# Burls



## kazuma78 (Jun 14, 2013)

My question is, what is the best way to process and cut burls that are wet or live. I found one about a week ago that was dead and wet but when I cut it into slices the slices warped a bit and the 4 inch square block I cut ended up checking. I recently have been hunting Burls in the vast woods around Fort Benning and have some of my hunting friends on the lookout back in Ohio for them as well. I really appreciate the help in advance! Thanks!


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## TimR (Jun 14, 2013)

Hey Josh, depending on what you're making with them, different approaches....of course right...you knew someone would throw that out. 

Alot will depend on the shape and symmetry of the burl. My best luck has been looking at a near symmetrical burl for example, and thinking how it grew kinda like a plant of its own...maybe like a flower. If you think like that, the best bounty of eyes and unique grain seems to be on the top of the burl. The rays coming down from the 'top' will shine on the sides of this burl too and typically provide a nice amount of curly grain appearance. Either feature is nice to look at. One thing I'll say. Let's say you cut a a perfect hemispherical burl off a tree. To some, the best 'eyes' or burly grain will be making the outside of the burl cap the bottom of a bowl, and that's probably true. The flip side is that if you make the outside of the tree/burl the top of the bowl, you could make a nice natural edge piece with the cap shape, but you may end up with some straighter grain wood at the base/bottom of the bowl.
When the burl is 'random' or hard to figure where it was really growing from...it's a crapshoot for me.


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## DKMD (Jun 14, 2013)

What Tim said!

Some burls are difficult to dry without checking... Cherry burl is one that has given me fits. I'd try to source some Anchorseal or another green wood sealer for those cut blocks to keep them from checking. I'd suggest cutting the pieces oversized if you're wanting to dry them before use due to the warping you experienced. If you're a turner, you can turn them green to a consistent thickness and let them twist and warp.


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## kazuma78 (Jun 15, 2013)

DKMD said:


> What Tim said!
> 
> Some burls are difficult to dry without checking... Cherry burl is one that has given me fits. I'd try to source some Anchorseal or another green wood sealer for those cut blocks to keep them from checking. I'd suggest cutting the pieces oversized if you're wanting to dry them before use due to the warping you experienced. If you're a turner, you can turn them green to a consistent thickness and let them twist and warp.



Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the help! Dave was telling me a bit about Anchorseal, this may be a elementary question but wheres the best place to pick up Anchorseal? And most of the burls I find have a nasty rotten outside on them that I have to cut off before I get to the good wood. Whats the best way to take that off that way the Anchorseal gets directly to the wood?


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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2013)

http://www.uccoatings.com/WebStore

Anchorseal , the original formulation, is available there ^^^. $85.00 for 5gallons.

there's also amazon, woodcraft but they sell anchorseal 2....more watery.

http://www.amazon.com/Anchorseal-Green-Wood-Sealer-Gallon/dp/B003A08DU6

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2080619/29484/anchorseal-2-green-wood-sealer-gallon.aspx


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## DKMD (Jun 15, 2013)

I process anything that I can on the bandsaw just because it's easier for me to control the cut. 

I've bought Anchorseal at Woodcraft, but I just ordered some directly from the UC coatings link above. If you can find a turning club near you, they often buy it in 55 gallon drums and resell it in smaller quantities to members at a significant discount.

There's a fella named Russell Eaton in your area who does a lot of milling and turning... He'd be a good guy to track down.

Edit: that's weird... When I type the word "drums", it does this drums


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## kazuma78 (Jun 15, 2013)

DKMD said:


> There's a fella named Russell Eaton in your area who does a lot of milling and turning... He'd be a good guy to track down.



I shot him a message from his website. He seems like he would be a great resource if he has the time to give some slight instruction to a novice such as myself!


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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2013)

Drums


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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2013)

Ha!!! That's awesome!!


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## Kevin (Jun 15, 2013)

ripjack13 said:


> Ha!!! That's awesome!!



It was an accident. When I uploaded that smiley I forgot to put the colons before and after for the T2R, so anytime someone types the word drum s (without the space) they get the trap set.


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