Burl

[elect1960]

I have a piece of burl that I cut off a white burch tree.( The tree fell down last year) Im not sure what to do with it to get it ready to make pens with. It is about the size of a basketball. Do I cut it into pen blank size and dry it then stabalize it? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I imagine it will need stabilizing of some kind.
Birch rots pretty quickly once it hits the ground.

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by cteaglesc
<br />I imagine it will need stabilizing of some kind.
Birch rots pretty quickly once it hits the ground.

Is this the kinder, gentler Eagle?
Missed you guy, I count on your innovations for inspiration.

 

[DCBluesman]

I would definitely cut it first. You may find some spots that are just lost. Cut it just a bit oversized for the pen styles you want to make. You will lose some size to drying. You will also be able to tell if it needs stabilizing by how is cuts. If it's to punky and you are impressed with what's inside, stabilize it.

 

[jwoodwright]

I have some Alaskan Birch that I stored inside for a year. It was cut into slabs and ends covered in wax. Seems pretty dried and ready to become blanks. The stack was "stickered" and the garage is heated.[8D]

 

[elect1960]

Ok How do i stabilize it? I looked in the how to pages and I have a vacuum Pump and can make a chamber. would I use the same stuff he used in his tutorial? or is there something else I can use? I read somewhere that you can use acetone and plexiglass? Is this correct and if it is what would be the measurements?

 

[ctEaglesc]

For your first batch I would get Bondo "Rotted Wood hardner" from Lowes.
$7.00 a pint.
You can get an idea of the consistency.
(Viscosity)
After that just put some plexi in some acetone,it will be syrupy,dilute with acetone to get a similar consistancy to the bondo.

 

[wayneis]

Good Luck, I was talking to BB the other night and we were talking about this topic. BB had just cut a large quanity of burl and it all but four blanks blew up into exotic firewood. Because burl wood is bought and sold by the pound, those were pretty expensive blanks.

Everything that I have read says that you should cut pretty large(oversize) besides the blanks will warp and twist and shrink as they are drying. Even if they are dry now they wwon't be when you stabilize them.

Wayne