Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
white oak burl
eliot feldman
Recently, a friend gave me some white oak burl. When I turned a piece, I found that it had a dark heart wood looking part at the center and lighter wood around that. How can burl, which bulges from the side of the tree have heartwood and sapwood -- or does it just look this way?
Also the dark part turned beautifully, but the lighter part was punky and left lots of tear -out. I really don't find much special about it. does anyone have experience with this wood?
Re: white oak burl
John K Jordan
Do you know if it was from a burl bulging from the trunk or from what I call a "buttress", burl growth at the base of the tree? I have several oaks here with these and the wood from them can be nice around the outside. I don't know why these (or any burls) form although I've read lots of guesses. Perhaps there is some organism in the soil that triggers this abnormal growth. This tree broke in two a few years ago and I've been meaning to slice into the base to have a look:
Here is a small bowl, maybe 4" in diameter from such wood from a different tree that came down in a storm:
I'm not sure what you mean about the heartwood. I've seen plenty of burls with heartwood and sapwood.
http://www.chitswood.com/sk112i/Rosewood_Burl.html
http://www.exoticwoodsusa.com/images/amboyna_burl/Amboyna_Burl_Pens-028.JPG
JKJ
Re: white oak burl
Dick Coers
Most burks grow just like limbs, heartwood and sapwood. There are bumps that are described as onion skin, just lots of big bumps that layer around. Then there are limb bud burls that are filled with eyes if cut perpendicular to the buds. There are also overgrowth bumps that are more like scabs that healed over injuries or broken off limbs. Oaks aren't known for spectacular bud burls like black ash.
Re: white oak burl
mjonesrdg
This "spittoon" or vase form is turned from a white oak burl. AKA "Blue oak" due to it's blueish colored leaves.
What's that stripe down the middle? It is a beetle tunnel. The frass (what the beetle left behind) was nearly as solid as the primary wood. I found it remarkable that the critter made his "bore" to conform to the shape of my turning so I solidified it with CA and left it as a feature of the piece.
Nice piece!
Ellis Walentine
I like the rim detail on this one, John. Dense white oak holds detail remarkably well, and the simple design shows off the burl grain really nicely.
Ellis
Re: white oak burl
lester gillett
I was giving a slice of White Oak Burl and I mad a bowl out of one pica of the slice.
Some of the pica had a sofa white color to it and it didn't cut to good. So I put some
of the wood hardener on it and that helped a lot. Hope I can add a photo to show how
it came out.
Lester
Re: Nice piece!
John K Jordan
>I like the rim detail on this one
Thank you. I think rims are often overlooked, an afterthought. A little detail can add a bit of something to an ordinary shape - it's often the first thing you see.
