Burl wood?

[avbill]

A burl is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. This lumpy, abnormal swelling on the tree is known as a burl. Burls yield a very highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty and rarity. Some display an explosion of sorts which causes the grain to grow very erratically, producing "the eye" and it is these burls that are heavily sought after by people.


Ed, within the description above; you will never find a burl that is prefect without cracks. the person needs to understand that law of nature.

 

[wizard]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

 

[The Penguin]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

yeah, like today.

heard to expect temps over 100º today in Houston.

even if that's just the heat index...it's way too early in the summer for that.

 

[Smitty37]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

yeah, like today.

heard to expect temps over 100º today in Houston.

even if that's just the heat index...it's way too early in the summer for that.

Well we're headed for about 95 today here in Delaware...

 

[brownsfn2]

I can't believe that one small piece of wood caused someone to say they will never do business with you again. I guess you certainly do not need someone like that. I will be sure to order an extra piece on my next order to make up for it.

In my limited (1 year) experience I have turned about 25 burls and only one has had a crack large enough to not use the blank. It was all the way through one half of the blank. I cut it in half and used it on a Sierra.

I like the challenge of filling small voids in burls. I usually reserve a small collection of shavings at the start of a peice in case I do need to fill something.

Maybe this guy is new. Keep up the good work Ed!

 

[Justturnin]

I expect it and kind of look for it. Those bark inclusions and what not typically are where the best figure and color are. Like others said, you can fill small ones w/ CA and shavings or the big ones are a golden opportunity to be creative and add some stone or some epoxy w/ color in it to really accent the crack.

 

[louisbry]

I never net a burl I didn't like since they invented worthless wood blanks.

 

[Monty]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

yeah, like today.

heard to expect temps over 100º today in Houston.

even if that's just the heat index...it's way too early in the summer for that.

Well we're headed for about 95 today here in Delaware...

The heat index is supposed to be just over 100*, actual temps in the upper 90's.

 

[Smitty37]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

yeah, like today.

heard to expect temps over 100º today in Houston.

even if that's just the heat index...it's way too early in the summer for that.

Well we're headed for about 95 today here in Delaware...

The heat index is supposed to be just over 100*, actual temps in the upper 90's.

I remember having spent 3 weeks in Houston twice - once in 1970 and the other time in 1971. As I recall the temperture while I was there was hitting well into the 90s and might have been over 100 a couple of times and the humidity was about 150 (we maybe not quite that high). We'd step outside to walk to our cars after work and we were soaked by the time we'd coverd 10 steps...so humid that sweat didn't evaporate at all.

 

[Monty]

This guy does live in another country---a place he called "Texas":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

OK..Ed..LOL... Just tell us who he is..we will revoke his citizenship and have him extradited to "God's Country" for an education on the vicissitudes of Burl wood. LOL...then you can send him back to "Hell's Country" as the heat, as Parson mentioned, should be going through the roof soon.

yeah, like today.

heard to expect temps over 100º today in Houston.

even if that's just the heat index...it's way too early in the summer for that.

Well we're headed for about 95 today here in Delaware...

The heat index is supposed to be just over 100*, actual temps in the upper 90's.

I remember having spent 3 weeks in Houston twice - once in 1970 and the other time in 1971. As I recall the temperture while I was there was hitting well into the 90s and might have been over 100 a couple of times and the humidity was about 150 (we maybe not quite that high). We'd step outside to walk to our cars after work and we were soaked by the time we'd coverd 10 steps...so humid that sweat didn't evaporate at all.

We swim through the air all the time down here. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Haynie]

Expectations are like opinions. Everyone has them. As usual Ed has proven to be a good guy. I don't have a lot of experience with burls but it does not take a genius to know that there is no to tell what is inside.

 

[SDB777]

Burls can have cracks, imbedded bark, dead bugs, and the list goes on. It's just the nature of burls. If their after crotch wood, oh my?

I've sent out a few pieces of burls, and since I haven't heard about them being bad, I guess it was just luck of the pick.




Scott B

 

[mrcook4570]

Any exposed endgrain will be much more susceptible to wood movement than facegrain. Crosscut, angle cut, and burl are more prone to cracking than straight grain. Burl, however, is the easiest to repair and hide the cracks. Or enhance the 'flaw' with a contrasting inlay (such as crushed turquoise).

 

[penhead]

Hey Ed, just for the sake of discussion, those beautiful blanks that you have on your website and say "(Blank pictured above is a representative sample of what you will receive. They have been dampened with DNA to show the figure.)

After reading this thread and learning much about what a burl should look like, what are those pics of the Brown Mallee Burl Blanks, and Honduran Rosewood Burl on your website..???

 

[ed4copies]

Hey Ed, just for the sake of discussion, those beautiful blanks that you have on your website and say "(Blank pictured above is a representative sample of what you will receive. They have been dampened with DNA to show the figure.)

After reading this thread and learning much about what a burl should look like, what are those pics of the Brown Mallee Burl Blanks, and Honduran Rosewood Burl on your website..???

Excellent point, John.

Those pictures were taken of the blanks that were later shipped. Right now, we have no blanks (well, we have some, but they are not as pretty as we like, so they are not for sale.)

That is how we get all our pictures. We grab a few of the first ones out of the box and get them wet and take a picture. Then we count and subtract about ten percent and indicate that's the number available for sale. That way, when we get down to the last blanks we can look to be certain they are still "nice".

Can you suggest a better method?

 

[penhead]

Nope..your business, run it as you fit.

I have not purchased a wooden pen blank in a long time, nor actually have I made a wooden pen in quite some time...but when I first started turning about a decade ago, I use to buy a 'lot' of wood pen blanks off of ebay...and when i bid on a blank by viewing the pictures provided on ebay, and paid for that blank, that is how i expected the blank to look...taking into account the fact that yes, 'some' change should be expected during shipment as it traveled across the country...JMO-YMMV...

Hey Ed, just for the sake of discussion, those beautiful blanks that you have on your website and say "(Blank pictured above is a representative sample of what you will receive. They have been dampened with DNA to show the figure.)

After reading this thread and learning much about what a burl should look like, what are those pics of the Brown Mallee Burl Blanks, and Honduran Rosewood Burl on your website..???

Excellent point, John.

Those pictures were taken of the blanks that were later shipped. Right now, we have no blanks (well, we have some, but they are not as pretty as we like, so they are not for sale.)

That is how we get all our pictures. We grab a few of the first ones out of the box and get them wet and take a picture. Then we count and subtract about ten percent and indicate that's the number available for sale. That way, when we get down to the last blanks we can look to be certain they are still "nice".

Can you suggest a better method?

 

[TellicoTurning]

I got an email today from a person who complained that his burl was cracked.

To ME, burl wood has "character" when it has a very irregular grain pattern, possibly "eyes" and, inherently there are cracks.

What do you all think? Do you expect burls to have flaws? Does it matter what species the burl wood is?

Just looking for input--the email really made me wonder if I am completely out of touch with "wood guys" today.

Thanks for any input!!!
ed

I expect all woods to have cracks... that what CA is for. :biggrin:

 

[edicehouse]

Ed (well both of us) seems like very stand up people. (LOL). I got a few blanks from Ed and his wife (sorry I can not remember her name), well there were some problems with them. I sent a PM hey had these issues, and everyone involved jumped through hoops, even though I didn't ask for them too. It was just a hey I understand things happen, you might notify this person about this. So no complaints about them, but that ying yang Leroy Smitty, I think he comes into my shop at night and somehow causes me to drop a spring or something from my kits, so I can't find them. LOL!

 

[Smitty37]

Ed (well both of us) seems like very stand up people. (LOL). I got a few blanks from Ed and his wife (sorry I can not remember her name), well there were some problems with them. I sent a PM hey had these issues, and everyone involved jumped through hoops, even though I didn't ask for them too. It was just a hey I understand things happen, you might notify this person about this. So no complaints about them, but that ying yang Leroy Smitty, I think he comes into my shop at night and somehow causes me to drop a spring or something from my kits, so I can't find them. LOL!

Look right around the table in my shop where I drop mine and can't find them either......until I see them scooped up by my shop vac.

 

[DestinTurnings]

I recently traded some Lapis Lazuli I have for some items. This is one of the blanks sent to me by Chris Burgess (Justturnin).

It was cracked and had bark inclusions on one end. The other end was clear and perfect burl. Guess which end I picked to make a pen from....

As an FYI, its my carry pen for right now and I just filled all the inclusions with the Lapis.