# Burl help



## Molokai (Apr 6, 2013)

Today i decided to go burl hunting for the first time. Here is what i found. 
Oak burl, looks that the first few inches is dry, rotten, infested with ants.
Is this thing worth cutting? Can there be good wood, inside? Dont want to find some killer bees 
My logic tells me not to cut that ,but i am curious by nature 

[attachment=22479]


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## NYWoodturner (Apr 6, 2013)

Wow - I'm like you - I just couldn't resist. I'd hit it with some bug spray and see what comes out. Ants won't be that hard to deal with. Bees would suck. I bet you'll find some nice wood though ~ Scott


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## Mike1950 (Apr 6, 2013)

I do not think you will find both bees and ants in the same chunk of wood. They look at each other as dinner!!! My guess is there is some good wood in there- how much???


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## Kevin (Apr 6, 2013)

I bet the crotch wood would be better than the nurl wood.

.


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## brown down (Apr 6, 2013)

take your saw and lop off a cap from the outer edge!. The white oak burl i took and still have about 15 or so to get had zero bark on it and had darn near no waste. hard to tell in the pics whats punky and what isn't. I don't think i have open a burl up and not found something living in them. ants, worms. but no bees. i almost fell a cherry tree with a hornets attached to it good thing i always look up before sawing!! if you bring it into the house to saw, always have a spray bottle of something that kills all insects  learned that the hard way opening up a cherry burl and ants started coming out all over the place. apparently they weren't happy i was chunking up their home


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## Molokai (Apr 7, 2013)

I just could not let it go. After removing outer layer of punky 2 inch , and 10 types of insects burrowed., ants mostly. 
(I was afraid of hornets because there are lots of hornets nests in that forest).

Curly spalted inside, and bonus, all hard and almost dry.

roughly sanded and sprayed some water to show the beauty

[attachment=22544]


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## Mike1950 (Apr 7, 2013)

VERY nice piece- that will make some nice blanks and I bet it is hard!!!
Don't feel bad -anybody that has worked in the forest has a great respect for hornets- they are very nasty.

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## phinds (Apr 7, 2013)

Very nice piece. That's some great black-line spalting


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## ssgmeader (Apr 7, 2013)

That black spalt line is sweeeet. See like Forest Gump said a burls like a box o chocolates you never know what your gonna get.


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## David Van Asperen (Apr 7, 2013)

Wow what a super surprise inside that tootsie pop.
Dave


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## gvwp (Apr 7, 2013)

Very nice inside. Looked like it was pretty rotton on the outside but its very nice inside! Good find.


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