Knowledge os burls?

[stonepecker]

Good evening everyone.
I recieved 2 burls from someone local in Minnesota. The first one cut like a dream. 20 minutes from start to finish. While I thought it was a little long.....not to bad.
However, the second burl seems to be made of something a chainsaw can't cut. I have shapened the blade. Kept the weight off the saw. Even have started comming around the end. After 2 hours, I am barely into the wood the thickness of the bar. At this rate, I have another 8 hours of cutting.

I understand different woods mean differen hardness. But has anyone had something like this happen to them and what did you do to get it cut through?

Thanks for the help.

 

[robutacion]

Good evening everyone.
I recieved 2 burls from someone local in Minnesota. The first one cut like a dream. 20 minutes from start to finish. While I thought it was a little long.....not to bad.
However, the second burl seems to be made of something a chainsaw can't cut. I have shapened the blade. Kept the weight off the saw. Even have started comming around the end. After 2 hours, I am barely into the wood the thickness of the bar. At this rate, I have another 8 hours of cutting.

I understand different woods mean differen hardness. But has anyone had something like this happen to them and what did you do to get it cut through?

Thanks for the help.

Well, pics of the burl would allows us to try identify it and therefore, help you out.

I have not yet handle a burl that I couldn't cut with the chainsaw or bandsaw however, I experienced some that were definitely a "tough nut the crack" blunting anything in no time but, the culprit was the hard mineral that grow in the burl that dry like stones, you may got one of those...!

Yes, I'm trying to remember the name of them but I can't, this was a long time ago and was a small burl (less than 1 square foot), it has lots of cracks is light in colour and the hard crystals grow in the cracks...!

Cheers
George

 

[plantman]

I have run across several burls and a few straight woods that have chewed up chain saw and bandsaw blades in the past. But, as George said, it's not always the woods, but often the materials found inside the woods. Being from WI and having many of the same trees as MN. I can say two of the toughest ones I have come across were a Smooth Bark Hickory, and a Sand Cherry Burl. The Hickory took three chains and burned out the clutch on my chainsaw. The Cherry took two chains off the saw, two blades off my bandsaw, and filled the shop with smoke. Other woods that have been hard to cut on a table saw are Purple Heart (lots of smoke), African Rosewood (realy tough on blades and smokes), and the Ironwood I use for my plane bottoms (smoke and sparks). Usualy it is the grit found in the wood, or the mineral deposits that dull your equipment. I am sure that there are others out there that have had their share of problems with other woods. What did I do ?? Swore a lot, burned the hickory, and the Cherry is still sitting out in the rain. Jim S

 

[ed4copies]

Wayne,

As you know I don't care much for carbide tools.

HOWEVER, when the bone is tough, the carbide comes out. I have seen very difficult maple burls, but mammoth ivory and animal bone are the "regulars" for carbide treatment.

I have read that carbide is not as sharp as a well sharpened HSS===someday maybe I will learn to sharpen---right now, carbide cuts tough stuff.

FWIW,
Ed

 

[plantman]

Wayne,

As you know I don't care much for carbide tools.

HOWEVER, when the bone is tough, the carbide comes out. I have seen very difficult maple burls, but mammoth ivory and animal bone are the "regulars" for carbide treatment.

I have read that carbide is not as sharp as a well sharpened HSS===someday maybe I will learn to sharpen---right now, carbide cuts tough stuff.

FWIW,
Ed

That is true ED. It's due to the molecular structure of Carbide verses steel. HSS can be sharpened to a mirror finish that will shave hair off your face or arms. Carbide's molecuar makeup is designed for strength and long lasting effect, but can't be as keenly sharpened like steal. Jim S

 

[ed4copies]

My hypothesis is that HSS will lose it's edge in seconds, when turning bone or other dense materials. The carbide may not be as sharp, but it keeps whatever edge it has.

Also, carbides are scrapers. The angle of contact is less demanding than the angle of a skew (my tool of choice).

Experience tells me this works. So, I repeat it.

Ed

 

[Swagopenturner]

Is the burl small enough to fit through a band saw? If it is, try a carbide blade. Nothing beats them. Rocks, steel fence posts, nails, all get cut with carbide blades. They are more expensive, but you can have them resharpened many times. And the finish of the cut is MUCH smoother than any other blade.

 

[NittanyLion]

I've had this happen on occasion. The last was a root burl on the edge of a creek. After tearing up my chainsaw, bandsaw, and skew, I found the problem. Sand, crushed rock, and silt was found all through the burl. Every spring the high water would engulf the burl and silt from the creek wiuld wash into the burl. Over the years, pockets of silt/sand formed inside because the burl grew arojnd these pockets.

Check yoyr burl for signs of this.....

 

[SteveG]

Years back, when I was gainfully (??) employed, I would some times encounter tasks calling for attention, but that were a PITA, or otherwise unlikeable. For these, I had a special place: my desk, right side, bottom drawer. This was the "Too Hard Drawer". Things could go in there, but NOT come out, except for a semi-annual cleaning, i.e. straight to the trash. :tongue:

May I suggest you deal with this situation in a similar manner!

 

[KenV]

Any chance it was a root ball -- the so called "root burl". Rock, dirt and other good stuff abound in those -- but some nice grain and colors too.

 

[stonepecker]

This is only the 4th burl I have ever had. No Way is it getting the best of me.

To big for my bandsaw. Talked with a tree trimmer/logger friend of mine. He says he has "THE Chainsaw" for the job. We will find out tomorrow when he comes over. One thought did come to mind......what about a splitter? But then I got to thinking that it wouldn't cut but would follow the 'grain' of the wood. Not really what I wanted.

I did talk to the person that I got it from. He says it is 'cherry burl'.....says he has more but hasn't had time to cut any yet. I can hard;y wait to see what is inside.

 

[NittanyLion]

I cut a lot of cherry burl. Occasionally I get one that is really loaded up with sap - oozing out one side in particular. It can really gum up your saw blade. You can easily see in in the bark, as it makes bark removal pretty much impossible.

 

[robutacion]

Oh yeah...! do I know about "dirty" woods...???
Digging stuff from below ground, tend to come served with sand, soil, hard minerals, embedded glass, metals and god knows what else I've found, well, the chainsaw or bandsaw blades did, first and not all "spark" damn things.!

George

 

[SDB777]

Sparks?
Chainsaws are fun, and yes they do make a carbide chain loop(but you'll never see me use one). I'd toss the thing, if a chainsaw isn't making a dent! Can only imagine what kind of a time you'll have spinning the dang thing on a lathe?



Scott (write it off, or give it away) B

 

[robutacion]

Sparks?
Chainsaws are fun, and yes they do make a carbide chain loop(but you'll never see me use one). I'd toss the thing, if a chainsaw isn't making a dent! Can only imagine what kind of a time you'll have spinning the dang thing on a lathe?



Scott (write it off, or give it away) B

Oh yes, they do, and the last time I believed it could be of help, was many moons ago when I decided to invest nearly $500 for 1 x 18" carbide tipped chain, against the $20 a normal one would cost.

I done everything as the manufacturer recommended, including keep it submerged in chain oil, when not in use...!

I was only trying to remove a large root ball 4' underground that still had some nasty roots holding it after a couple of days of hand digging and blunting a dozen of normal chains and I didn't have any chances to get any machinery near by to help getting the damn thing out.

Anyway, I come home early in the day that day, after working with the chainsaw and new special chain, for as long as I could, in the end, and when I had a good look at the chain, 1/3 of the teeth were no longer there and the other 2/3 had the tungsten tip broken to bits or totally rounded, so one use and $500 down the drain...!

Yes, I did get it out in the end, don't ask me how, that would be another hour of writing, lets just say that, I wanted that "bastard" the one way or the other, and the reason for all the trouble is up here called "Blue metal stone", embedded in the damn thing, everywhere...!

Cheers
George