# Friends with Woods



## Diver Temple (Jul 10, 2019)

Or should that read "friends with benefits who have trees"

So a coworker has discovered I am turning wood and wants to help me with my addiction. While roaming through his 50 acre forest he found what he thinks is sweet gum that died a few years back. Still standing with most of the limbs falling away, these two burls were still high and dry, well as dry as you can get in NW Florida.

The small one is quite obviously ready for shaping into what it turned into while growing, maybe lidded bowl or hollow form. It's about 12" at the top and about 5 at the bottom with the bark on.

The larger on is about 30X20" with the bark on. The burl under the bark is knobby, not spiky. This will be my first burl cutting from timber to lathe. I don't have a large band saw so I am planning to use a bow saw to waste as little as possible. What is the best way segment this out, with the intent to make several large bowls or hollow vessels? Straight across or split down the middle and then made into blocks? Thank in advance for any and all tips and suggestions.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 4


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Jul 10, 2019)

@Mike1950

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Jul 10, 2019)

A bow saw? Don't you have friends with chainsaws?

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 1


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## William Tanner (Jul 10, 2019)

Nice score. Totally agree with Rocky that this seems to call for a chain saw.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike1950 (Jul 10, 2019)

My guess is what ever you gain in kerf bow saw vs chain saw you will lose in crooked cut.
Gum goes wonky when drying. I have dried it but slow is good. Make cuts to eliminate pith. Not a turner but turn green and leave thick. I think @DKMD has turned gum burl

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Diver Temple (Jul 10, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> A bow saw? Don't you have friends with chainsaws?


I have a chain saw, but I hate making saw dust where unnecessary. After 7 or 8 cuts, that's more than a few pen blanks and/or a shorter bowl/vase etc.  I know, sounds a little over the top on preserving a few inches, but it's not all that big...ask my wife.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## TimR (Jul 10, 2019)

Can’t tell if that burl wraps around, but if not, I’d make a cut to get one big bowl blank from and then plan on dressing it out for mounting to a 6” faceplate and find a big enough lathe and coring rig to get no less than 3 blanks from. That assumes you’re wanting bowls, which I think can show any eye burl really nice if cut as I described.
If you want hollow form blanks, I’d cross cut one end a couple inches into the burl to see how far it goes in, that will hopefully show what next to cut if your blanks will need to run up/down or sideways .
Yea...chainsaw a must. @Mike1950 probably right on keeping cuts straight with bowsaw wouldn’t be much fun.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## Diver Temple (Jul 10, 2019)

TimR said:


> Can’t tell if that burl wraps around, but if not, I’d make a cut to get one big bowl blank from and then plan on dressing it out for mounting to a 6” faceplate and find a big enough lathe and coring rig to get no less than 3 blanks from. That assumes you’re wanting bowls, which I think can show any eye burl really nice if cut as I described.
> If you want hollow form blanks, I’d cross cut one end a couple inches into the burl to see how far it goes in, that will hopefully show what next to cut if your blanks will need to run up/down or sideways .
> Yea...chainsaw a must. @Mike1950 probably right on keeping cuts straight with bowsaw wouldn’t be much fun.


Thanks Tim. I does wrap all the way around. It is about as symmetrical as a burl can get. I will take the advice and use the chain saw, just seems a shame to lose material. I do intend to make some bowls and I want to get a coring tool to maximize the turnings I can get. I appreciate the tips. I am very interested in cutting into this to see what the wood looks like, but I can be patient and not destroy a nice burl. I will start with the small burl which is also a crotch piece, should be interesting! 
~Mo


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## Diver Temple (Jul 10, 2019)

Mike1950 said:


> My guess is what ever you gain in kerf bow saw vs chain saw you will lose in crooked cut.
> Gum goes wonky when drying. I have dried it but slow is good. Make cuts to eliminate pith. Not a turner but turn green and leave thick. I think @DKMD has turned gum burl


Thanks Mike. You make a good point on keeping the cuts straight. I am going to have to think out a plan for what I want to make and cut accordingly. Besides, chainsaws are soooo much faster! LOL

Reactions: Like 1


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## TimR (Jul 10, 2019)

Look forward to seeing what’s inside

I must have stared at a big box elder burl I had years ago for hours thinking thru what I wanted vs what it could likely yield.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Diver Temple (Jul 10, 2019)

TimR said:


> Look forward to seeing what’s inside
> 
> I must have stared at a big box elder burl I had years ago for hours thinking thru what I wanted vs what it could likely yield.


Yeah, for a while I was visualizing a 30" hollow form, then realized how much wood would get wasted and felt ill for a minute...LOL Once I power wash and trim off the solid trunk pieces, I acn get down to business. Come on weekend!! Hurricane turning party!!!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## DKMD (Jul 10, 2019)

Mike1950 said:


> My guess is what ever you gain in kerf bow saw vs chain saw you will lose in crooked cut.
> Gum goes wonky when drying. I have dried it but slow is good. Make cuts to eliminate pith. Not a turner but turn green and leave thick. I think @DKMD has turned gum burl



I’ve turned a little figured sweet gum, but I don’t recall ever having any burl. Looking forward to seeing what’s inside those pieces!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Jul 10, 2019)

You could make the major cuts with the chainsaw, and the lesser cuts with the bowsaw.


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## ripjack13 (Jul 10, 2019)

Maybe something like this?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ironman123 (Jul 10, 2019)

To save you all that thinking of this saw, that saw, cut here, cut there you can send it to me and that should help ease your mind. I mean heck, what are friends for. Just trying to help.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Diver Temple (Jul 11, 2019)

ripjack13 said:


> Maybe something like this?
> View attachment 168537


Actually, I think I am going for something like this...

Reactions: Funny 4


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## ripjack13 (Jul 11, 2019)

Diver Temple said:


> Actually, I think I am going for something like this...
> View attachment 168542



Well then, you have your work "cut" out for you.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Diver Temple (Jul 11, 2019)

Soooo, got of work with a little day light and energy today and had to make some naked wood. Trimmed off and sealed the ends of everything and noticed there is going to be a good bit of spalting but haven't seen anything punky yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Small burl got dosed with ant and bug killer, wrapped in tin foil, and sent to the oven after seeing a small nest of winged itty bitty black ants...wife is not to happy with me expanding into the kitchen, so I bought pizza for dinner...

Reactions: Funny 1 | Way Cool 2 | +Karma 1


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## rocky1 (Jul 11, 2019)

Hopefully it was already cooked and you didn't have to toss it in the oven behind the ants!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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