Willow Burl

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Todd in PA

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
822
Location
Port Matilda, PA
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This willow tree came down at my Father-in-laws house on Thanksgiving. I searched the forum and found photos of willow burl pens. Just viewing the pen photos, I'm expecting tear out and voids. Anyway, I'll cut some burls off and slather them with anchorseal. Any advice on drying such a wet wood?
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We had a willow taken down about 12 years ago. It had a large burl mass at the base which I asked the tree removal company to save for me. It was about 30" x15" x 12" and weighed about 25 pounds when wet. I painted the exposed surfaces (made by the chainsaw) with Anchorseal Green Wood Sealer. I let the burl sit in my garage for about 5 years, over which it dried pretty well without cracking. I cut the burl into chunks dried them in a toaster oven, then stabilized them. I thought the willow burl turned very well. I don't recall having any significant tear out.

Your project, based on the photos, will be about 100x more work judging from the size of tree and the many smaller burls I see on the trunk. Good luck, and post pics!

PS - We had another downed willow along the back property line that I will be dismembering - there are some burls on the tree that I will be trying to salvage.
 
That tree is awesome! I bet it was a site to see displaying all of those Burl like trophies. I would be treating it like a gold mine. I hope harvesting goes well and you have an extra garage or building to store all of it!
 
Gold mine is right I see a lot of money and work laying there. The butt cut looks big enough to get some table slabs from if its not hollow and that is now looked at as a place for resin to go. There is a local store here that pays good money for the logs and then they cut it themselves. I see a lot of potential for bowls and vases out of those long burls in the limbs. I do not know what the going price is now but a few years back I could sale fresh burls for two dollars a pound to a local woodturning store. And there is a monthly gathering of a woodturning club that they often will be people selling wood in the parking lot. Years ago when I started doing tree work I didn't know the money that could be made off of the so called junk wood. It is a shame what I have chipped and threw away or let rot waiting on me to find time to turn it. Just a few ideas to think about other than a lot of pens.
 
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