Flame Box Elder information

[aag562]

I am a THE virgin and have never seen it in person until a recent trip to local mill. I bought 3 boards that were very rough cut and when I brought them back yo the shop and cleaned them up I was pleasantly surprised by the colors, grain formation and swirls. I believe that some of what I'm seeing is the beginning stages of burl formation but I'm still a newbie army this so this is why I'm posting some pictures and someone might be able to answer a few questions.
1. Is the orange gold streams something that is less desirable than the red or does that even matter?
2. On the close up that is the beginning of burl format right?
3. Is this a good representation ofFBE ? And at $20 a board is that somrthing worth going back and picking up a couple more?.


Also any other information about the that you think would be helpful would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

This is curl .

This is burl. It is not a beginning formation. Your sawyer just ripped burl and tree together. Depending how much burl area and how thick these are as to how badly you want more.
The red flame is stress related and this type often fades a bit as it dries. I have a tree full of this laying in my yard waiting to mill.
Curl gains value when it is tight together (6 or more curls per inch and going a ways through the board. This curl adds interest to the board but in itself is not valuable.
If you can get a few slab/exterior cuts with bug damage for those prices they will do you very well indeed, but I am not seeing any bug evidence in these boards.
The red will all fade with sunshine so protect anything you make out of it with a uv finish to retain color longer. - notice I said longer-
There are uses for stabilized and dyed burl sections. Look up box elder burl on here to see some uses.

In conclusion, only you can determine what a particular board is worth based on your use or what you think you may use it for. I have some box elder that I have sat on for 5 years plus trying to decide what to make from it. Still dont know. Still sitting on it cause it's cool and I dont run into a lot of it.

 

[aag562]

Thank you so much for sheding some light on Flame Box Elder. I have so so much to learn still, the only regret I have about taking on this new hobby of mine was not picking it up many, many years ago, being a restaurant owner you become a slave to your business. I found these two pieces at a local live edge lumber yard, I believe that they bought this log already pre-sliced. The owners were not there that day and their employee had sold me 3 slices not knowing that they were not for sale I found out yesterday when I called to inquire about purchasing more.

So basically no matter what finish and care l take from keeping it out of the sun I take the colors will fade out? I was planning on making a table with the big pieces and some cuffing boards with what is left. Now I'm not sure. I don't want to make something that is only last a few years.
I do appreciate you taking the time from your day to help me out. You added a couple more wrinkles on this old brain of mine.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

I made smaller items like jewelry box and a bench for the foot of the bed. With a good uv coating , you can get years of use, just be aware it will fade over time. A sanding will reveal the color again, but that means a fresh finish as well.
Tables look awesome and with the burl detail, it will still be very interesting even after it fades. I reccomend making what the wood wants to be and putting a good coat of uv finish on it call it done. If you see a table, you wont be terribly happy with anything but a table. I know. I have a chunk that I have been carving slowly into a chair because that is what it was when I first saw the block of wood. It would have been much easier to slice into table tops, but then I would have seen them as the tables that ruined my chair!

 

[aag562]

I'm still silly over epoxy and wood. As soon as I saw the 2 boards with their bulging burl bumps, the curls you pointed out the brilliant hot pink and orange streaks I knew that it probably would have been better served by cutting differently but it is what it is so why not show off all of it together. I'm still at 35% moisture so the wood and i have time to talk about it. As you pointed out the only thing missing from these boards is signs if insects. The bark is firmly attached right now with your experience with this will it stay this way or loisen with drying.

 

[Lou Currier]

I'm still silly over epoxy and wood. As soon as I saw the 2 boards with their bulging burl bumps, the curls you pointed out the brilliant hot pink and orange streaks I knew that it probably would have been better served by cutting differently but it is what it is so why not show off all of it together. I'm still at 35% moisture so the wood and i have time to talk about it. As you pointed out the only thing missing from these boards is signs if insects. The bark is firmly attached right now with your experience with this will it stay this way or loisen with drying.

If it is still drying make sure you seal the ends.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

I'm still silly over epoxy and wood. As soon as I saw the 2 boards with their bulging burl bumps, the curls you pointed out the brilliant hot pink and orange streaks I knew that it probably would have been better served by cutting differently but it is what it is so why not show off all of it together. I'm still at 35% moisture so the wood and i have time to talk about it. As you pointed out the only thing missing from these boards is signs if insects. The bark is firmly attached right now with your experience with this will it stay this way or loisen with drying.

That will depend on when it was cut. Trees cut late summer to early winter tend to keep bark for me. Trees from late winter to early summer when the sap transporting layer is soaking wet, will tend to slip the bark as it dries. I have occasionally re attached bark with 60 second epoxy to keep a certain look that a certain female acquaintance wanted

 

[phinds]

@aag562 you might find this interesting:
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/box elder.htm

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

@aag562 you might find this interesting:
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/box elder.htm

It is definitely easy on the eyes along with having nformation . That is a page I found a couple years before I joined here. Lots of info as always.