawyer:)
Best thing Dad ever did when he bought hardwood from an Amish Gentleman upcountry, was to tell Jonas to pick the 1,500bf of Cherry,Walnut/Maple himself "We trust you Jonas".
4/4 was more like 5/4.....and when I showed Jonas some of the finished Figured Walnut pieces...he said "I Gave you That?" while making a "I'm Crazy" motion at his head:)

What was diameter of that burl anyways?
All I had to go on was that Paper Birch(?) in pic background(which I guesstimated at 4-6").
Show pics when cut please?

Oh....stuck a fourth coat of Linseed/Beeswax "Butter" on mine yesterday, but tested the exposed bark sections with my thumbnail first. Could still dent it with thumbnail,but very firm pressure was needed. All bark inclusions in the burl section are still tight, and thumbnail didn't make a dent. Interesting was that all burl pieces didn't float in water....if a lot of pith, then Barely floated.
I had tried to soak in water for 1-3 days..and then freeze...hoping a freeze-refreeze would loosen bark...NOPE!
Hardwood spud, and steel spud didn't either.

Be interested in what yours looks like when surfaced.
My last burl will probably probably be cut wet bowl shaped, and then let Nature do it's thing.
The ones I cut flat/wet are just too interesting a surface now for me to cut a large section out:(
scott