# Advice Needed From You Burl Guys . . .



## Kevin (Apr 30, 2014)

My arborist neighbor down the street called me a few minutes ago and said he brought me a surprise from Dallas. I went down to look and look at what he brought!






It's a cedar elm conk. He called it a conk and he's a real arborist from California so I am not calling it a burl I'm gonna call it a conk. But you burl guys should be able to give me an idea how to slice this monster up. Here's some more pics . . .















I doubt there will be eyes because it has no pins, but as Lee said _"it should have some real nice reaction wood."_ I have to do some minor maintenance on my mill before I can slice this thing up so in the meantime what sage advice do you guys with experience cutting burls up, have for me? Other than send you some we know that's going to be the first piece of advice but other than that should I cut it radially or longitudinally or both?

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 4


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## manbuckwal (Apr 30, 2014)

Heres a Conk link for ya. http://forest.mtu.edu/research/hwbuck/hardwood_defects/conks.html

Does the "Conk" go all the way to a point on the other end ? If so, I would probably take a slice off the point to see what she looks like. That being said, depends on what you want to do with it? If it comes to a point, you might get a cool natural edge bowl blank off the one end? If you're not thinking "boards" , maybe crosscut it in 1/2 or 1/3's and then cut your blanks ?

Reactions: Like 1


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## bench1holio (Apr 30, 2014)

Really depends on what your looking to get out of it...


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## Kevin (Apr 30, 2014)

bench1holio said:


> Really depends on what your looking to get out of it...



The best figured wood I can, I mean, isn't that what we're all after? If not maybe you could emlighten me on what else I might be after other than the best figure.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 30, 2014)

As you know my experience is looking at them after cutting- parallel to trunk gets the eyes and perpendicular gets the rays. but that is burl. Some of the BLM has no spikes but has eyes. ( In fact that looks like some of the BLM burls) I would edge out from pith and see if you get previews of coming attractions. Cool chunk of wood. Ps did you google cedar elm and see any cut examples?

Reactions: Informative 1


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## bench1holio (Apr 30, 2014)

Sorry Kevin, I more meant are you looking to get figured box panels or call blanks or?...
sometimes I get weird swirly burls here that I just cut square to see which face has the figure I like best.
I would be inclined to take a backsawn slice straight from the lump and see what it has to offer...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 30, 2014)

bench1holio said:


> Sorry Kevin, I more meant are you looking to get figured box panels or call blanks or?...
> sometimes I get weird swirly burls here that I just cut square to see which face has the figure I like best.
> I would be inclined to take a backsawn slice straight from the lump and see what it has to offer...




personally I am willing to bet he uses a 30 HP "backsaw" to get some test slices.......... he likes the power!!!!!!!!!!


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## Tclem (Apr 30, 2014)

Are y'all serious I think y'all are scared of Kevin. All these responses and I guess I'll be the first one. He said he knew it was coming so " send me some and I'll practice cutting it " have to have at least one greedy wood hoarder beg for some. Lol. Nice score kevin

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Sprung (May 1, 2014)

Kevin - send Tony some so you can get a turner's perspective on cutting it. Then send me some for a flatworker's perspective.  

Can't wait to see pics of what's hiding inside there! Nice score!


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (May 1, 2014)

It helps to know what you want to do with it before sawing. If you want boards just plain saw it if you want turning blanks study it a bit more to find any defects then saw around those defects to get your blanks. If you want both start by plain sawing with the burl up and get a few boards then you can saw the remaining material into the blanks you want. I can see a few of the "bubbles" (so to speak) are not very well attached to the log portion of the burl so i wouldn't expect those to stay attached. Other than that i don't see any glaring defects that will impact milling in a big way.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Kevin (May 1, 2014)

bench1holio said:


> I would be inclined to take a backsawn slice straight from the lump and see what it has to offer...


That's what I'm thinking also. I also thought about just sawing straight through the middle along the pith of the tree to allow me to see what is in the middle of the reaction wood - that way I can work out from both ways for boards and blanks too. 



Mike1950 said:


> personally I am willing to bet he uses a 30 HP "backsaw" to get some test slices.........\



 Actually a 42HP Turbo charged diesel.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (May 1, 2014)

Kevin said:


> That's what I'm thinking also. I also thought about just sawing straight through the middle along the pith of the tree to allow me to see what is in the middle of the reaction wood - that way I can work out from both ways for boards and blanks too.
> 
> 
> 
> Actually a 42HP Turbo charged diesel.




Sorry- It was just a guess- I knew it was one HELLUVA lot more HP then my "backsaw"


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (May 1, 2014)

The red line here represents the spot i think isn't attached very well. The arrow is a spot where it looks like a crack may go deeper into the burl and may be higher up on the burl if you choose to put the log side down when you start cutting. Some poking into those crevices with a small screw driver may give you an idea on how deep they are.


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## Kevin (May 1, 2014)

It isn't attached well at that point - that shouldn't matter though should it?


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (May 1, 2014)

Kevin said:


> It isn't attached well at that point - that shouldn't matter though should it?


No it shouldn't be a big deal but knowing which direction the crack is going into the burl will help planning your cuts. Try to plan on cutting parallel with the crack if at all possible. Or cut the crack out with a large slab cut so you can see what is up from multiple angles. If it is bad you can always resaw it on the shop bandsaw. I don't have cedar elm in my parts that I am aware of so maybe I am being over cautious. The hardwoods of the Midwest can get nasty cracks that run thru the whole burl when it looks like that on the outside. With out xray vision it is hard to tell for sure. You may remember this oak burl I ran out of screw drivers marking out all the holes, cracks, etc...


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## brown down (May 7, 2014)

kevin all the burls I harvest I cut straight down the pith. I am no burl expert by any means but do have quite a few under my belt. I am sure you know, that most figured wood will be on the outside of the burl. depending on what you plan on cutting this up to be, starting at the pith will "at least for me" allows me to see some of the figure and asses what sizes to cut it to from there.


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## Kevin (Sep 8, 2014)

I finally got around to quartering this thing (actually I had forgotten about it) today. I wasn't disappointed but only because I wasn't expecting much, but I was hopeful. there's no eye burl anywhere. There's some decent figure here, but I don't think I can really sell any of it for much. I told my neighbor I would let him have half the profits if it was any good but he said he wasn't wanting anything. Still, I was going to take him an envelope with half the loot anyway if this did turn out to be a score. 

The red circle represents the trunk and the rest was the 'growth".......



 

 



 



 

I will start to mill it up anyway and see if I can get something good out of it. Has anyone ever made anything with cedar elm?

Reactions: Like 1


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## David Seaba (Sep 8, 2014)

@Kevin 
I could make you and your neighbor a pen out of some of it if you like.
David

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Kevin (Sep 10, 2014)

David Seaba said:


> @Kevin
> I could make you and your neighbor a pen out of some of it if you like.
> David



David that's a really nice gesture. My wife is threatening to do that very thing, but she doesn't like this heat. Let's do this: I will send you a LFRB of this stuff and some dry wood too of other species, and you can make a pen or two for us in case she doesn't get a round to it. The wood woll have to dry it is sopping wet still. If she gets to it before you get one done, we will give hers to my neighbor and I will pocket yours, because I like your pens a lot. I have two but the threads on one of the caps stripped (because I get too rough and in a hurry putting on and taking off) so I need another Seaba backup for my primary Seaba. Sound good?


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## gman2431 (Sep 10, 2014)

Looks really cool where those inclusions are throwing some color into the wood.


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## David Seaba (Sep 10, 2014)

@Kevin 
Sounds good I will make 3 pens that way you your wife and your neighbor all get pens. I'll do them out of the dry wood since the wood is still wet. That way you'll have pens to write with. plus send me the defective pen back and I will fix it also. Still can make a pen out of the wood once it dries.
Does that sound ok?
Thank you
David

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Sep 10, 2014)

David Seaba said:


> @Kevin
> Sounds good I will make 3 pens that way you your wife and your neighbor all get pens. I'll do them out of the dry wood since the wood is still wet. That way you'll have pens to write with. plus send me the defective pen back and I will fix it also. Still can make a pen out of the wood once it dries.
> Does that sound ok?
> Thank you
> David



yes that sounds great I will fix you up with a really nice box. The pen secures fine over the writing end, it just that I stripped the other end where it attaches when writing so it falls off.


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## David Seaba (Sep 10, 2014)

Sounds Great! I have gold or chrome in that style. So just let me know witch flavor you want them to be. 
Thank you again Kevin.
David


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