yellow box burl

[David Keller]

I've had this chunk of yellow box burl for a while... I finally got tired of staring at it. The finished product is different from my original plan, but a couple of lazy, careless hollowing cuts left me with an opening larger than I intended. I decided to just finish it out. It's about 5 inches in diameter. The wood came from our own Isaac Rapelje... Thanks, Isaac.

Comments and criticism appreciated.

 

[el_d]

Nice shape David. Great wood.

 

[isaacrapelje]

I really like how you used the defect to add to the piece. I use to think the best stuff was defect free now I look for the most defected pieces. Nice work.

 

[louisbry]

Beautiful hollow form David. I like the shape and wood you choose.

 

[Fred]

David, you have made yet another very nice turning. Have you ever tried to fill a void like this piece has with something like a ground mineral for contrast?

 

[PaulDoug]

Very nice job, David.

 

[David Keller]

Thanks to all for kind comments.

David, you have made yet another very nice turning. Have you ever tried to fill a void like this piece has with something like a ground mineral for contrast?

I've filled a few cracks with blackwood dust, and I've used metal powders a time or two. I've never done crushed stone, but it's on the list of things to try at some point. I generally prefer the natural voids to be natural, but there are times when the fillers look really nice.

 

[Russell Eaton]

Dang David you are on a roll, they all look awsome. Keep up the great work. Looks like the hollowing tool is getting some good use.

 

[Glenn McCullough]

nicely done! good shape and piece of wood.

 

[Rangertrek]

Nice hollow form, I like the shape. Wish I could do half a well.

 

[navycop]

Is burl hard to do?? I heard it breaks up under pressure...

 

[David Keller]

Is burl hard to do?? I heard it breaks up under pressure...

I haven't heard that about the box burls, but I'm not an expert on them. I've found most of the Aussie burls to be quite hard and dense, and this one was no exception. I would say this one was a bit softer and easier to work than some of the others I've turned, but it's still a very hard, heavy, dense wood.

Some of the domestic burls like maple and cottonwood can be quite soft especially if they're spalted. I've turned quite a few of them, and I haven't had any break apart yet. I have had issues with tearout of a few of them that required a little extra attention.

I guess burls can be a bit more difficult to turn than straight grained timber, but IMO, they're worth any extra effort required. Give them a try sometime if you're interested.