Time to Decide

[walnutjerry]

I have had this dogwood burl laying around for probably 5 years or more. I kept looking it over wondering just how I was going to prepare it for the lathe. Well it is time to decide what to do with it. Let's make a bowl!!!

The photos will show the burly side, the worst end, and of course the crack which runs full length of the piece. My plan right now is to use the burly side for the bottom of the bowl, which I believe will show more of the burly grain on the sides of the bowl. That puts that crack on top of the bowl-------which I plan to fill with epoxy before mounting it on the lathe. My thinking is to flatten the area on the crack side, maybe down to where the burl starts, that will give me a flat surface to mount a face plate and maybe strengthen it a little by having screws on either side of the crack while I shape the bottom. I normally do not use a face plate. The voids showing on the end grain I will deal with once it is rough out in the round---------then more clear epoxy as needed:rolf:.

Maybe there is a more experienced turner in the crowd that can tell me if my line of thought is in the ball park. I have never turned a burl before and I really don't want to blow this piece away being it came "off the farm".

All input welcome

Jerry

 

[cskipper]

I'm sure someone with more experience will pipe in with some advice. I'll be interested in how it turns out!

 

[DaveO]

Jerry it looks to me that if you attack it the way you described you could easily BS or chainsaw off most of the checked/splitting trunk section and probably end up with some pretty solid wood to mount your face plate to. I really look forward to seeing what comes out of that. I have never seen Dogwood burl before.
Dave

 

[Eaglesc]

Neat piece of wood, I Wouldn't know where to start.

 

[walnutjerry]

Jerry it looks to me that if you attack it the way you described you could easily BS or chainsaw off most of the checked/splitting trunk section and probably end up with some pretty solid wood to mount your face plate to. I really look forward to seeing what comes out of that. I have never seen Dogwood burl before.
Dave

Dave-------have you ever turned a burl? I wonder how deep the burl goes :eusa_thin. I don't want to turn it all away. Does it grow around the existing trunk? Or is it embedded in the trunk?

Just hope I make the right choice of how to mount the piece.:eusa_pray I even had thoughts of end grain mounting------but the crack made me shy away from that.

The saga continues as I go through pieces I have had tucked away for as long as 18 to 20 years and getting them ready for lathe mounting. So far I have blanks in ash, chestnut, cherry, persimmon, red bud(aka judas tree), walnut(from a stump) and maple.

Jerry

 

[FredP]

this would be my choice. didnt know how to draw on the pic so i cut it in photo shop. this gets rid of the crack and the pith. the rest could be used for smaller turnings and pens. YMMV as always.

 

[DaveO]

Dave-------have you ever turned a burl? I wonder how deep the burl goes :eusa_thin. I don't want to turn it all away. Does it grow around the existing trunk? Or is it embedded in the trunk?

Jerry

I've turned burl, but only pieces, never a whole burl. I would suspect the the burl tissue is growing around the trunk and possibly a little way into it. Kinda like a tumor. That's why I think that if you cut the trunk section in half at the pith and use that flat surface as your face plate mount you will end up with the maximum amount of burl wood to shape into the bowl, and most of the normal trunk wood will be turned away when you hollow it. You may find spectacular wood inside or you might find a bunch of crap. Not all burls have the characteristic rapidly/randomly developed "eyes" that make for the spectacular figure. Often they are a result of scar tissue from injury or disease. You'll never know until you open it up and see.

Dave