How much does Oak Burl cost?

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Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Oct 6, 2008
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Tennessee City, TN
One of my oxygen patients ask me today if I would be interested in buying an oak burl log. He said the burl is about 18-20 inches in diameter and he cut the log 1 foot above and 1 foot below the burl and wanted to know what I would give for it. So i'm trying to find out how much this is worth. I dont want to rip him off and I dont want to get ripped off.
Do any of you know what this may be worth without seeing it?
 
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A reasonable price for normal burl (not wild) red oak is about $6 a board foot. It can go to $15 a board foot. If you sell it as blanks, it can go for $3-$7 a blank. Having said all that, usually a big piece like that would be sold by the pound and I am NO help, there.

All these are retail in MY area, when they are available. Wholesale would be significantly cheaper. The difference is called "Profit"
 
well cutting like that should help you not lose any wood to checking. So if you cut it off, seal it up QUICK
 
Also remember that Ed's board foot price is probably for boards that are already cut, not in log form. When buying logs, you also buy them by the BF but the price is a lot less then by the board in BF since the sawyer has added value by cutting it up.

If you buy by the BF, in case you don't know, Board Foot is a volume measurement. One board foot is 144 cubic inches.
 
I have bought whole Oak burls anywhere from $20.00 to $500.00.
After you buy a couple that are worthless you kinda watch them real close.
Just because it's a burl doesn't mean that there is anything there you can use.
You really don't know what you getting untill you cut it up.
 
I bought an oak burl awhile back that weighed 100 pounds wet for $100. I thought it was a good deal and got some nice looking blanks out of it. I still have a bunch of it left.
 
I pay @ a dollar a pound for cherry and maple burl. That seems pretty normal for US woods. I would imagine there are cases where the price would go higher for something less common. As Gary said, though, buying uncut burls is always a bit risky.

Marc
 
not only is uncut wood risky. don't expect to get a lot of premium wood even from a good burl. last year I bought 500 lbs of walnut and would bet that after drying etc not more than 100 lbs was really good wood for pens. and far less than that was top quality pen blanks.
 
Oak burl can probably be the least attractive of most domestic wood burl. I've never seen it with an eye pattern, usually just swirls. Now that is not bad, but you should consider it in the price. I would probably offer him $50 and a couple pens and bottle stoppers. You could add some to that after you cut into it, but you have to explain you aren't too excited about the risk of finding carpenter ants, or large bark inclusions.
 
low_48 said:
Oak burl can probably be the least attractive of most domestic wood burl. I've never seen it with an eye pattern, usually just swirls.
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Then you need to buy some from Gary Max. He sent me some recently that is very attractive.
 
Thanks, I'll give him a call and let him know the risks that I have of buying the burl and maybe he will consider this into the price.

Also I'll need to know how to cut it and preserve it.
 
jkeithrussell said:
Then you need to buy some from Gary Max. He sent me some recently that is very attractive.
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Does it have eyes? I didn't say it wasn't attractive, just that it doesn't compare. Black ash, cherry, maple, mulberry, walnut, etc.... usually have small eyes, color differences, and features that can fit better on a pen blank. Did you post a pic of the burl you have? I probably have enough oak burl for 75 pens, sure don't need more. Mine has color changes, spalt, and swirl. I'd take a black ash burl any day over my oak.
 
I've not seen the burl yet. I really dont know what I'm looking for. The man just wanted to know if I was interested. I may offer him 25-30 dollars for it, thats about all its worth to me or thats all i'm willing to lose.
 
low_48 said:
Does it have eyes? I didn't say it wasn't attractive, just that it doesn't compare. Black ash, cherry, maple, mulberry, walnut, etc.... usually have small eyes, color differences, and features that can fit better on a pen blank. Did you post a pic of the burl you have? I probably have enough oak burl for 75 pens, sure don't need more. Mine has color changes, spalt, and swirl. I'd take a black ash burl any day over my oak.
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Yes, it has some eyes and lots of swirls. Some color changes, but probably not as much as you find with something like cherry. I will post a pic of a turned pen as soon as I figure out how to finish a pen again. I've been using CA but for reasons that remain unclear to me, it no longer works and I'm trying to learn an alternative finishing method.
 
I've been using CA but for reasons that remain unclear to me, it no longer works and I'm trying to learn an alternative finishing method.
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Trying standing on one foot and apply with left hand upside down under a full moon on the 29th of Feb. That always works for me. If you can't wait that long, try Unaxol. Works great but not as shiny.
 
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