I did a search first - drying burl caps

Re: I did a search first - drying burl caps

Brad Vietje

>Mike,

In my experience with Black Cherry, the burl is much easier to dry than the straight grained wood. I usually turn them green, leaving a shrinkage allowance, wax them (paste wax or Anchorseal), and then finish turn them later, when dry. I worry much more about the straight grain than the burl, where cracks are more likely. Cherry burls can be kept waxed up for quite a while.

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: I did a search first - drying burl caps

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>I've had no experience with cherry burl. (Wish I did) However, I've had lots of experience with maple, madrone and myrtlewood burls. Burl is easier to dry and usually has less distortion than plain wood. Madrone is the exception. (It's the most unstable wood in North America) I suggest that you coat the exposed wood heavily with anchorseal, then rough turn it and coat it again while it dries.

Wally

Burl caps

Bob Hackett

>While burl caps will dry they also tend to honeycomb if not waxed well.Cherry burls have alot of voids and bark inclusions and this seems to be where the major cracks work the most damage.If you don`t mind filling voids and checks then dry them as is.This holds true with New England cherry burl,I can`t say if your burl will do the same or not.

The other thing to consider is that you have an option to add alittle surprise to your work if you turn burl while still relatively green.Once you finish sand you can set the work aside to dry and the surface will take on a bumpy type of texture that most folks find delightful.I`ve had people tell me it feels like rawhide or that it feels alive under thier fingers.Microwave drying the work seems to intensify the effect.You get just the hint of the feel of the graining that makes burl so irresistable to most people.

E-mail if you want more info on turning cherry burl.BTW-it`s one of my best selling woods,BE and curly maple are the others.

Mainely,Bob

Re: I did a search first - drying burl caps

John Williams in PA

>I have found that cherry burl dries nicely with time and tends not to check if you cut away the remnants of the branch or trunk on which it grew. If you do not do this, that wood may tend to check and the check carries through to the burl. So either get rid of it or coat with end grain sealer.

The other thing is that even when the burl is dry, the wood tends to move after turning. I believe this is because the stresses in the piece are released with removal of the waste wood. So if you want perfect rounds, then plan on twice turning them as you would if the wood was wet.

Hi John!

Gary Evans

>Nice to see your name back on the board. I was wondering the other day how you are doing.

GE

Hi Gary...doin' fine...

John Williams in PA

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