# Redwood Burl



## GeorgeS (Jul 12, 2017)

Ok guys, I'm turning my first piece of redwood Burl and I could swear it was supposed to be a dry piece I bought. I've never seen so much sap in a dry piece of wood! My arms are covered in it and it's seeping out of the Burl. Is there any way to dry out the sap by soaking the piece in something or do I just have to set it aside for another year or two!?



 



 

On a side note my shop has never smelled so good. I can almost guarantee that this will be my last piece of this! Never have I ever been this sticky before.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## TimR (Jul 12, 2017)

Well...it depends. If you want to assure you don't get warpage, you'll want to rough turn it, leaving about an inch to 1.5" thick to be safe, and letting sit a year. I've not had to do this with redwood, so hopefully some of the turners on the west coast can speak to best practices.
If you don't mind the warpage, I'd personally leave a generously deep foot, and hollow out part of it, to allow consistent thickness of wood to prevent cracking while drying, and more importantly, to provide some stock for 3 little feet to carve out and remain to sit on.
Beautiful piece of redwood burl, by the way!


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## Mike1950 (Jul 12, 2017)

How thick was it? Dry is a relative term. Really thick pieces are hard to judge. Years and they are not dry in center. Most of the redwood i have dealt with does not have sap but when it does it is loaded.


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## The100road (Jul 12, 2017)

On a side note........... awesome piece of wood!


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## GeorgeS (Jul 13, 2017)

Sorry, wasnt getting notifications. This piece was about 15" x 9" before I split it in half and cut off the cap. The piece I'm working with is about 2-1/2" thick and will be close to the shape I have with about a 6" wide x 1-1/2" deep recess in the middle.

@Mike1950 what happens to the sap as it dries? That which is dry looks yellow in the turned areas. Man there were some spots when I stopped the lathe that were just running out like thick snot, lol!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2017)

I do not know- I have quite a bit of redwood but really have not built with it. the pieces I have had with pitch were small- They made very good fuel... I know with pine they heat it to set the pitch. I have seen pitch running out of a 3' doug fir with bad wind shake. It was a sticky mess.

Reactions: Like 1


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## GeorgeS (Jul 14, 2017)

@Mike1950 I'm thinking I'm gonna throw both pieces I have in the back of my truck and leave them there for the summer. The truck has a black hard cover and I'm sure it would be just like a mini oven in there during the day.

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2017)

GeorgeS said:


> @Mike1950 I'm thinking I'm gonna throw both pieces I have in the back of my truck and leave them there for the summer. The truck has a black hard cover and I'm sure it would be just like a mini oven in there during the day.



I would try that for a day and see if it sets the pitch. Once it sets- if it works that way with redwood and I assume it will. The only thing that will make it run again is a higher temp
Put in a box unless you want mess in truck


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## GeorgeS (Jul 14, 2017)

@Mike1950 Will do, good call on the box!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Karl_TN (Jul 14, 2017)

George, I can't wait to see the end results from that cool looking burl.

Have you considered soaking in DNA and/or boiling to reduce drying time, lessen the chance for cracks and maybe clear up some of that sap? You could do a test run on scrap piece to see if it helps any.


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## GeorgeS (Jul 15, 2017)

@Karl_TN 

That was my main reason for posting. I was trying to see if soaking it would help clear out some of the sap. I haven't heard from anyone who has done that yet so I don't think I want to risk it. I plan to basically bake it in the bed of my truck for a day and see where the moisture content is after that.


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## Mike1950 (Jul 15, 2017)

GeorgeS said:


> @Karl_TN
> 
> That was my main reason for posting. I was trying to see if soaking it would help clear out some of the sap. I haven't heard from anyone who has done that yet so I don't think I want to risk it. I plan to basically bake it in the bed of my truck for a day and see where the moisture content is after that.


If it is really green i would wait till it dries a bit before ya bake

Reactions: Agree 1


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## GeorgeS (Jul 16, 2017)

@Mike1950 I put the meter on it yesterday and the wood is 11%. But the pitch is still runny.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jul 16, 2017)

GeorgeS said:


> @Mike1950 I put the meter on it yesterday and the wood is 11%. But the pitch is still runny.


heat it- I do not think it will stop unless you set the pitch. put it in a black garbage can in the sun- have a thermometer- get it to 130-140. you cannot use like it is....

Reactions: Like 1


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